For Tim Tebow, and his followers who practice "tebowing", for Harrisburg, PA mayor Linda Thompson, for all those people who insist on starting government meetings with prayer, and for anyone else who insists on acts of public piety in order to push an agenda...Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.Just sayin'...
Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1 - 6)
Photo © 2012 by A. Roy Hilbinger
Amen to that!! Love your altar, it is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIf God really is a heavenly parent, don't you think he/she/they would be far more pleased when their children do the best they can without trying to get credit, that they prefer when their children are tolerant and kind and understanding far more than when their children grandstand, proclaiming their righteousness, often abusing others as they do so?
ReplyDeleteI've never understood the mindset that think the second situation makes any sense.
And it needed saying Roy. There has always seemed to me to be a strong correlation between people who pray in public and people who prey on the public.
ReplyDeleteIf it were only that easy to get thru to these folks. But yes, that is right on.
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