This post is written by Andrew Hall as a companion for Unit 23, Session 2 of The Gospel Project for Adults, Volume 8: From Wonder to Rejection (Summer 2023).
Of all the principles that Jesus lays out in Matthew 6, the idea of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (6:33) begins with us learning to do our acts of righteousness outside of the view of others, intentionally in private, alone where only God can see.
In a world of self-promotion and social media branding, ensuring that we have the right image has become normal. It is easy to think that posting a picture of our devotions is a way of doing evangelism; all the while we want people to notice the nice Bible or the highlighting we’ve done of certain verses. It is nothing to give so that our name is included on a list of generous donors—that’s what everyone else does! And when we pray, isn’t it important that I sound biblical—I want to model how to pray publicly (even if I struggle to pray privately).
The value of the kingdom of heaven, however, is not in how visible our righteous deeds are but how invisible they are. Done away from the public eye, outside of the view of everyone, Jesus commends practicing our giving (Matt. 6:1-4), our praying (Matt. 6:5-15), and our fasting (Matt. 6:16-18) where only our heavenly Father can see us.
As much as Christ healed the sick and did great miracles before people, He would often pull away into solitude (Mark 1:35). Going away to pray in private, He would not seek to glorify Himself but His Father in heaven. Even in coming to earth, Jesus did not draw attention to Himself by seeking positions of power and authority. While all authority belonged to Him (Matt. 28:18), Jesus did not use that authority and power for selfish gain but for the blessings of the world. He was willing to be despised and rejected by His own people. He was a man familiar with suffering and acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:3).
By going to the cross, what Jesus displayed is that the values of His kingdom are not the values of self-promotion, self-exaltation, and self-glory. Rather, by going to the cross, Jesus laid down His life so that we might be forgiven of our sins and freed from the tyranny of promoting ourselves. Instead, by humbling ourselves, God is pleased to exalt us in His Son.
The principle of the kingdom of heaven is that the hidden, secret life is the life that God rewards. While the visible public life receives the praise of people, Jesus tells us that is our sole reward. People may commend us, praise us, and notice us. But that is where the rewards end. When no one notices our giving, our prayers, and our fasting but God alone, our reward is great in heaven. For when we aren’t noticed, God is pleased because no one gets the credit and glory but Him alone. And isn’t this our aim—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever?
Andrew Hall is the Lead Pastor of Community Bible Church, located in Ilderton, Ontario, Canada. He is a graduate from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Melanie, have four children.
