Learning to live humbly

Peter Frere | Matthew 6:1-18 

[Jesus said,] 'Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.'

'So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.'

It's the same with prayer and fasting, said Jesus: if you do it to receive the praise of others, that praise is all the reward you will get. How can we get our hearts in the right place? Peter points to Jesus' own teaching as a means of developing a God-centred attitude. The recording is introduced by Bobbie Frere and we also hear a powerful piece of drama from Phil Smith and Peter to illustrate the reading, plus contributions from Jeanne and Amanda.

The full video version of this Sunday morning reflection, including music, can be viewed on YouTube.