...so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you...
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you...
...so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
The first thing I notice is a triad of triads here. The first is three areas of relationship: Giving is my relationship to others. Praying is my relationship to God. Fasting is relationship to myself, own body and desires. Another triad could be my mind (having a generous attitude of giving), my body (fasting, bringing my physical comfort into proper perspective), and my soul (praying to keep strong and healthy spiritually).
A third triad points to three areas that could be indicators of where my loyalty lies and the kingdom for which I am really living? Do I lift up with open hands in generosity all the material blessings I have or do I hold on to them tightly? Do I spend my time in fellowship and communication to grow my relationship with my Heavenly Father or fritter away my time in meaningless pursuits with no eternal value? Do I deny myself, take up my cross and follow, making my life truly a living sacrifice or am I so self-centered I am not even willing to endure a little suffering or discomfort for the One who paid it all for me? Tough questions I need to always be asking in order to keep me focused.
The next thing I noticed is all three of these things, giving, praying and fasting, are to be done in secret. They aren't for show. They aren't to draw praise and attention to one's self from others. (A tangential question: So should I only give cash in the offering so nobody will know what I'm giving?) These are deeply personal and private spiritual exercises between me and my Father. Keeping these practices private and unknown to others helps to sift through the motives for doing them. I am to do them with the pure motive of obeying and pleasing my Father and to strengthen my faith.
A strong, vibrant open and growing relationship with God through obedience in these and other areas is its own reward. Is that the reward according to these verses I will receive for these practices? Or will there be rewards in addition to this? I continue to strive for and desire that my heart will be such that knowing God more fully will be the only reward I care about. Because in reality, nothing else even matters.
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