The Audience of One: True Fasting Text: Matthew 6:16-18
Introduction: The Economy of Glory
We live in an age of performative righteousness. Our culture is saturated with the desperate need to be seen doing the right thing. Whether it is posting the correct political slogan, wearing the approved ribbon, or updating a social media profile to reflect the cause of the moment, modern man is terrified of being invisible. He craves the validation that comes from the watching world. He wants his piety, however secularized it might be, to be noticed, liked, and shared. He is, in short, an actor on a stage, and his audience is everyone.
But this is nothing new. This is the oldest temptation of the human heart when it comes to religion. It is the desire to trade the weighty glory of God for the cheap, fleeting applause of men. In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been systematically dismantling this entire economy of vainglory. He has addressed giving to the poor, and He has addressed prayer. Now He turns His attention to the spiritual discipline of fasting. In all three, the principle is precisely the same: true piety is not a public performance. It is a secret transaction between the soul and God. The central question Jesus forces us to ask is this: for whose approval are you living? Who is your intended audience?
The hypocrites Jesus addresses were masters of the stage. They knew how to work the crowd. They understood the lighting, the costumes, and the dramatic sighs necessary to win public acclaim for their spiritual depth. But Jesus pulls back the curtain and shows that their theater was empty. They were playing to the wrong audience, seeking the wrong reward, and in the end, they got exactly what they paid for, and nothing more. We must take this warning to heart, because the same temptation to trade eternal rewards for temporary praise is alive and well in the church today. The desire to appear spiritual is a far more common pursuit than the desire to actually be spiritual.
The Text
"Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."
(Matthew 6:16-18 LSB)
The Public Performance of Piety (v. 16)
Jesus begins by assuming that his followers will, in fact, fast. He says, "whenever you fast," not "if you fast."
"Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." (Matthew 6:16 LSB)
Fasting, the discipline of abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose, is a good and biblical practice. It is a tool for humbling ourselves, for sharpening our spiritual focus, and for expressing earnest desperation before God. But like any good gift, it can be twisted into a tool for pride. The hypocrites, a word that comes from the Greek stage for "actor," knew how to turn this private discipline into a public spectacle.
They would put on a "gloomy face." They would neglect their appearance, perhaps messing up their hair, rubbing ashes on their faces, or wearing drab clothing. The goal was to look utterly miserable and spiritually exhausted so that everyone who saw them would think, "My, what a devout man. He must be deep in communion with God." Their fasting was not about denying the flesh; it was about feeding the ego. It was a carefully crafted advertisement for their own righteousness.
And Jesus delivers a verdict that is both a promise and a devastating judgment: "Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." The Greek here means they have received their payment in full, like a signed receipt. They made a transaction. They offered a public display of piety, and in return, they received the admiration of men. The transaction is complete. The account is closed. There is nothing left for them to receive from the Father, because they never sought His approval in the first place. They cashed their check in the currency of human praise, and the check cleared. But that currency is worthless in the kingdom of heaven.
This is a terrifying warning. It is entirely possible to perform religious duties, to be seen as a pillar in the community, to check all the external boxes, and to receive your full reward right here on earth, with nothing left to collect in eternity. If the praise of men is what you are after, you will likely get it. But that is all you will get.
The Secret Discipline of the Saints (v. 17-18a)
Jesus then provides the righteous alternative. The contrast is stark and intentional.
"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret..." (Matthew 6:17-18a LSB)
The command is to do the exact opposite of the hypocrites. Anointing the head with oil and washing the face were signs of grooming, of normalcy, even of joy and celebration. In other words, when you are engaged in this intense spiritual discipline, you are to look for all the world like you are doing nothing of the sort. You are to go about your day as usual. Your fasting is to be a secret. It is a matter between you and God alone.
This instruction is a direct assault on the foundation of performative religion. True Christian piety is not about manufacturing an external appearance of holiness. It is about the cultivation of an internal reality of holiness. God is not interested in the costumes we wear; He is interested in the condition of our hearts. The discipline of fasting is meant to bring the heart into submission to God, not to bring the admiration of others to ourselves.
The principle here is that we are to live our lives before an audience of one. The Father is "in secret." He sees what no one else sees. He knows the motives of the heart. He is not fooled by a gloomy face or a disheveled appearance. He cannot be manipulated by our religious theatrics. Therefore, the Christian life is to be oriented vertically, toward Him, and not horizontally, toward the watching world. This is liberating. It frees us from the exhausting burden of managing our own public relations. We do not have to worry about what others think of our spiritual state. We have only to concern ourselves with what God knows to be true of our spiritual state.
The Father's Open Reward (v. 18b)
Jesus concludes with a glorious promise for those who practice their righteousness in secret.
"...and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:18b LSB)
The hypocrites get their reward, and the faithful get theirs. But the rewards could not be more different. The hypocrite's reward is immediate, public, and ultimately worthless. It is the hollow praise of fallen men. The believer's reward is from the Father. It is a reward based not on a flawless performance, but on a faithful heart that seeks Him alone.
Notice the contrast. The fasting is done in secret, but the reward is not necessarily secret. Some translations add the word "openly." While that word is not in the earliest manuscripts, the principle is biblical. The Father sees the secret devotion, the hidden prayer, the unseen act of self-denial, and He honors it. This reward is, first and foremost, a deeper communion with God Himself. The goal of fasting is to get more of God, and the reward is that you get more of God. But it also includes His public vindication and blessing in His time and in His way, culminating in the final "Well done, good and faithful servant" on the last day.
This is the great reversal of the gospel. The world says, "Get noticed to get rewarded." The kingdom says, "Get hidden to get rewarded." The world seeks glory from below; the saints receive glory from above. The hypocrite works for a paycheck from his peers. The Christian works for an inheritance from his Father.
Conclusion: From Performance to Pardon
The central problem with the hypocrite is that he is still trying to justify himself by his performance. He is trying to build a resume of righteousness that will impress both God and man. His fasting, his praying, his giving, are all items he is adding to his spiritual ledger. He believes his relationship with God is based on the quality of his religious acting.
But the gospel tells us that all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags. Our best performances are tainted with sin. Our only hope is not to offer God a better performance, but to confess that we are bankrupt performers and to cling to the perfect performance of another. Jesus Christ lived the only life that was ever truly lived before an audience of One. His entire life was a perfect act of obedience to the Father. He is the only one who never sought the praise of men, but only the glory of His Father.
When we trust in Him, His perfect performance is credited to our account. We are declared righteous not because of our secret disciplines, but because of His public sacrifice. And this changes everything. We no longer give, pray, and fast in order to earn God's favor. We now give, pray, and fast because we already have God's favor, freely given to us in His Son.
This is what liberates us from the need for an audience. When you know you are fully known and fully loved by your Father in heaven because of Christ, you are freed from the desperate craving for approval from anyone else. Your identity is secure. Your reward is certain. You can finally get off the stage, take off the costume, wash your face, and simply walk with your God.