Matthew 6:16-23 Whose reward do you want?

6:16-18

Next of the religious observances is fasting, there were both fasts mandated by the Law and “voluntary” ones, In either case the principle is the same, do it for God, not for your own reputation, So someone fasting was not to make it obvious that they were fasting, and suffering. Instead they were to try and look well. If they did it for show, then they would have received their reward in full, i.e. the praise of men, A far greater reward is available, ie the praise of God. We can apply the same principle to all matters of service, do it for God, not for human praise, we all need to be aware of the danger that Jesus is speaking of. 

6:19-23

This distinction between earthly and heavenly reward applies to all riches. Jesus does not shy away from speaking of heavenly rewards, they are also much more valuable than earthly rewards. They are also much more secure.Earthly rewards can easily waste away. What we do with money is also a key indicator of the state of our hearts. It indicates what we value as truly important. Moreover, when we give money to something we develop a commitment to that thing, it affects our heart.

“The eye is the lamp of the body”. How we look at things affects the soul of our being. If we look with bitterness or envy we will be full of bitterness or envy. If we have a godly outlook our souls will be full of light.