From the Pulpit...

Note that the Lord is dealing with internal matters of religion—how we do benevolence and why we do it; He speaks of why we pray and fast, not for men, but for God. The “how” of these religious acts is driven by the why to be God-centered instead of mancentered. We are challenged to point our hearts heavenward (19- 21), to be transformed/illuminated from the inside (22-23), and to serve God instead of worldly wealth (24). Finally in chapter 6, Jesus deals with worry, which is another internal matter that reveals a lot of what we are truly “made of.”

Our Scripture reading was found in Isaiah 63:1-19.