With the recent earthquake in Haiti, there has been a world wide outpouring of assistance. In Canada and the United States we just saw two telethons, where celebrities participated to raise funds. One curious phenomena was the participation of John Travolta. "I have arranged for a plane to take down some volunteer ministers and some supplies and some medics," John says. "My church has also arranged for 80 medics and 33 volunteers to go down. What has been suspect, with many of the celebrities has been the ulterior motives as seen by their actions. John Travolta’s actions, for example, were to bring a small army of Scientologists into Haiti. Their charity has been seen to be motivated by furthering their popularity and personal causes.
(http://www.etonline.com/news/2010/01/82987/index.html)
True charity came into the world through Christianity, and the charity we see today—in the United Way, in the Red Cross, in hospitals, in benevolent foundations, in government—is purely a by-product of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before Christ’s time there were no homes for the sick or poor, no orphanages. There was a world of toil and poverty, of the exposure of unwanted children, of slavery, of great hunger side by side with great affluence, and appalling indifference. After Christ came there was an instant and sacrificial love of the believers for each other. This was followed by care for the poor, hospitals, reform laws in the status of women, the establishing of change in labor laws, the abolition of slavery, and other things (Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount : An expositional commentary (152). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.).
Matthew 5:21–48 focuses on the teaching of the law, on what people are to believe, and 6:1–18 focuses on the practice of the law, what people are to do. The first section emphasizes inner moral righteousness-giving six representative illustrations regarding murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge, and love. This second section emphasizes outward formal righteousness-giving three representative illustrations of religious activity. The first has to do with giving, our religion as it acts toward others (vv. 2–4); the second with praying, our religion as it acts toward God (vv. 5–15); and the third with fasting, our religion as it acts in relation to ourselves (vv. 16–18).
In the teachings of the Islam in the Koran, prayer, fasting and giving are the chief duties required from the Prophet Mohamed. Prayer, it is said, will carry a man halfway to Paradise. fasting will bring him to the gates, and giving will give him entrance. Likewise, with the great prominence which Roman Catholicism assigns to giving—especially when the gifts are bestowed upon herself—to the senseless repetition of prayers, and to bodily mortifications. Similar ideas obtain among other religions, especially in Buddhism-lamaism with its prayer-wheels being a case in point. But in our present passage Christ shows us that, as mere formal works, these religious acts are worthless in the sight of God (Pink, A. W. (2005). An exposition of the Sermon on the Mount. (146). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
In Pursuing God though Giving, we must avoid: 1) The Danger of False Righteousness. (Matthew 6:1) ) 2) The Practice and Reward of False Giving (Matthew 6:2) yet understand: 3) The Practice and Reward of True Giving (Matthew 6:3-4)
1) The Danger of False Righteousness. (Matthew 6:1)
Matthew 6:1 [6:1]"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)
This verse introduces the section on the forms of religious righteousness and applies to each of the three illustrations in 6:2–18.
Illustration: The story is told of an eastern ascetic holy man who covered himself with ashes as a sign of humility and regularly sat on a prominent street corner of his city. When tourists asked permission to take his picture, the mystic would rearrange his ashes to give the best image of destitution and humility.
A great deal of religion amounts to nothing more than rearranging religious “ashes” to impress the world with one’s supposed humility and devotion. The problem, of course, is that the humility is a sham, and the devotion is to self, not to God. Such religion is nothing more than a game of pretense, a game at which the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day were masters. Because their religion was mostly an act, and a mockery of God’s true revealed way for His people, Jesus’ most blistering denunciations were reserved for them.
Jesus used many figures to describe hypocrisy. He compared it to leaven (Luke 12:1), to whitewashed tombs (Matt. 23:27), concealed tombs (Luke 11:44), tares amidst the wheat (Matt. 13:25), and to wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15).
In New Testament times some people made their living as professional mourners who were paid to weep, wail, and tear their garments at funerals and on other occasions of sadness (cf. Matt. 9:23). It is said that some mourners were careful to tear their clothing at a seam, so that the material could easily be sown back together for the next mourning. Both the professional mourners and those who hired them were hypocrites, hiring and being hired to put on a display of mourning that was entirely pretense.
Of this practice, the first thing that Jesus says is to beware. Prosechô (beware) means to hold, or take hold of, something and pay attention to it, especially in the sense of being on guard. Beware renders a verb that has the meaning “turn (your mind) to” and thus “give careful attention to,” “concentrate on.” Jesus is inviting his hearers to concentrate on the central thing when they perform any act of righteousness. (Jesus goes on to illustrate with the examples of giving, prayer, and fasting). The believer must always keep in mind that the act is righteous only if it is what it purports to be—the service of God. When instead it is done as a means of enhancing the reputation of the doer of the deed, then it is no longer a simple act of divine service ( Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (136). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press).
The scribes, Pharisees, and other hypocrites are warned by Jesus to beware of the religious activities in which they had such pride and confidence. He was about to show them again how worthless, meaningless, and unacceptable to God those activities were. The Pharisees used giving to gain favor with God and from (people). No amount of giving can purchase salvation; for salvation is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8–9). To live for the praise of people is a foolish thing because the glory of human praise does not last (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)
Consider human praise in light of our topic last week, of pursuing God though His word:
1 Peter 1:24-25 [24]for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, [25]but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (ESV)
Jesus said that these hypocrites did their actions to be seen/noticed. Theaomai (to be seen by them/noticed) is related to the term from which we get theater. It has in mind a spectacle to be gazed at. In other words, Jesus is warning about practicing a form of righteousness (dikaiosunç, acts of religious devotion in general) whose purpose is to be seen by them. Such religion is like a play; it is not real life but acting. It does not demonstrate what is in the minds and hearts of the actors, but is simply a performance designed to make a certain impression on those who are watching.
Please turn back to Matthew 5
Such practices amount to theatrical righteousness, performed to impress rather than serve and to magnify the actors rather than God. The purpose is to be seen by others and not glorify God
The activities are not real life but an exhibition. Such false righteousness, Jesus assures us, will never qualify a person for God’s kingdom (Matt. 5:20).
Matthew 5:16-20 [16]In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. [17]"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18]For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. [19]Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20]For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (ESV)
False righteousness does have a reward-the recognition and applause of other hypocrites and of ignorant people. That, however, is the limit of the honor, because Jesus tells those who practice such hypocritical righteousness, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. God does not reward people who do things to seek the adulation of others (cf. Matt. 5:16), because they rob God of glory.
The reference to God’s dwelling in heaven distinguishes the eternal character of divine reward from the transient, shallow praise that hypocrites receive from other people.
Illustration: ("Bank Robbers")
Some mistakenly think that they are free to sin, just so long as they aren’t hypocrites about it; that the worst form of sin is hypocrisy. Often one hears it said, “I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not hypocritical about it.”
A few years ago in Texas there were two men who robbed a bank. One wore a ski mask and the other did not. They both were captured and ultimately appeared before the judge for sentencing. The one without the mask could have stated, “Look, I know that robbing the bank was the wrong thing to do, but at least I was not hypocritical about it. I didn’t try to cover up who I was. I was open and honest. That should be worth something as far as leniency is concerned.” The judge sentenced both men to the same time in prison (Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.)
We have seen: 1) The Danger of False Righteousness. (Matthew 6:1) and now:
2) The Practice and Reward of False Giving (Matthew 6:2)
Matthew 6:2 [2]"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (ESV)
Jesus does not introduce this teaching with if but when, indicating it is something He expects us to do. To give to the needy/give alms refers to actual giving, not good intentions or warm feelings of pity that never find practical expression. When done in the right spirit it not only is permissible but obligatory for believers.
When is comprehensive; Jesus is not pointing to an occasional happening, but to the regular practice. You is singular, which makes the application personal (Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (136). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.)
But just as a sympathetic feeling for someone in need does not help them unless something is given to meet their need, giving them money provides no spiritual benefit or blessing unless it is given from the heart. In any case, no act of charity or any other good work can atone for sin.
Jesus identifies the action in question when someone is to give to the needy/alms, (Eleçnosunç) which refers to any act of mercy or pity, but came to be used primarily of giving money, food, or clothing to the poor. It is the term from which we get the English eleemosynary, a synonym for charitable.
By the first century there was a well-organized system of poor-relief based in the synagogues, providing something of what our modern state-sponsored welfare systems aim to offer. The funding of this system depended on contributions from members of the community, some of them laid down under the regulations for the “tithe for the poor,” but also involving a great deal of private initiative, which could reach such an extent that there were rabbinic regulations to prevent a man from impoverishing himself and his family by giving away more than 20% of his income.( The Gospel of Matthew. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (235). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.)
God has always delighted in acts of mercy and generosity.
Leviticus 25:35 [35]"If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. (ESV)
• God’s people were continually reminded in the Psalms, Proverbs, and prophetic writings to be considerate of and generous to the poor, whether fellow Israelites or Gentile strangers.
From Lev. 25:35 and Jesus’ command, there is a key qualifier that someone is needy. We are to give in response to need. The early Christians in Jerusalem shared their resources without reservation. Many of their fellow believers had become destitute when they trusted in Christ and were ostracized from their families and lost employment because of their faith. Years later Paul collected money from the Galatian churches to help meet the great needs that continued to exist among the saints in Jerusalem and that had been intensified by famine.
Yet, there have always been charlatans who manufacture needs and play on the sympathy of others. And there have always been professional beggars, who are able to work but would rather not. A Christian has no responsibility to support such people and should take reasonable care to determine if and when real need exists before giving his money. Paul said:
2 Thessalonians 3:10 [10]For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. (ESV)
• Encouraging laziness weakens the character of the one who is lazy and also wastes the Lord’s money. But where real need does exist, our obligation to help meet it also exists.
The specific critique in Matthew 6:2 is against the hypocrite (hupokritçs) who was originally was a Greek actor who wore a mask that portrayed in an exaggerated way the role that was being dramatized. For obvious reasons the term came to be used of anyone who pretended to be what he was not.
One of Satan’s most common and effective ways of undermining the power of the church is through hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, therefore, is a great peril to the church, and it comes in two forms. The first is that of nonbelievers masquerading as Christians. The second is that of true believers who are sinful but pretend to be spiritual. The warning Jesus gives here applies to both groups.
Quote: Augustine said, “The love of honor is the deadly bane of true piety. Other vices bring forth evil works but this brings forth good works in an evil way.” Hypocrisy is so dangerous because it is so deceptive. It uses things that are basically good for purposes that are basically evil. “Hypocrisy,” he goes on to say, “is the homage that vice pays to virtue.”
There seems to be no evidence from history or archaeology that a literal trumpet or other instrument was used by Jews to announce their giving. The figure was used by Jesus to describe the attention in the synagogues and in the streets that many wealthy hypocrites, not just scribes and Pharisees, purposely attracted to themselves when they presented their gifts.
The reward they wanted was recognition and to be praises/honored by others. That became their reward in full. They have received their reward was a form of a technical expression used at the completion of a commercial transaction, and carried the idea of something being paid for in full and receipted. Nothing more was owed or would be paid. Those who give for the purpose of impressing others with their generosity and spirituality will receive no other reward, especially from God. The Lord owes them nothing. When we give to please others, our only reward will be that which others can give. Seeking others blessings forfeits God’s.
Sometimes, of course, the pretense does not show. Knowing that it is wrong to give ostentatiously and that fellow Christians are likely to resent it, we sometimes try to make our good works “accidentally” noticed. But even if we only want people to notice, and do nothing to attract their attention, our heart motive is to be praises/honored by others. The real trumpet blowing, the basic hypocrisy, is always on the inside, and that is where God judges. Hypocritical righteousness, just as true righteousness, begins in the heart.
Unfortunately, many Christian organizations use un-Christian methods to motivate support of their ministries. When flamed certificates, published names of generous supporters, and other such recognitions are offered to stimulate giving, hypocrisy is promoted in the name of Christ. It is just as wrong to appeal to wrong motives as to have wrong motives.
Illustration: ("Proper Motives")
An experience in the life of English preacher and theologian Andrew Fuller illustrates this truth. James Duff, in Flashes of Truth, told of a time when Fuller went back to his hometown to collect money for foreign missions. One of his contacts was an old friend. When presented with the need, the man said, “Well, Andrew, seeing it’s you, I’ll give you five dollars.” “No,” said Fuller, “I can’t take your money for my cause, seeing it is for me,” and he handed the money back. The man saw his point. “Andrew, you are right. Here’s ten dollars, seeing it is for Jesus Christ.” (Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.)
We have seen: 1) The Danger of False Righteousness. (Matthew 6:1) 2) The Practice and Reward of False Giving (Matthew 6:2) and now:
3) The Practice and Reward of True Giving (Matthew 6:3-4)
Matthew 6:3-4 [3]But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4]so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ESV)
The change from the plural hypocrites (in verses 1-2) to a singular disciple here (verse 3) underlines the fact that these religious duties are not undertaken corporately but are between the disciple and God (France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (237). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.).
Jesus’ language is figurative (v. 3 is literally possible only for those who undergo a lobotomy!) and does not imply that we must not keep track of giving or that we be irresponsible in stewardship of finances or refuse to disclose how we spend our money for the sake of demonstrating financial accountability (Blomberg, C. (2001). Vol. 22: Matthew (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (117). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
To not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing was possibly a proverbial expression that simply referred to doing something spontaneously, with no special effort or show. The right hand was considered the primary hand of action, and in a normal day’s work the right hand would do many things as a matter of course that would not involve the left hand. Giving to help those in need should be a normal activity of the Christian, and one should do it as simply, directly, and discreetly as possible.
The most satisfying giving, and the giving that God blesses, is that which is done and forgotten. It is done in love out of response to a need, and when the need is met the giver goes on about their business, not waiting for or wanting recognition.
It is appropriate for the recipient to show thankfulness, but it is not the proper aim in the giving, to do it for that thanks.
What has been done should even be a secret to our left hand, not to mention to other people. Whether the person we help is grateful or ungrateful should not matter as far as our own purpose is concerned. If a recipient is ungrateful, we are sorry for their sake, not our own.
Matthew 6:3 has often been mistakenly interpreted to mean that all good works are to be done in absolute secrecy. But true righteousness cannot be kept entirely secret, and should not be.
John tells us
1 John 2:29 [29]If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (ESV)
Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had specifically commanded, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). The key to proper giving is not whether or not our good works should be seen by others, but whether they are done for that end. When they are done “in such a way” that attention and glory are focused on our “Father who is in heaven” rather than on ourselves, God is pleased. But if they are done to be noticed by others (6:1), they are done self-righteously and hypocritically and are rejected by God. The difference is in purpose and motivation. When what we do is done in the right spirit and for the right purpose, it will almost inevitably be done in the right way.
Never in the history of the church have Christians been so bombarded with appeals to give money, many of them to legitimate and worthwhile causes. Knowing how and where to give is sometimes extremely difficult. Christians are to give regularly and systematically to the work of their local church. “On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper” (1 Cor. 16:2). But we are also called to give directly to those in need when we have opportunity and ability. Both the Old and New Testaments make it clear that willing, generous giving has always characterized the faithful people of God.
God does not need our gifts, because He is entirely sufficient in Himself. The need is on our part and on the part of those we serve in His name. As we give, God blesses, and when God blesses us we give again out of what He has given.
Deuteronomy 16:10 [10]Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. (ESV)
• We are to give freely out of what God has given freely.
Since our giving (should) be in secret, lovingly, unpretentiously, and with no thought for recognition or appreciation, our Father who sees in secret will reward us. Our purpose should be to meet every need we are able to meet and leave the bookkeeping to God.
God will not miss giving a single reward. “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). The Lord knows our hearts, our attitudes, and our motives, and every reward that is due us will be given.
Proverbs 19:17 [17]Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. (ESV)
• Proverbs 29:7 says, “The righteous care about justice for the poor.” Psalm 41:1 pronounces a blessing upon the one who does so, saying, “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak.”
It is God’s perfect plan and will to give a reward to those who faithfully trust and obey Him. And it is not unspiritual to expect and anticipate those rewards, if we do so in a spirit of humility and gratitude-knowing that God’s rewards manifest His grace to the undeserving. We can meet His merciful requirements for rewards, but we can never truly earn them.
Quote: The reward that God gives are not ribbons or medals but actually something of himself. C. S. Lewis explained it well:
We must not be troubled by unbelievers when they say that this promise of reward makes the Christian life a mercenary affair. There are different kinds of reward. There is the reward which has no natural connection with the things you do to earn it, and is quite foreign to the desires that ought to accompany those things. Money is not the natural reward of love; that is why we call a man a mercenary if he marries a woman for the sake of her money. But marriage is the proper reward for a real lover, and he is not mercenary for desiring it.… The proper rewards are not simply tacked on to the activity for which they are given, but are the activity itself in consummation (C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1973), p. 2.).
The greatest reward a believer can have is the knowledge that he has pleased their Lord. Our motive for looking forward to His rewards should be the anticipation of casting them as an offering at His feet, even as the twenty-four elders one day “will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power’ ” (Rev. 4:10–11).
(Format note: Outline and some base commentary from: MacArthur, J. (1989). Matthew (351–361). Chicago: Moody Press.)
