Single lesson
Fasting without Showing Off
Matthew 6:16–18
Jesus teaches that fasting should not become a way to attract attention. In these verses, he contrasts people who want to be noticed with people who quietly direct their practice towards God.
Before you teach
In Matthew 6:16–18, Jesus contrasts two ways of fasting. Some people make their fasting obvious so they will be seen by others. Jesus instead tells his listeners to appear ordinary, so their fasting is before the Father who is in secret and who sees in secret.
Students will explain from Matthew 6:16–18 that Jesus teaches fasting should be done for the Father rather than for public notice.
Welcome: What gets noticed?
6 minBegin by asking students to name everyday actions people sometimes do to be noticed. Then explain that Jesus speaks about fasting and compares two different motives. Introduce the key idea carefully: the passage is about how a person is seen, whether by other people or by the Father. Read the three verses aloud once together.
Matthew 6:16, Matthew 6:18
Read and explain: What Jesus rejects
10 minFocus on verse 16. Jesus says, “when you fast”, so he is speaking about times when fasting happens. He warns against being “like the hypocrites” with “sad faces”. He says they alter their appearance so that people will notice their fasting. Jesus then says they have already received their reward, which in the verse is the human notice they wanted.
Matthew 6:16
Discuss: What Jesus commands instead
8 minMove to verses 17 and 18. Jesus tells the listener to anoint the head and wash the face. In this passage, those actions show an ordinary appearance rather than an obvious display. The stated purpose is clear: not to be seen by people as fasting, but by the Father in secret. Discuss what this says about the purpose of fasting.
Matthew 6:17, Matthew 6:18
Make and respond: Reminder card for secret faithfulness
10 minStudents choose a key phrase from the passage such as “your Father who sees in secret” or “don’t be like the hypocrites”. They create a small reminder card and write one realistic example of how a person could avoid showing off a spiritual practice. Keep examples general and tied to the wording of the verses.
Matthew 6:16, Matthew 6:18
Closing: Say the teaching clearly
6 minFinish by inviting students to summarise the passage in one or two sentences. Encourage them to mention both parts of Jesus’ teaching: the warning against being seen by others and the instruction to live before the Father who sees in secret. Close by rereading verse 18 together.
Matthew 6:16, Matthew 6:18
Questions to explore
According to verse 16, what did the hypocrites want other people to notice?
Look for the phrases about “sad faces”, disfiguring their faces, and being “seen by men to be fasting”.
Matthew 6:16
What practical actions does Jesus name in verse 17?
Answer directly from the verse, then consider how those actions would stop fasting from becoming a public display.
Matthew 6:17
Who is meant to see the fasting, and who gives the reward in verse 18?
Use the exact contrast in the verse between “men” and “your Father who is in secret”.
Matthew 6:18
Make, think or respond
Secret Motive Reminder Card
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pens or pencils
- markers
- scissors
Try it together
- Read Matthew 6:16–18 again and let each student choose one short phrase from the passage.
- Fold or cut paper into a small card and write the chosen phrase neatly on the front.
- On the back, write one realistic example of how to avoid turning a spiritual practice into a performance.
- Invite volunteers to explain why they chose that phrase, using the wording of the passage.
- Take the card home or place it in a Bible or notebook as a reminder.
This activity keeps students close to Jesus’ words by focusing on the passage’s contrast between being seen by people and being seen by the Father.
Adapt for your group
- For younger or less confident readers, provide two or three key phrases from the passage for them to choose from before making the card.
- For older students, ask them to write a one-sentence explanation of what “they have received their reward” means in the context of verse 16.
An optional closing prayer
Father, please help us care more about what you see than about impressing other people. Teach us to be sincere in the things we do for you.
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Matthew 6
16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.