In religious life, there are times when some people unknowingly display an image of religious devotion as a way to gain recognition from others. This tendency is not new, and people in all ages have often been trapped in similar behavior. Responding to this, Jesus gave a stern warning by saying, “Do not practice your piety in public to be seen by men, for if you do so, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (verse 1).

Jesus highlighted the common practice of Jewish religious leaders at that time who often performed acts of piety to impress others. He emphasized that good deeds done to gain attention from humans will make someone lose their reward from the Father in heaven. The reward in question is not a right given to those who have done God's will, but a symbol of God's generosity. As in the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:8-9,15), wages are a free and generous gift from God, not the result of human effort. Sincere piety that does not seek human praise will be rewarded by God.

One form of personal piety that is often used as a tool to gain recognition is the practice of charity. One form of charity in the Jewish tradition is giving part of the land's produce to the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

This tradition is very good, but unfortunately many have not carried it out properly, hampered by the desire to seek praise. Therefore, Jesus reminded his disciples to give charity voluntarily. He strongly condemned hypocrites who gave with the intention of attracting the attention of many people. Some interpreters note that the Jews were very demonstrative when giving charity, some of them even blew trumpets when doing so. It is only right that Jesus condemned this act and rebuked the perpetrators as hypocrites.

Jesus provided a way out of this hypocrisy by advising thus, "when you give charity, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing." (verse 3). This means that even those closest to us do not need to know about the help we give. In fact, the giver himself does not need to remember his actions. It is enough for the Father in heaven to know, and He will give His reward freely and generously. This is also a challenge for us, do we still give alms if only God knows?

Bible friends, are we aware that today the temptation to use religious obligations as a way to appear pious to others is very strong. The modern era provides tools to facilitate this desire, namely with the various social media that we have. So Jesus' advice to purify the heart when carrying out various religious obligations, especially alms, is very relevant. Moreover, we understand that God has saved us. So giving alms should be an expression of personal gratitude to God that is based on an intimate relationship with Him. May we be able to recognize and fight the desire to show off all the religious obligations that we do.