Listen to the reading of Scripture below and then learn more from related resources. As you listen and reflect, think about this question: How does Jesus uniquely challenge his followers to show their devotion to God?
Similar to us, ancient Israelites could fall into performing religious practices to win praise from other people.
Matthew 6:1-21
Righteousness and Religious Practices
What is the true reward from God when we follow these practices in Jesus’ intended way?
We'll be adding more translations here in the future, but in the meantime, you can find more translations now on the BibleProject app.
“Be careful, Jesus says, because if you’re doing your righteousness to get public praise, then you’ll miss out on the real reward that God has in store.”
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E2
Living With the Torah Written on Your Heart
“Jesus sees himself as offering this charter for what the Spirit-empowered new representatives of God are called to be and to live like. What kind of ethic does somebody who has the Torah written on their heart live by? What does it mean in practice to have the Spirit of God moving you to follow God's will revealed in the Torah? That's what Jesus is claiming to unpack right here.”
Jesus teaches his followers that living righteously for public approval results in missing out on God’s real reward. The greatest treasure of all is not admiration from people but knowing and being known by God as you walk in step with his Spirit to do his will.