Verse 1
A basic principle 6:1
"Righteousness" means what is in harmony with the will of God, and righteous deeds are those that are pleasing to Him. Jesus warned His disciples about the possibility of doing good deeds for the wrong reason as He began His teaching about righteous behavior. If one does what God approves to obtain human approval, that one will not receive a reward for his good deed from God. Notice again that disciples’ rewards will vary. Some disciples will receive more reward from God than others. Disciples should practice good works publicly (Matthew 5:16), but they should not draw special attention to them.
The rabbis considered almsgiving, prayer, and fasting as the three chief acts of Jewish piety. [Note: C. G. Montefiore and H. Loewe, A Rabbinic Anthology, pp. 412-39; G. F. Moore, Judaism in the First Centuries of the Christian Era, 2:162-79.] Jesus dealt with each of these aspects of worship similarly. He first warned His disciples not to do the act for man’s praise. Then He assured them that if they disregarded His warning they would get human praise but no more. Third, He taught them how to do the act for God alone, secretly (not for public applause). Finally, He assured them that the Father who sees in secret would reward their righteous act openly.
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