Study 6
“The secret and the
manifest”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Bridge between Matthew 5 & 6
 What is the link between “The law of love”
and the challenges of worship which follow
in Chapter 6?
“…the line of thought has been brought to a
climax in which it is shown that all (these
principles) have their motive in love, and
love has its source in God. By an orderly
progression in thought the next section
…deals with the disciple’s communion with
the God from whom alone he can learn the
love which he is to show.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg.178
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The secret and the manifest
Matt. 6
Vv.1-4
Worship in relation to men
Vv.5-15
Worship in relation to God
Vv.9-15 – The Lord’s Prayer
Vv.16-18
Worship in relation to self
Personal issues covered:
1. Acts of giving – service offered
2. Acts of worship – devotions given
3. Acts of self denial – sacrifices made
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Seeing Him who is Invisible
“It is this knowledge of God and of
the response due to Him from man
which permeates the words of Jesus:
and while we may trace parallels in
Jewish thought, no one else so
clearly saw Him who is invisible, or
so penetratingly judged every act
and thought by the light of that
vision.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pg.148
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Life oriented towards God
“For those who have this vision
worship
will
be
not
an
occasional act but a constant
attitude; life will be orientated
towards God. Christ alone is
the perfect example of that
orientation....”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pg.148
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Which Reward?
 The secret of righteousness exceeding that of
the scribes and Pharisees - Matt. 5:20.
 V.1 – “alms” - eleemosune - mercy, pity,
particularly in giving alms. Other texts have
the Greek word dikaiosune - righteousness
(see R.V. margin).
 “reward” – misthos - pay for service. Used 6
times in the discourse (5:12,46; 6:1,2,5,16).
See its final use - Rev.22:12. The word relates
to hire, wages or pay and is said to have been
used in receipts, “I have received”.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The reward of men!
 The singular motive of the Pharisees
was self glorification. All their religious
activity was on display solely for public
consumption – Matt. 23:5.
 “seen” - theaomai - to gaze upon, look
at with a purpose; to see with desire;
regard with admiration. Derived from
the verb theoros - a spectator.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Sounding the Trumpet
 Trumpets blown to draw God's attention to the
offering of sacrifices - Num. 10:10.
 Vivid metaphor for self-advertisement - based
on a contemporary custom during public fasts.
At the end of six benedictions concluding
prayers for rain to break autumn droughts, the
shophar was blown in public places, and then
almsgiving was expected from the people.
 There were also 13 shopharoth in the Temple these trumpet shaped openings for depositing
money in the treasury were designed to draw
maximum attention to the offerer.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
“As the hypocrites do”
Matt. 6:2,5,16
 “hypocrites” – hupokrites – an actor
under an assumed character.
“The man who begins by deceiving
his fellows goes on to try to deceive
God,
and
ends
by
deceiving
himself.”
“Hypocrisy is the most corrupting of
vices because it sears the very
conscience.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg.185-6
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Getting the motive right
 How do we reconcile Matt. 5:16 with 6:2?
 V.3 – “…let not thy left hand know
what thy right hand doeth.”
 May allude to the practice of placing the
Corban, the poor man’s box, or the chest
for free-will offerings, on the right hand
of the passage into the temple; so that
they put their gifts into it with the righthand (power, authority).
 Left hand = mortal weakness!
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Secret alms - Open reward
 V.4 - “secret” - kruptos - in the secret or
hidden place. Occs. 6 times in
discourse, all here.
 “seeth” – blepo - metaphorically to see
with the mind’s eye, to have (the power
of) understanding, to discern mentally,
observe, perceive, discover, understand.
 “reward” – apodidomi - to deliver, to
give back, restore, recompense.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Secret of the Heart
 Luke 8:17 – “For nothing is secret,
that shall not be made manifest” (See
also Matt. 10:26; Mk. 4:22; Luke 12:2).
 Rom. 2:16 – “...God shall judge the
secrets of men...”
 Rom. 2:29 – “...he is a Jew, which is
one inwardly...”.
 1 Cor. 4:5 – “...bring to light the
hidden things of darkness”.
 1 Cor. 14:25 – “…thus are the secrets
of his heart made manifest”.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Father’s Reward
“When He bestows the gift which He has
prepared, the Father who knows your secret
relation to Him will openly show His love for
you. The reward is reward indeed; but it is
above all else the expression of a
relationship, the seal of fellowship, the
evidence that He has adopted men and
women as sons and daughters. Reward is the
mark of God's delight in those who are
redeemed and reconciled and embraced in
His purpose: ‘Fear not, little flock; it is your
Father’s good pleasure to give you the
kingdom’ (Luke 12:32).”
The King’s Manifesto for Life The Teaching of the Master, pg.188-9
The Pharisee’s wages!
Self-worship motivated the Pharisee - all
their acts of piety were a theatrical
performance, a spectacle to gain the
applause of men. That recognition and
applause was their only and final reward.
“The Pharisees expect a wage for their
works: the disciple is promised a bounty
for his living faith.”
The Teaching of the Master, pg.188-9
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Public and private prayer
 V.5 – “love” – phileo – to have an
affection for.
 “standing” – In order to be seen of men –
Matt. 23:5.
 “corners of the streets” – Deliberately
late for the “hour of prayer” – Acts 3:1.
 “their reward” – misthos – pay for
service. Diag. – “they have in full the
reward of them”. Reward from self! –
Not from God.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Seeing Him who is invisible
“The clue to the mind and practice of the
saint is to be found in the repeated
phrase, ‘the Father which is in secret’. He
is ‘the King eternal, incorruptible,
invisible, the only God’, and those who
love Him will live ‘as seeing Him who is
invisible’.
Withdrawing from distraction, they will
come from time to time into a realm
where the measure and standards of men
no longer exist.”
The Teaching of the Master, pg. 184
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Public and private fasting
 V.16 – “sad countenance” - skuthrōpos of a sad, mournful and gloomy
appearance.
 “disfigure” – aphanizo - to deprive of
lustre, render unsightly.
 “have” – apecho – to receive in full.
 V.17 – “anoint thine head” – aleipho – to
oil, anoint. Symbol for the Word in mind.
 “wash thy face” – Represents power of
Word to cleanse identity.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Private Self-denial
“It may be required of us
that we shall do more than
others, but not that we shall
be seen to do more.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg. 182-3
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Secret of True Disciples
“The unbeliever walks wholly in
the visible world. For him there
is neither secret place nor
invisible Being.”
“The disciple has a secret for
which he goes into an inner
room: and his secret is God.”
The Teaching of the Master, pg.184
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Next Study
(God willing)
Study 7 – “Seeking first
the Kingdom of God”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
…
…
The King’s Manifesto for Life