Show Don't Tell: Matthew 6:16-18

Instead of saying "Jesus taught about secret fasting," see the theatrical mourner. The hypocrites disfigure their faces—smear ashes, look gaunt, walk slowly so everyone knows they're fasting. "Look how spiritual I am. Look how I suffer for God." They have received their reward in full—the impressed glances, the whispered admiration. But you: "When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen." Look normal. Look healthy. Let the hunger be between you and God alone. "Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." The pattern repeats: giving, praying, fasting—all in secret, all for an audience of One.