We live in the age of entertainment. Movies and TV shows in America are being produced and released at a staggering speed. You couldn’t keep up with them all if you did nothing but sit on your couch and watch television 24/7. More than that, our lives are consumed with social media. And even if you aren’t on your phone constantly, we live in a culture that revolves around the latest YouTube videos and TikToks. There are many consequences to a culture defined by media and media consumption (some positive, some negative). But an interesting result that has availed itself in recent years is the idea of performance. A culture consumed with entertainment is one that values performances above all else. In many ways, by choosing to spend a majority of our time looking at screens and watching movies, TV, YouTube, TikTok, etc., we have replaced authenticity with performance.
So what does this bit of cultural critique have to do with being a better Christian or becoming a better equipped Faith Driven Consumer? Well, the Bible actually has quite a bit to say about this issue. Of course, scripture doesn’t use the same language or reference the same institutions of 2021. That said, the timeless lessons and the principles apply, nonetheless. In fact, in the passage that we are going to briefly consider today, Jesus teaches a lesson to his disciples (and therefore us) about how to avoid being a performer and what it looks like to be a humble and authentic believer instead.
As we continue from last week, considering what true acts of service and worship look like, let’s turn once again to Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament. This week we are going to examine His words in Matthew chapter 6, verses 3 through 6. Jesus is teaching his disciples about authentic worship, and says:
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. [3] But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ESV)
Last week, we looked at Mark 12:41 and discussed what true giving looks like. One thing we discovered is that Jesus is pleased with sacrificial giving more than giving out of abundance. This week’s passage reveals another aspect of true giving: authenticity, or sincerity. The verses above describe Jesus’ rebuke of insincere acts of worship, as he explains to his disciples what true acts of worship should look like.
What Jesus notices about these “great” acts of charity and grand displays of prayer being committed in the temple is that they are inauthentic and from a heart that is anything but selfless or sincere. Jesus sees the actions of the Pharisees for what they are: a performance. They were interested in the appearance of the giving and the appearance of prayer. They were interested in the acclaims; the “thank yous” and the “oohs” and “ahhs.” They were interested in what these actions could afford them in social credit and in the hierarchy of the temple leadership. The one thing they were not interested in was worshipping their Father in heaven.
The scriptures are full of warnings to hypocrites. Going through the motions or performing for those around you are not the kind of actions that please God, nor will they bring the blessings that He offers. What God wants is your heart. And while we as humans can only make judgments based off of the actions, words and behavior of others (all of which can be scripted or contrived), Jesus sees our hearts and knows the motivations, desires and mental states that ultimately underly everything we do.
Jesus exhorts his disciples to not deceive themselves nor deceive others with insincere acts of “worship” that result in nothing more than self-righteousness and pride, and instead to demonstrate the authenticity of their faith, devotion and worship by humbly worshipping God as if no one was watching. That’s what He’s encouraging us to do when He uses the clever expression “don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” And when He says to pray in private, He is prescribing helpful practices that will ensure that our acts of worship don’t become a performance that is given for everyone except the One for whom worship should be.
We live in a culture where we have replaced authenticity and sincerity with performance and hypocrisy. We find ourselves constantly considering the social ramifications of what we are doing more than we consider what is morally right, or good for our neighbor, or glorifying to God. At some point we exchanged a sincere heart for worshipping and serving, with a desire to be acknowledged and praised by those around us. And when that happens, worship, giving, acts of service and all these good things become ways for us to worship ourselves more than God. That was true of religious people in Jesus’ day, some two-thousand years ago, and it’s still true today. Just as there were many back then whose spiritual lives amounted to nothing more than mere performances, so too are there many today who go through the motions or even offer grand worship performances. Ultimately, however, Jesus’ words ring true that “they have received their reward in full.”
When we give our lives as a performance for others, even if it involves spiritual or religious acts, ironically, we get exactly what we wanted: the praise of others. However, what we don’t receive are the blessings from God which accompany true acts of worship, from a sincere and authentic heart. We aren’t transformed into more Christ-like individuals. And we don’t experience the spiritual fruit of intimate communion with God. Instead, when we live for ourselves, even if under the guise of living for God, we ultimately get a reward that is fleeting and finite, and that won’t satisfy. We as Faith Driven Consumers have an opportunity to demonstrate to the world what authentic faith looks like, through sincere and humble acts of worship, service, and giving, not grandiose and self-serving displays of spirituality. May we heed the words of Jesus and allow the Spirit to refocus our hearts and minds where we have been tempted to perform instead of worship.
