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"...practicing righteousness before men..."

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." Mt 6.1

Interpretation- Attention/Action focused on rewards received from man (in this case, trying to earn points within society, through righteous displays in public) will disallow the 'good reward' that is given only from God (in private). Wholeness, and the benefits thereof, are not available to those who live and pander for rewards in the fragmented world of man. Reality and man's fragmented (illusory) world, conflict for people's attention. In this passage, Jesus is clarifying the only place where the 'good reward' is found.

Matthew

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