DAILY HOMILIES #secret

Why did Jesus address the Pharisees as fools? The Pharisees thought they could deceive God by their external show of religiosity. They dressed well and prayed in the marketplaces to attract the praise of men, but their hearts were “full of extortion and wickedness.” It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.

If you find yourself doing something secretly, ensure it is good, noble, worthy of praise, or admirable. As Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel passage, “Nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest.” In other words, do not worry about announcing your kindness to others; let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Your heavenly Father, who sees everything that happens secretly, will reward you.

In his admonition to the Corinthians, Paul made no negative statement about Apollos, who had been made a rival to him by the people. This is very instructive. It is the devil’s delight to see church leaders quarrel and fight over what they say. Avoid taking sides when people bring gossip; they may be plotting the stage for you to fight with your brother.

If we claim to be children of God, there are certain things we should never do, whether or not anyone is watching us. As children of God, we should never be ashamed or afraid of living righteously. On the other hand, we should not assume that everyone is a child of God.

Why is it easy to exercise restraint when others are watching, yet when we are alone (or think no one is watching), we throw caution to the wind? This was the problem of scribes and Pharisees. Jesus told them: “Nothing is hidden that would not be uncovered… even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” Are there things I do in secret that I am ashamed of?

How do we acknowledge God before people? By putting God first in every decision and choice we make. Get used to doing what is right especially in secret and you will not have a problem acknowledging God publicly.

At no point is it ever justified to act against our Christian values. Not Even in Secret. If you must do anything in secret, make sure it is something good, something noble, something worthy of praise

For Jesus, that wasn’t the right time to fast. Not that there was anything wrong with fasting but that everything, no matter how good, has its season. New wine is good, old wine is also good. Some prefer old wine, and some will rather take fresh wine. But then, there is a type of bag (season) for old wine and a different bag for new wine. There is a timing for everything.

If we humans get put off by persons who simply pretend to be our friends when we get to discover their hidden agenda, how much more is God who sees everything; who knows what we do in secret? Jesus wants us to replace our people-centered worship with God-centred worship; to replace eye service with God-service; to become secretive with good deeds rather than evil deeds. We don’t have to announce goodness before people to be rated highly by them but we must ensure that the things we do in our secret places attract the loudest applause of God.

Jesus says: “Nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest.” Every secret has its expiry date. Whatever we have tried to hide will someday come to light.