In Matthew 6, Jesus shifts us from the public performance of religion to the secret places where real transformation happens.
Prayer, fasting, and forgiveness aren’t meant to impress others or manipulate God. They are invitations into intimacy with a Father who sees in secret.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus confronts how spiritual practices, when done with the wrong motives, can actually deform us. But when rooted in love, they align us with the Kingdom. Jesus isn’t just offering a better method for prayer. He is rewiring our hearts to desire His presence over applause.

The real question isn’t Are you doing the right things?It’s Why are you doing them and who are you doing them for?