Matthew 6:1-24 The Diplomat

Theological Proposition/Focus: God expects certain behaviors of his servants not for recognition by others but instead because these actions are the expected actions of a Kingdom Steward.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: We need to act like Kingdom Stewards, not because others might be watching but rather because we are stewards of God's Kingdom.

Introduction

Image: Spys and Ambassadors

Have you ever met a spy? If you have you might not even know it. You see a good spy looks like a good citizen. They show good manners, treat people with respect, and are careful not to draw attention to themselves. Why? Because a good spy is focused not on whether others think they are cool but rather on whether they are completing their mission. The neighbors of a good spy all probably think the spy is just the nicest guy around, a good neighbor, someone who is different than others not because they come from a different country but rather because they are just ordinary folk who have a good heart. A good spy does exactly what their country asks of them all while maintaining their cover of just being a good person.

Closely related to being a good spy, there is another job of being a Diplomat. A Diplomat openly declares their allegiance to Christ but behind the scenes, a diplomat is doing many of the same tasks as a spy. A diplomat works to slowly, methodically, even covertly change the world.

We are diplomats for the Kingdom of Heaven. We certainly identify with Christ, but we also recognize that we are living in the world. We don't keep our mission a complete secret, but there are things we do to which we don't want to draw attention.

Need: We need to complete our mission without drawing attention

Last week we learned that God created us in his image in order that we might be stewards of his creation.

What I want you to see today is that as Stewards we have a mission and we are called to complete that mission but we also should complete our mission without drawing attention to ourselves and instead, draw people to God. We want to show people that God is good and represents his Kingdom well, it is not about us it is about God. We are diplomats who are working to slowly show people that the Kingdom of God offers them something so much better than they can imagine.

Christians should stick out, but we should stick out for the right reasons. We should stick out because we act like Christ. We should stick out because instead of drawing attention to ourselves, we draw attention to God. Those around us should no we are Christians, not because we are obnoxious, but because we are of Christ.

Unlike a spy who is completely undercover, a diplomat is not undercover but also has aspects of his mission that he does not flash around for all to see.

Setting the Stage: Sermon on the Mount -> Citizenship Manuel, Matthew 6:1 thesis statement of Matthew 6

A diplomat comes into a country with the job of representing his home interests and priorities in the foreign country. The sermon on the mount could largely be summarized as a Citizen Study Guide for anyone belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven. This guide provides the individual with guidance in how such a citizen should live.

In Matthew 5 Jesus taught his disciples about their responsibility toward others. Jesus taught on murder, oaths, and other aspects of living in relationships with other people. In Matthew 6 Jesus moves into our relationship with God and Matthew 6:1 forms a thesis statement for the entire section. Specifically, we see that our actions should be motivated by our worship to God and not in an effort to please men. Our focus must always be on God. In the verses that follow we are going to see that there are things we must do as diplomats representing the Kingdom of Heaven, but some of the things we do should be done under cover.

Body

Give! but do so covertly (2-4).

The Expectation

As I have looked at this passage something that has struck me is what the passage does not say. The passage does not say "if by chance you decide to give to the needy." No the passage says when you give to the needy. In fact, the language here has a continuous aspect to it. That is, this is not a one-time thing but a regular thing that you should be doing. There is an expectation that we are giving. A natural question may be on your mind, who are the needy? You might also ask what you should give. I think it is important to note that the passage does not specify.

Some have noted that at the time Jesus spoke there was no welfare system and so times are different now. Others might speculate the different things we could give. Giving money is not the only thing that can be given. Clothes, food, shelter are all important. Such discussions are interesting and not completely a waste of time, but let's not get stuck in those details when there is a simple and immediate aspect here, namely, we should be giving people. I am not going to tell you which needy person you need to give what because frankly, I think part of the point of this passage is that such decisions are decisions between you and God. What I am going to tell you is that you should be giving and willing to give!

Closely associated with the expectation to give we see there is a limitation that we should not do so drawing attention to ourselves. From the text, it appears that there was a practice of fanfare for those who gave large quantities. Oh, and before we get too proud of ourselves don't forget we have a tendency to do the same as well. All it takes is a quick visit to a Christian College to realize that we still like our names plastered all over our large donations. Both within and without our Christian culture we see that people give and are often rewarded with fanfare. The point here seems to be that God is looking for an inward display of righteousness not the outward display that so many show. If we are not careful, the outward expression of giving can in fact take-away from the honor due to the very one the gift is intended to honor. God.

In fact, by the time we finish reading verse 3 we realize the degree to which we are supposed to be covert. We are to act so covertly that our left-hand does not know what our right hand is doing. Obviously, this is idiomatic but it is clear that the phrase indicates we should be giving in absolute secrecy.

The Reward

The reason we should not seek fanfare for our gift is simple. We should not be seeking a reward from man in the present. We should be seeking a reward from God. The actual reward itself is not mentioned. Likely this is an "already not-yet" situation. The one who practices righteousness, giving in this case, before God expects that God will give some reward now but a full reward in the future. Practicing righteousness before God is an act of faith. Giving in secret is an act of faith.

Of course, I should say that we also give out of worship to God, not just out of heavenly reward.

Image: Lasting Impact and Humanitiarian Diplomacy

One of the ways a diplomat can have a profound impact is through humanitarian efforts. A diplomat can provide for people in need in the name of the country for which the diplomat serves. However, in so doing, it is important that the diplomat not draw attention to themselves as an individual. The goal in providing such humanitarian aid is that people will be drawn to appreciate the diplomat's home country. After all, the diplomat will shortly be moving on the goal of the diplomat is to make an impact that outlasts themselves.

Communicate! but don't draw attention (5-6).

The Expectation

Jesus again has an expectation of prayer. Here, the emphasis is again on not drawing attention. We should be in prayer but we don't need to pray in such a way that we draw attention to ourselves. Prayer is a key means by which we communicate with God.

The Reward

In verse 6 we again see an unspecified reward for those who pray in secret. Does this mean we should not have a time of corporate prayer? Absolutely not, but it does mean that our prayer does not need to be a big public show but rather something that we intimately engage in together.

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The job of a spy involves communication. The spy needs to report what is going on and receive any updates to their orders.

Maintain your Identity! but don't give yourself away (16-18).

The Expectation

What is fasting, what does it do? Fasting was a common practice in the New Testament and involved depriving oneself of something like food. The purpose of a fast is to declare one's dependence on God. Quite literally, one says that they will go without something that their body tells them they need in order to force themselves to depend more fully on God.

The key here is to note that Christians do need to engage in activities that help them maintain their identity as Christ-follower but such activities should not be a public spectacle.

The Reward

Jesus calls on his followers to clean up and look normal. The reward again is not specifically described.

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I want to take an aside for just a minute. It may be that you should be fasting, but there are other spiritual disciplines that you can use to maintain your identity. You may need to spend significant time reading Scripture. Maybe you need to engage in prayer. We call these spiritual disciplines.

Invest! but only in what matters (19-21).

The Warning

The prohibition here is a present prohibition that we might translate as "do not ever store up for yourself treasure on earth." Jesus then gives two examples of wealth: expensive clothes and precious metals.

The Command

The command is to store up treasure in heaven.

The summary is that our heart will be where we store our treasure.

Conclusion:

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We are not from this world, but we are in this world. This world teaches us that we need to be visible, that we need to have an impact, that we need to make a name for ourselves.

In Langley VA at the CIA headquarters, there is a wall memorial wall with 137 stars on the memorial. These stars represent individuals who have died in covert service to their country. As of 2021, only 100 of those stars have a name published with them. The reason that only 100 stars have a name is that there are 37 people who have died in service to their country who even now cannot be named. These individuals served covertly.