Ostentation
Summary
Ostentation is the showy display of religious acts to gain human praise, which Jesus specifically condemned in the Sermon on the Mount.
☩Jesus' Teaching
Jesus warned against practicing righteousness before others to be seen by them. Those who give alms with trumpets, pray on street corners, and fast with disfigured faces have received their reward in human admiration. True piety is done in secret, where the Father who sees in secret will reward openly. The term "vainglory" (Greek kenodoxia) describes this empty pursuit of glory that has no substance.
☩Warnings Against Pride
The wise sayings of Proverbs also caution against ostentatious self-promotion. Those who falsely boast of giving gifts are like clouds and wind without rain. Self-praise is inappropriate; let others commend you instead. The vainglory of life—proud boasting about possessions and accomplishments—is not from the Father but from the world.