Your Motives And Your Money Series

Your Motives and Your Money (Matthew 6)

Good morning! Please open your Bibles to Matthew 6.

The English language is full of oxymorons — you know, a phrase the sounds self-contradictory. Here are some of my favorites. I hope some of you will add to my collection after the service!

• Jumbo shrimp.

• Act naturally.

• Hurry up and wait— a favorite of the DMV.

• She was clearly confused.

• Or my personal favorite: Military intelligence.

You hear them and think, Wait… which one is it?

And when read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus seems to hand us one of those “oxymoron moments.”

In Matthew 5:16 He says:

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

So — let people see my good works. Got it.

But then, a few verses later in Matthew 6:1, He says:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.”

Wait a second—Jesus, which is it? Are we supposed to shine or are we supposed to hide? Are we supposed to Let people see our good deeds or keep them secret? On the surface, it feels like a contradiction. But the truth is, it isn’t a contradiction at all. The issue isn’t whether people see your good works. The issue is why you want them to see—and who gets the glory when they do.”

This morning as we continue our series what Jesus had to say about money, we are going to get to some of Jesus’ most practical teachings about money. And if there is one thing for you to take home— one thing I want you to be talking about at lunch after the worship service, its this:

God cares more about why you give than what you give.

Notice i didn’t say, God cares more about why you give than whether you give. God cares very much that you give. Just like He cares whether you pray, and whether you fast. You’re gonna see that clearly in our scripture passage this morning.

But once we understand the assumption that stewardship is a core component of your discipleship, then we can talk about the motivation of our giving. So let’s read God’s word together, this is Matthew 6:1-6

Matthew 6:1–6 ESV

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. 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. 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. 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Now skip to verse 16

Matthew 6:16–18 ESV

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Let’s pray… [prayer]

The Context: Let Your Light Shine (5:16)

Matthew 6 falls right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Remember how it builds: Jesus starts with the Beatitudes are a manifesto for the upside-down kingdom — where the poor, meek, and merciful are called blessed.

From there, He says,

“You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (5:13–14).

So the question isn’t whether good works will be visible — they will be. The question is who gets the glory when they are.

Through chapter 5, Jesus presses beyond surface-level righteousness: “You’ve heard it said … but I say to you.” He teaches that murder begins in anger, adultery begins in lust, and real righteousness is measured at the heart level. If there’s a common theme, its that in the Kingdom of heaven, faithfulness isn’t going to be based on external obedience. It’s going to be based on internal attitudes.