Matthew 6:4-6,17-18 - when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you…
go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you…
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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.

Humans like being cozy.

We start our lives in such a place:

Psalm 139:15 - My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

In our mom’s stomachs, we curl up in a little ball for nine months until ready for birth.

And Jesus tells us here that giving, fasting, and praying are secret, cozy events between God and us.

These things are corrupted when they’re shouted for all to hear and put on display for many to see.

Shhhhhh, The Teacher says. Let God alone see you.

Psalm 131:2 - I have calmed and quieted my soul

He is El Roi - the God who sees:

Genesis 16:13 - So [Hagar] called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”