that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The true reward for secret fasting isn't about earning a prize, but about having your Father see your hidden heart and know your sincere desire to connect with Him, not impress others. This means the focus shifts from the outward act of abstaining to the inward posture of humility and seeking God alone.
that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is teaching his followers about practicing religious disciplines like giving, praying, and fasting with the right heart attitude, contrasting sincere devotion with hypocritical showmanship. He’s just cautioned against seeking public praise for prayers and alms, and now he turns to fasting, urging his disciples not to make a public spectacle of it like the Pharisees, who deliberately looked miserable to draw attention. Instead, the focus should be on an inward sincerity known only to God, who sees and will reward true devotion.
Ever felt like you're performing your faith for others? Jesus calls out this tendency, especially when it comes to spiritual disciplines.
Jesus contrasts genuine fasting with the showy displays of religious leaders. He highlights that the intention behind our actions is what matters most to God.
The Problem of Performance
The religious leaders of Jesus' day often fasted in ways designed to draw attention to themselves. They'd put on a mournful appearance, disfiguring their faces so everyone would know they were abstaining. This wasn't about seeking God; it was about gaining praise from people.
The True Intent
Jesus redirects the focus: "that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret." The goal isn't to impress people but to connect with God in a hidden, personal way. It’s about the heart's posture before the One who truly sees.
What happens when your best efforts are unseen by anyone but God? Jesus promises a reward, but not the kind you might expect.
The incredible truth here is that God’s hidden sight leads to an open reward. It’s a divine exchange where our unseen devotion is met with His visible blessing.
The All-Seeing Father
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'Your Father who sees in secret' knows everything. He sees the struggles, the sacrifices, and the sincere heart behind your hidden acts of faith. He doesn’t miss the moments when you choose Him over personal comfort or public recognition.
The Nature of the Reward
The reward isn't necessarily material wealth or public acclaim. It's God's favor, His pleasure, and ultimately, His open acknowledgment of your faithfulness. It’s the deep satisfaction of knowing you pleased Him. As some scholars note, the reward is 'openly' given, signifying God's public affirmation of what He saw privately.
Understand the original words
patēr · Greek Noun
Refers to God the Father, emphasizing the intimacy, authority, and covenant relationship between God and the believer, and His role as the ultimate provider and judge.
kryptō · Greek Adjective/Noun
Implies what is hidden, private, or not visible to the public eye; God operates in this sphere, observing the true heart and private devotions of His people.
This passage emphasizes setting your minds on things above, not on earthly things, which directly parallels Jesus' instruction to seek reward from God in secret rather than from men.
1 Samuel 16:7This verse reminds us that God looks at the heart, not outward appearances, just as Jesus teaches that God sees our secret acts of devotion, like fasting, and rewards our inner sincerity.
Proverbs 25:27This proverb warns against seeking honor for oneself, which aligns with Matthew 6:18's caution against fasting to be seen by men and its promise of reward from God who sees in secret.
Matthew 6:3-4This passage, spoken just before the instruction on fasting, describes how acts of righteousness like giving to the needy should be done in secret so that the Father can reward us, setting the same principle for fasting.
Hebrews 11:6This verse states that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him; this echoes Matthew 6:18's promise of reward from the Father for those who seek Him sincerely in secret.
pulpitMatthew 6:18: "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
Verse 18. - Which is in secret (τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ); ver. 6, note. Shall reward thee openly (ver. 4, note).
meyerMatthew 6:18: "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
Matthew 6:18 . Τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ ] sc . ὄντι , i.e. who is present where we are hidden from human eye . He who fasts is ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ everywhere, when he is present as anointed and washed, for in this state of his person no one will be able to recognise him as fasting . In accordance with this, we are bound to reject the explanation of Fr…
The true reward for secret fasting isn't about earning a prize, but about having your Father see your hidden heart and know your sincere desire to connect with Him, not impress others. This means the focus shifts from the outward act of abstaining to the inward posture of humility and seeking God alone.
Jesus is teaching his followers about practicing religious disciplines like giving, praying, and fasting with the right heart attitude, contrasting sincere devotion with hypocritical showmanship. He’s just cautioned against seeking public praise for prayers and alms, and now he turns to fasting, urging his disciples not to make a public spectacle of it like the Pharisees, who deliberately looked miserable to draw attention. Instead, the focus should be on an inward sincerity known only to God, who sees and will reward true devotion.
Jesus is teaching his followers about practicing religious disciplines like giving, praying, and fasting with the right heart attitude, contrasting sincere devotion with hypocritical showmanship. He’s just cautioned against seeking public praise for prayers and alms, and now he turns to fasting, urging his disciples not to make a public spectacle of it like the Pharisees, who deliberately looked miserable to draw attention. Instead, the focus should be on an inward sincerity known only to God, who sees and will reward true devotion.
"that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." — The true reward for secret fasting isn't about earning a prize, but about having your Father see your hidden heart and know your sincere desire to connect with Him, not impress others. This means the…
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Last reviewed October 2026