With a Subtitle: What Jesus teaches about public faith, private prayer, and God’s approval over man’s praise

A brief Excerpt: Matthew 6 speaks powerfully to a culture obsessed with visibility. Jesus calls believers to reject pride, pursue hidden faithfulness, practice sincere prayer, and let good works point to God rather than self.

The Author is: Jeff Hilles

Matthew 6:1-4 - “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Applying Matthew 6:1-4 to Contemporary Life Today

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:1-4 cut directly against the grain of modern life. We live in a world where nearly everything can be displayed, promoted, measured, and applauded. People announce their accomplishments, curate their generosity, and often feel pressure to make even private matters public. Into that culture, Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.” That warning is not outdated. It may be more necessary now than ever.

At the heart of this passage is the contrast between humility and pride. Jesus is not condemning righteous living. He is condemning the desire to be seen as righteous. That distinction matters. It is possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason. A person may give generously, serve faithfully, speak kindly, and even pray regularly, yet still be driven by a hidden hunger for approval. Pride is not always loud. Sometimes it hides under the appearance of devotion.

The Danger of Performing for People

Jesus warns His listeners not to practice righteousness “before other people in order to be seen by them.” The issue is motive. Are we doing what we do because we love God or because we want to be admired by others? In contemporary life, that question touches almost everything. Social media has made public recognition immediate and addictive. A good deed can be photographed, posted, and praised within minutes. Even sincere acts of compassion can become opportunities for self-promotion.

That is why this passage forces Christians to examine the heart. Why do we share what we share? Why do we mention our service, our giving, our sacrifices, or our spiritual habits? Sometimes testimony is genuine and God-honoring. Sometimes it is a subtle attempt to build an image. Jesus exposes the difference.

Hidden Prayer Shapes a Humble Heart

Matthew 6:1-4 focuses on giving, but the surrounding passage also moves into prayer and fasting. Together, these verses teach that much of the Christian life is meant to be rooted in hidden faithfulness. Private prayer is one of the clearest tests of spiritual sincerity. It is easy to sound spiritual in front of others. It is much harder to seek God when no one sees, no one affirms, and no one praises.

Hidden prayer reminds us that God is not impressed by performance. He sees the heart. He hears the whispered cry, the quiet confession, and the unseen burden. A believer who prays in secret is learning to depend on the Father rather than the crowd. That kind of prayer cultivates humility because it strips away the audience. It is not about impression. It is about communion.

In a contemporary setting, hidden prayer may mean turning off distractions, stepping away from screens, and seeking the Lord without feeling the need to announce it. It may mean praying for people who never know your name, carrying burdens that never become content, and trusting that the Father who sees in secret is enough.

Public Good Deeds Still Have a Place

This does not mean every act of obedience must remain invisible. Scripture also teaches that there are times when faith is rightly seen. Jesus says in…

Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 

That is not a contradiction. It is a matter of purpose.

The difference between Matthew 5 and Matthew 6 is not public versus private in a simplistic sense. The difference is whether the glory goes to God or to self. In Matthew 5, good works point people to the Father. In Matthew 6, religious activity is used to attract praise to the individual. One is witness. The other is vanity.

That means there are times when Christians should share their stories. Testimonies of God’s faithfulness can strengthen believers, encourage the weary, and point unbelievers to Christ. Acts of service can sometimes be visible because they meet visible needs. Public obedience is not the problem. Self-exaltation is the problem.

Sharing Without Self-Exalting

This requires discernment. Before speaking, posting, or sharing, a believer should ask: Am I drawing attention to the Lord, or to myself? Am I trying to help others, or to polish my image? Am I offering testimony, or asking for applause? Those questions matter because pride can baptize itself in religious language.

Biblical humility does not mean pretending nothing good ever happens. It means remembering who deserves the credit. Every good work, every answered prayer, every opportunity to serve, and every spiritual victory is ultimately a work of God’s grace. The humble Christian can speak of what God has done but does so with gratitude rather than self-congratulation.

Treasures on Earth or Treasure in Heaven

This passage keeping the left hand from knowing what the right hand is doing also connects naturally to Jesus’ teaching later in Matthew 6 about treasure. The person who lives for public praise is storing treasure on earth. Human applause is a temporary reward. It fades quickly, and it cannot satisfy the soul. Likes, compliments, recognition, and reputation are fragile treasures. They feel substantial in the moment, but they do not last.

Treasure in Heaven is different. It is built through faithfulness that may be unseen by the world but is fully seen by God. A quiet act of generosity, a secret prayer, a humble confession, a burden carried in love, a sacrifice made for Christ—none of it is wasted. The world may overlook it, but Heaven does not.

That truth is deeply freeing. Christians do not need to chase visibility. We do not need to build our own righteousness brand. We do not need to prove our worth before others. We are called to live before the face of God. The Father who sees in secret is not absent, inattentive, or unjust. He sees what others miss.

Living This Out Today

Applying Matthew 6:1-4 today means refusing to turn the Christian life into a performance. It means fighting pride at the level of motive. It means guarding private prayer, embracing humble obedience, and resisting the temptation to measure spiritual value by public attention. It also means being willing to let our light shine when doing so clearly glorifies God and serves others.

The goal is not invisibility for its own sake. The goal is sincerity. Some acts of faithfulness will be hidden. Some will be public. In both cases, the central question remains the same: Who receives the glory?

A Biblical Christian worldview understands that humility is not weakness. It is truthfulness before God. Pride craves recognition because it wants the throne. Humility bows because it knows the throne already belongs to Christ. Matthew 6:1-4 calls believers to reject shallow rewards, to pursue the Father in secret, and to invest in the kind of treasure that will never fade. In a noisy age obsessed with being seen, that kind of quiet faithfulness shines brighter than ever.