Hypocrisy or Holiness?

Today's passage takes a look at the subject of fasting, but the pure heart is the true goal of this messge. Fasting was a discipline used to deny oneself in order to fervently seek and draw near to the Lord, a practice engaged in and used to draw near to and glorify God. However, in this passage, we learn that the Pharisees would often draw attention to themselves while fasting, ultimately glorifying themselves and stealing the glory from God. Similarly, if we serve or work in his name and with a self-centred attitude or motivation, the Lord sees this hypocrisy and rejects it. Conversely, he also recognizes the pure motivation of a genuine heart that seeks to glorify him above all else. He rejects what is false, but blesses what is real!