Zac Poonen - Sermon on the Mount - 15

 

The Hidden Life That God Rewards: Fasting, Prayer, and Treasures in Heaven

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to examine not just our outward actions but the hidden attitudes of our hearts. After teaching the nine right attitudes in the Beatitudes, He turns to nine wrong attitudes that can quietly undermine our walk with God. Among them are anger, lustful thoughts, lying, revenge, hatred, and the subtle sin of seeking the honor of people in our religious activities. As we continue through Matthew chapter 6, we discover the beautiful emphasis on a secret life lived only for the eyes of our heavenly Father—one that brings His open reward.

This message invites us deeper into three vital practices—giving, praying, and fasting—done not for human applause but in secret. It then confronts one of the most common snares for believers: the love of money. Through Jesus’ words, we learn how to break free from earthly treasures, cultivate a heart fixed on heaven, and live with a clear vision of Christ. The call is urgent yet full of hope: when our hidden life is right before God, everything else falls into its proper place.

The Nine Wrong Attitudes Jesus Warned Against

Jesus began by painting a picture of the blessed life in the Beatitudes, but He did not stop there. He went on to expose nine wrong attitudes that can creep into the heart of even sincere believers. The first is anger, followed by sexually sinful ways of thinking, lying, taking revenge, and harboring hatred. The sixth wrong attitude we have studied in recent weeks is seeking the honor of men in our religious activities—whether in giving to the poor, supporting God’s work, or in prayer.

Many believers today never realize that announcing their generosity or telling others how much they pray is actually a sin against God. This is why some churches, including ours, never pass an offering plate—so no one sees what you give. Tragically, when we look across much of Christianity, we see that large portions of the Sermon on the Mount are simply disobeyed. Yet our calling is not to judge others but to examine ourselves and obey these words strictly.

The Hidden Life: Giving, Praying, and Fasting Done in Secret

At the heart of Matthew 6 is a powerful emphasis on our hidden life—the part no one else sees except God. Jesus repeats the same promise three times: “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” This appears in the teaching on giving (verse 4), on prayer (verse 6), and now on fasting (verse 18). The first eighteen verses of the chapter drive home this truth: the areas of our life that only God sees are the very places where we must be most diligent and disciplined.

In giving, we are taught to do it secretly so no one notices. In prayer, we are warned against praying to impress people or boasting about how much we pray. A helpful test is to ask: If no one else were present, how would I pray? Closing our eyes during prayer is meant to remind us that we are speaking only to the Lord. This is not something we achieve overnight; it may take years of intentional effort. But every bad habit can be broken if we cooperate with the Holy Spirit and determine in our hearts to change.

The Call to Fasting: “When You Fast,” Not “If”

Jesus does not say “if you fast” but “when you fast” (Matthew 6:16), just as He said “when you give” and “when you pray.” Fasting is not optional for the disciple who wants to please the Father. Yet in much of Christendom today, this practice receives almost no emphasis. The purpose of fasting is not mere self-discipline like we see in other religions. It is far deeper: it delivers us from the love of food and helps us carry a burden in prayer.

One reason for fasting is to break the grip that food can have over us. We all love food, just as we love sleep and money—things the Lord spoke against. In Ezekiel 16, Scripture reveals that the sin of Sodom began with “abundance of food,” which led to terrible moral failure. When we fast, we learn to say no to our appetites so we can say yes more fully to God. Jesus Himself fasted, and the people of the Old Testament fasted when they carried a heavy burden before the Lord. If your child were seriously ill and doctors had given up hope, no one would need to tell you to fast—you would do it naturally out of desperation to pray.

Practicing Fasting as Discipline and Devotion

Fasting is both a response to burden and a healthy spiritual discipline, especially for young people. Begin with one meal a week, then progress to two, and perhaps three as the Lord gives grace. The speaker shared that regular fasting in his younger days did him much good and encouraged everyone who has never tried it to begin. The key is never to tell anyone about your fast. Simply ask God to deliver you from the love of food and to give you a genuine burden to pray.

Again, the promise rings clear: “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:18). This is the same reward offered for secret giving and secret prayer. Our hidden life—where only God sees—is the part we must guard and cultivate with all diligence. The world may never notice, but the Father does, and He delights to reward what is done for His eyes alone.

Do Not Store Up Treasures on Earth

Having laid this foundation of a hidden life, Jesus turns to another critical wrong attitude: the love of money. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

This is not a prohibition against having a bank account or saving for the future. Other Scriptures give clear balance. In 2 Corinthians 12:14, Paul writes that parents are responsible to save up for their children, not the other way around. Most parents, especially in cultures like India, already understand this responsibility—to feed, educate, and give their children a strong foundation for life.

Learning from the Ant: The Wisdom of Saving

Proverbs 6:6-8 offers further balance: “Go to the ant, you lazy man! Observe her ways and be wise. She has no chief, no overseer or ruler, but prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in harvest time.” The ant stores food when it is plentiful, knowing winter is coming. We too must be wise and save so we are never forced to borrow. Borrowing is not God’s best; it is far better to have thought ahead and prepared.

Jesus Himself modeled this. Though He supported a widowed mother and several younger siblings through carpentry work, He never borrowed money. He kept a bag for offerings, and there was often so much in it that Judas could steal without the others noticing. Jesus was disciplined and careful with resources, yet He never loved money. We are called to the same balance: save wisely for the future and for our children, but never let money become our treasure or master.

The True Christian Life of Self-Denial

The heart of the matter is this: the true Christian life is one of self-denial. We are not to live only for ourselves but for the Lord, His work, our children, and the poor. If our treasure is on earth, our heart will be there also (Matthew 6:21). A good test is to ask: What do I think about most of the time? If money occupies our thoughts constantly—even after we have enough—then our heart is in the wrong place. A young man in love thinks about his beloved all day; in the same way, love of money will consume our minds.

Jesus contrasts this with the Gentiles (unbelievers) who “eagerly seek after” material things (Matthew 6:32). Our attitude toward money must be fundamentally different. We earn money to live, but our minds are fixed on far better things. If our attitude looks just like that of our unbelieving colleagues or relatives, where is the difference that marks us as disciples of Christ?

Unlocking the Heart of Money in Luke 16

For deeper insight, we turn to Luke 16:10-15, one of the most important passages Jesus ever spoke on money. He was speaking directly to His disciples—those who had already left everything to follow Him. Here Jesus gives three descriptions of money:

First, money is “a very little thing.” If we are faithful in this small matter, we will be faithful in the much greater things of the Spirit. Second, money is called “unrighteous wealth.” Jesus repeatedly calls it unrighteous, not because every cent we earn is dishonest, but because so much money in the world is gained through lies, cheating, and unrighteousness. Living in that system, we must be scrupulously righteous in every detail, down to the last cent.

Third, money “belongs to another.” It is not ours—it belongs to God. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (1 Corinthians 10:26; Psalm 24:1). We are merely stewards. When we handle money with this awareness, we treat it with the care a finance manager gives to company funds or a treasurer gives to society money.

You Cannot Serve Two Masters

Jesus drives the point home: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). The two masters are not God and the devil—Jesus was warning His own disciples. Money can become a master that dictates our choices instead of the will of God.

To love God fully, we must hate money in the same relative sense Jesus told us to hate even our closest family members (Luke 14:26). It is not literal hatred but a matter of priority. Money must become like the stars at sunrise—its light grows dim and unimportant in the blazing glory of Christ. We use money as a servant, never as a master.

The Eye Is the Lamp of the Body

Right in the middle of this teaching on money, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23). A single coin held close to the eye can blot out the sun; in the same way, love of money can blind us to Christ.

When our attitude toward money is clear, our whole life is flooded with light. We receive fresh revelation from Scripture for our daily situations. But when money clouds our vision, the Bible becomes dim. We may read it, yet we gain no personal light or guidance. This is one of the Lord’s tests: Do you regularly receive revelation from God’s Word for your own life—not to preach, but to walk more closely with Him? If not, it may be time to examine whether the love of money has dimmed your spiritual sight.

Living Free from Worry and Seeking the Kingdom

Jesus concludes this section with tender assurance: Your heavenly Father knows what you need. The Gentiles worry about what they will eat, drink, and wear, but we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to us (Matthew 6:31-33). From Matthew 6:19 to the end of the chapter, the Lord calls us to live above earthly anxiety by fixing our hearts on heaven.

This entire passage is worth slow, prayerful meditation. It challenges every wrong attitude toward money and invites us into the freedom of a life where God is truly first.

Conclusion

The message of Matthew 6 is clear and life-changing: God is most interested in our hidden life—the secret places of giving, praying, fasting, and stewardship that only He sees. When we fast to draw near to Him, when we refuse to let money become our master, and when we store treasures in heaven, our Father rewards us openly. A clear eye and a heart fixed on Christ bring light, revelation, and freedom from worry.

May we determine in our hearts today to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Let us build a secret life so rich in devotion that it pleases the Father who sees in secret. In doing so, we will discover the joy of a heart that truly treasures Jesus above all else.

Self-Examination Points

1. In my daily life, am I more concerned about what people think of my giving, praying, or fasting, or am I truly doing these things only for the eyes of my heavenly Father?
2. When was the last time I practiced fasting? Did I do it to impress others or to break free from the love of food and carry a genuine burden in prayer?
3. Do I have a savings plan for my children’s future and for times of need, yet without letting money dominate my thoughts?
4. Where does my mind drift most often during the day? If money occupies my thoughts more than Christ, what does that reveal about where my treasure really is?
5. Do I view money as “a very little thing,” “unrighteous wealth,” and something that ultimately belongs to God—or do I treat it as my own possession?
6. In practical decisions—spending, saving, giving—am I seeking God’s will first, or does money subtly dictate my choices?
7. When I read the Bible, do I regularly receive personal revelation and light for my own life, or has my vision become dimmed by the love of money?
8. Am I living with the same attitude toward money as the unbelievers around me, or is there a clear, noticeable difference because my heart is in heaven?
9. Have I ever examined whether I am trying to serve two masters—God and money—and if so, which one am I actually devoted to?
10. Am I actively storing up treasures in heaven through secret generosity, prayer, fasting, and a life of self-denial, or am I still building bigger barns on earth?