False and True Worship

Psalm 103

Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

Of David.

²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.^{(A) 21} For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(B)

6 As we work together with him,^[a] we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.^{(C) 2} For he says,

Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!^{(D) 3} We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,^{(E) 4} but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: in great endurance, afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;^{(F) 6} in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷ truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;^{(G) 8} in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors and yet are true, ⁹ as unknown and yet are well known, as dying and look—we are alive, as punished and yet not killed,^{(H) 10} as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

Concerning Almsgiving

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.^(A)

² “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.^{(B) 3} But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[a](C)

Concerning Prayer

⁵ “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.^{(D) 6} But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[b](E)

Concerning Fasting

¹⁶ “And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[a]

Concerning Treasures

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust^[b] consume and where thieves break in and steal,^{(A) 20} but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust^[c] consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.^{(B) 21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.