13. “And thy Father, Who sees in secret, will reward thee.”

13. “And thy Father, Who sees in secret, will reward thee” (Mt 6: 18b).

How many times have I read this verse without pausing to wonder:

1. Why is the Father in secret?
2. Who is the secret being kept from?
3. Why does the All Seeing Father “see in secret?”
4. How does this secret seeing become our reward?

1. We love secrets.  There is something delicious about them.  We are honored to be a confidant.  If it is a joyful secret being temporarily held from a loved one- whom it is destined to delight- we joyfully anticipate its revelation!  When we are in love the thoughts of our heart migrate continually and joyfully to the loved one.  This delight is the heart’s secret.  Outwardly no actions have changed.  But our view from the inside is entirely transformed by our heart’s secret love.  What may have been drab routine in dull surroundings is suddenly elevated to praise of the Beloved.

2. Maybe I am the one the secret is being kept from–my busy outside, disorganized I who seems to sense there is a secret love nearby all this clutter.

3. He sees in secret because no one except the one being seen knows what the Seeing One is perceiving.  Only the Father (with the Son and Spirit) knows I am here (sees me); everyone else sees only the exterior person.

4. We all desire to be known and loved for who we are, no matter what we have done or not done.  Once we begin to drink in this Truth that in Jesus we are beloved sons in the Son—there is no external reward that is comparable to this delight.  He Who sees in secret made us so that we could delight in seeing and being seen by Him.