In Matthew Chapter 6, Jesus gives counsel about how we ought to give alms, pray, and fast, and in each case, He warns us to be not as the Hypocrites are. The word hypocrite comes from the ancient Greek term for a stage actor. An actor plays out a role for a time, and then that role is over and the actor moves on. An actor can appear brave or heroic or self-sacrificing, and perhaps can do so convincingly enough that the actor receives praise and admiration, but however convincingly the actor disappears into a role, it is, at the end of the day, still an act. An actor can convincingly play a doctor, but you would still not want one to operate on you. What our Savior is so concerned about when we act like hypocrites is that we are only playing a temporary role to extract whatever fleeting and perishable praise we can from that situation, without really transforming ourselves into the kind of people that our Father in Heaven intends us to be. If we can get enough praise from seeming to be spiritual through the eloquence of our prayers and the obvious suffering of our fasts, then we won’t keep striving to develop any actual depth or richness to our Spiritual life. Prayer and fasting and giving to those in need are their own rewards. We do not need recognition or praise for doing them, because they have worth in and of themselves. When we pray, we strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father. That is more valuable than all of the praise of the world. When we give alms, we are making the world a better place for our neighbors and for our families and for ourselves. A better world and a better version of ourselves is the reward. Our purpose is not to learn to play a short term role for a short term gain. Our purpose is to become better and better every day, so that we can have the greatest reward of all - eternal life.
