Godly religion: making God visible through our own invisibility
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Matthew 6:3-4
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Matthew 6:6
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; Matthew 6:17-18
These moments of deep religious expression should be intimate moments with God the Father, and thus appropriately done in secret. Yet, not all religious expression need be silent and secret to the world around us. Some religious expression is rightfully communal, and thus done in public view.
Jesus is not saying that we should do all our religious observances or activities in silence and secret. Any outward action, though, is judged by the attitude behind it. This is the principle that Jesus teaches in his comments on Anger, Murder, and Adultery in Matthew 5:21-48. Your actions may seen harmless and even benevolent. However, if your heart is sinful, then the resulting action is tainted with that same sin, regardless of the outcome or the perception of those around us.
Christianity becomes more difficult when you have to judge your own thoughts and emotions, as well as your own actions.
I think, in the end, that Jesus reminds his followers that the invisible God can be seen through the visible, selfless actions of his followers. When we choose to be silent for our own desires and, instead, express God's desires, the invisible Creator becomes very evident in us and through us. And our religious expressions become more than routine--they become powerful as they reveal the Spirit of God inside of us.
As John the Baptist said, "He must become more as I become less." John 3:30
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Matthew 6:6
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; Matthew 6:17-18
These moments of deep religious expression should be intimate moments with God the Father, and thus appropriately done in secret. Yet, not all religious expression need be silent and secret to the world around us. Some religious expression is rightfully communal, and thus done in public view.
Jesus is not saying that we should do all our religious observances or activities in silence and secret. Any outward action, though, is judged by the attitude behind it. This is the principle that Jesus teaches in his comments on Anger, Murder, and Adultery in Matthew 5:21-48. Your actions may seen harmless and even benevolent. However, if your heart is sinful, then the resulting action is tainted with that same sin, regardless of the outcome or the perception of those around us.
Christianity becomes more difficult when you have to judge your own thoughts and emotions, as well as your own actions.
I think, in the end, that Jesus reminds his followers that the invisible God can be seen through the visible, selfless actions of his followers. When we choose to be silent for our own desires and, instead, express God's desires, the invisible Creator becomes very evident in us and through us. And our religious expressions become more than routine--they become powerful as they reveal the Spirit of God inside of us.
As John the Baptist said, "He must become more as I become less." John 3:30
posted by Randy Rogers at
11:08 AM
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