Matthew 6:4
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Cross-references
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus applies the same principle of secret devotion to prayer, with the identical promise that the Father who sees in secret will reward.
In Matthew 6:18, the same pattern is repeated for fasting—secret practice before the Father who sees and rewards in secret.
In Matthew 25:34-40, acts of mercy to the needy are seen as done to Christ and rewarded by the King, expanding the principle that God sees and repays hidden service.
In Matthew 10:42, a similar promise: even a cup of cold water given to a disciple brings a reward, reinforcing that God values and repays small acts of kindness.
Psalm 44:21 directly states that God knows the secrets of the heart, reinforcing the truth that nothing hidden escapes him.
Psalm 139:1-3 describes God’s exhaustive knowledge of every action and thought, underscoring that he truly sees all secret deeds.
Psalm 139:12 declares that even darkness is as light to God—so nothing done in secret is hidden from his sight.
Jeremiah 17:10 says the Lord searches the heart and rewards according to deeds, directly echoing the promise that the Father sees and rewards in secret.
Jeremiah 23:24 asks rhetorically whether anyone can hide in secret from God, affirming that he sees all hidden places.
In Luke 14:14, Jesus promises repayment at the resurrection for giving to the poor without expecting return — directly parallel to the secret reward in this verse.
In 1 Corinthians 4:5, God will bring hidden motives to light and give praise at Christ's coming, closely mirroring the secret deed and future reward here.
Hebrews 4:13 states that nothing in creation is hidden from God’s sight, reinforcing the truth that secret acts are fully seen by him.
Revelation 2:23 declares that Jesus searches hearts and minds and repays each according to deeds, mirroring the reward for secret giving.
Ephesians 6:8 assures that the Lord rewards every good deed — directly echoing the reward promise for secret giving here.
Psalm 112:9 shows the OT pattern of generous giving to the poor being honored by God — reinforcing that secret giving aligns with ancient righteousness.