Jesus makes no sense. He said and did things that just don’t add up. For example:

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. Blessed are you when people insult you…because of Me.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be poor in anything. I definitely don’t want to mourn. Persecution doesn’t sound like much fun. And I certainly don’t want to be insulted.

You can read all about the other wild, makes-no-sense things Jesus said here.

Jesus also said, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Later on in the same message, He said, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

He went on to say, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Almost everything Jesus did and said makes no sense…when viewed through the lens of common sense. Step back from Him and His words for a moment. He’s a crazy man. He seems to have no basis in reality. At best, He’s an idealist. At worst, He’s a nut.

Or He’s the One who sets the rules and He’s letting us in on how things really work.

For example, Jesus tells us to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” But He also says, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them.”

So which is it? Do we let people see our good deeds or not?

I think this is where it gets tricky, because it becomes a question of motive. Are you doing your good deeds to draw attention to you or your Father in heaven? Is your focus on your earthly life or your heavenly one?

We simultaneously live in two worlds. One is earthly, material and temporal. The other is heavenly, spiritual and eternal. When we live according to the former and forget the latter, our motives are tainted, at best.

I like the way Eugene Peterson says it in The Message:

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself.”

“When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it–quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.”

Common sense would tell you to draw attention to your good deeds. Let people see what a great person you are. How else will you ever get rewarded?

God sense is different though. It’s an entirely different way of approaching life. Very little, if any of it, is common sense according to the world system. God sense reminds us that there’s only One Person in the audience and His evaluation is all that matters. He is able to reward regardless of who does or does not see what we’ve done.

Who is your audience today? Are your good deeds meant to draw praise to you or Your Father?