Matthew 6: 1-6

            Before long, the Roman Catholic cardinals will conduct a conclave to select a new pope. It will be historic and fascinating, especially since there has not needed to be one for over 25 years. Unlike some other times, there is no clear frontrunner - there are a dozen or so good candidates, and, no doubt, speculation is high about who it might be. It will be a prayerful and holy time, but also a political one, and much behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

            That's a strange thing to hear in today's world, where there is so much self- promotion going on. Self-promotion is a way of life. People wouldn't get elected if they were not constantly self-promoting. People wouldn't get jobs or raises or promotions if they were not ready to tell why they are a good choice. Auditions for performance opportunities, tryouts for athletic teams, and so on, all require some

degree of self-confidence in putting yourself out there in a good way. There is a level of confidence and self-assurance that is a good thing in this up-and-down life.

            This morning's scripture lesson is about humility, and it would be tempting to interpret that humility as the opposite of that kind of self-confidence that is necessary to succeed in life. But Jesus is not talking about hiding our gifts and talents.

            And he especially is not talking about being a wall flower when it comes to sharing our faith. He's not saying that his disciples should just meekly blend in with the crowd when he talks about giving alms quietly, and going into a secret place to pray. Obviously, Christianity would never have gone anywhere if those first disciples had resisted showing their faith publicly - and it would go no place today if there were no bold witnesses for the ways of God. One of the big misunderstandings from biblical teaching is the idea that the Bible somehow justifies private faith - 'my faith is nobody's business but my own.' There is no biblical case that can be made for people keeping their faith to themselves - the Bible teaches just the opposite.

            So when Jesus says, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them," and says things like, "...when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing," and, "when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret..." he's talking about an attitude rather than an action. More specifically, he's talking about hypocrisy. He says, "When you give alms, sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do." And I believe that's the word you have to deal with to get the gist of what Jesus is saying. The religious leaders of Jesus' time were being hypocrites by flaunting their piety.

            We have a pretty strong negative sense of what the word 'hypocrite' means, a negative sense that is also applied against us. People will say things like, "I don't attend church because I don't want to be one of those hypocrites." And indeed, that may be one of the very things Jesus is talking about here: "Beware of practicing your  piety before others in order to be seen by them.. ." for they may turn around and blame their own lack of piety on your hypocrisy.

            In fact, the actual Greek word for 'hypocrite' is originally not nearly as sinister as it turns out to be. The word simply means 'actor', and applies to the actor in a theater. But it's when we act before God, and act before people to try to fool them about our own relationship with God, that we become 'hypocrites.' When someone gives to the poor, not out of compassion for the poor, but rather to try to boost their reputation as a generous person, that's a hypocrite. That person is acting a role, rather than giving from the heart. If you want to test that, it's easy. Save your biggest gift for when no one is looking. Do it in secret: don't let your left hand know what your right is doing. Then see how you feel about it, knowing that no one knows except God. Can you live with that? Can you live with the fact that no one knows where the gift came from? That there will be no credit given, ever?

            The same with prayer and worship. It is legitimate to lead in prayer and worship. What would this church, or any church, be without leaders who could step forward and provide leadership in those vital areas? Jesus certainly rejoices in those who share their gifts so beautifully in prayer and worship. But he also says, Beware. Always do it from the standpoint of a worshipping heart, rather than from a standpoint of wanting attention. Because if you are doing it purely for the latter, you already have your reward. You craved attention, and you got it. But the more better rewards -- the spiritual rewards of deep fellowship with God -- may pass you by, because you were so busy enjoying the praises of others.

            For example, every preacher knows that personal struggle. When someone tells me that I may have said something in a sermon that helped them in some way, that is an incredibly wonderful feeling; it is such a kind thing for someone to say, and it validates that I truly may have let God use me in the right way. But Beware, says Jesus. It's also intoxicating. And every week I have to ask myself the question, Am I really saying what God wants me to say here, or am I saying what might get me that compliment? If I'm honest, most of the time it's some blend of both - and I have to pray that it will be more about God than about me.

            It actually helps me knowing the origin of the word for 'hypocrite', because one of the things an actor in the theater asks him or herself is, "What's my motivation in playing this part?" And that's one of the questions that anyone who's involved in leadership in the church needs to ask - whether it is in preaching, in providing music, in leading prayer, in holding office, in whatever. What's my motivation? And if it's anything less than a full desire to serve the purposes of God, and bring God's beauty and love to others in this world, then your soul may be heading the wrong way. Again, the test is in how you respond when the praise doesn't come, and no one notices. Do you get indignant? "Don't they know how much I give to this place?" "Don't they know how hard I had to worked on this?" The most important Judge knows, so what's your motivation?

            Since the beginning of Lent, I have been preaching from the Sermon on the Mount, an amazing collection of the central teachings of Jesus. These are tough teachings; Jesus is stretching his disciples here big time - Blessed are the poor; blessed are you when people persecute you for my sake; you are the light of the world; don't be angry with your brother or sister; do not look upon another with lust in your heart; love your enemies; turn the other cheek. This is Christian life tested right to the very limit. And today's lesson is no exception - Beware of practicing your piety before others. But in these tough, tough lessons, I believe Jesus is giving us the recipe for a deeper life - a joy and inner peace that is the greatest reward in life. And here are some of the ingredients he has offered us so far in his sermon: boldness, respect, diligence, mercy, simplicity, and love. Humility is a good addition to that list. Humility is the way we keep God in perspective - our constant reminder that we didn't do anything on our own - we needed God from the very beginning, and we should honor God for that.

            It's a balancing act, because we do need to keep a healthy sense of self-esteem, and many times that's not easy. There are plenty of ways this world tears us down. It's like the little boy who said to his mother, "Mom, that dinner was so good I thought someone else made it." There are subtle voices that unintentionally tear down our self-esteem; and then there are the ones who do it intentionally: the advertisers who tell us we're not quite beautiful enough, not quite hip enough, not quite smart enough.

            The humility I'm drawing from the sermon of Jesus is not some kind of self-abuse that believes those worldly voices - in fact, just the opposite. It's acknowledging that because of who created us we are good enough - we are created in God's image, and God pronounced us good. And loved us so much that even in our sinful state, he sent his Son Jesus to die for us, and nothing can take away that value we have. So, to turn around the old phrase - we've got it, so we don't need to flaunt it.

            The humility Jesus is talking about, I believe, is being so secure about yourself as a child of God, that you don't need to call attention to yourself. And especially when you are bringing your offering, and praying, and fasting - your motivation can be honoring God - not calling attention to the act itself.

            We all love this beautiful stained-glass window - it certainly is the design feature of this church that gets the most comments. Most any time of day, you can come in here and catch the sun drawing out the bright colors. But if you come in here at night, when no light is coming through, this window is nothing but a black circle. And you realize that by itself, there is no beauty. The beauty is when the colors in the window are combined with a light that shines from another place.

            So it is with you and me. We have our talents and gifts and good things. Our true beauty comes from the God who shines through us.

            "Let your light so shine before others," said Jesus, "that they may see your good works, and give (the) glory to your Father who is in heaven." Everybody needs affirmation; everybody needs self-esteem; everybody likes to be recognized for the hard work and talent they apply; compliments are wonderful things to share. But when the motivation is to give glory to God - that's when the light can truly shine; that's when the beauty can truly be seen.