Gospel Note
The emphasis on the inward dimensions of the three types of piety commended here -- almsgiving, prayer, and fasting -- is also common in Jewish wisdom and rabbinic teachings, and may reflect a particular concern of the church in Matthew's day more than a burning issue for Jesus. In any case, this part of the Sermon on the Mount is an important reminder that acts of repentance are between the individual and God, and not exhibits for public …