But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:6)
I hope Nerdchurch won’t get flagged for posting about crypto. We’re only talking about crypto because Jesus does, as recorded in the middle chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, where this section of teaching forms the setting for the Lord’s Prayer.
Jesus warned against doing pious activities–alms, prayer, and fasting–as the hypocrites whose goal is to call attention to themselves. People who make a public performance out of charitable service, or prayer, or fasting, can get noticed. They may impress others, or be socially rewarded. But Jesus says of each, “they [already] have their reward.” If your goal is to get views, you just got some. (Resounding golf clap for you.)
As an alternative, if your purpose in these activities is actually about God, Jesus says to do them secretly. Help others without being identified, let alone trumpeting your good deeds. When fasting, fix your face and don’t look miserable. When praying, go in your closet and shut the door. Be stealthy.
And that really pious, sacrificial, virtuous thing you did? The thing that would really let people know you’re a good person? Don’t post about it. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t even help them guess.
Why do our god-ward activities secretly? Because, Jesus says, God is our Father, and God is also tō en tō kruptō–the [One] in the secret. God sees in secret, because God is in secret. This is one of the names of God:
Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? (Judges 13:18)
God keeps a pretty low profile, if you think about it. Yes, God has done some stupendously public things, like creating the universe or multiverse, but in such an elegantly subtle way that many clever people find it unnecessary to posit his involvement.
In the gospels, Jesus follows his Father’s example by avoiding publicity when possible, slipping off to undisclosed locations to pray, and letting his message and life story be written down by others. Jesus never asked everybody to reset the calendar for him, celebrate his birthday, or use his name as a swear word.
And the Holy Spirit who meets us today also operates with great subtlety and reserve. He inspires and empowers and speaks to millions of people, without a blue checked account on any major platform.
God is tō en tō kruptō, the One in the secret. He invites you to connect with him on an unpublished, secure, encrypted private channel that cannot be spoofed or hacked, where things are completely real between you and your God.
Hypocrites already have their rewards. Friendship with God is something else. If you want it, enter into your closet, shut the door, and pray.
See the corresponding video at https://youtu.be/A5caZMGR7CI
Leave a Reply