«Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly» (Matthew 6:4).
THE TEMPLE of Artemis, which was part of the list of wonders of the ancient world, was a formidable sanctuary. The wooden statue of Artemis was six and a half feet tall and was overlaid with gold and silver. Its 127 columns, which were 60 feet tall, gave it the impression of being an impenetrable fortress. Chersiphron, an architect from Crete, was commissioned to construct the original building, but because its construction took over a hundred years, many brilliant minds took part in building the architectural wonder.
On July 21, 356 BC, Herostratus, an unknown shepherd, decided to seek fame. What did he do? He set fire to the Temple of Artemis and became so well-known that even Strabo, the historian and geographer, had to mention him. Additionally, psychiatrists coined the term «Herostratism» to describe a disorder that causes someone to commit crimes in order to gain notoriety.
I wonder, could we suffer from spiritual Herostratism? In other words, could we commit «spiritual crimes» to become well-known among our fellow believers? Jesus spoke of people who loved «to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men» (Matthew 6:5). Could it be that we have this problem?
A genuine spiritual life is not about trying to get others to marvel at our immaculate religiosity; it has nothing to do with winning over the respect and admiration of those who observe our hypocritical charity. There’s no place for religious Herostratism; the desire for spiritual prominence doesn’t bring about any good. Praying, fasting, preaching, reading the Bible, giving offerings to draw attention from others—these are «spiritual crimes» that manifest our lack of spirituality. Even Rabbi Zadok warned against making «the Torah a crown for self-exaltation.»
The Christian life is a sweet complicity between a creature and its Creator; no one else belongs there. We live so that our Father will be happy with our faith, our love, and our actions; not to try to draw attention from those around us. The promise we have is this: «Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly» (Matthew 6:4). And that reward will not be given here, but in heaven.
Let’s fix our eyes on heaven, and not in receiving the applause of men.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
