Matthew 6:18
“so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”
What does Matthew 6:18 mean?
Jesus is teaching that when we practice spiritual disciplines like fasting, the real audience should be God alone, not the people around us. In his time, some religious leaders would make a show of their fasting to earn respect and praise from others, but Jesus says that kind of attention is all the reward they'll get. When we do these things quietly, with genuine motives between us and God, we're trusting that he sees and cares about what's true in our hearts. The promise here isn't about earning God's favor through secret acts, but about the freedom and peace that comes from doing what's right simply because we want to honor him, not to impress anyone.