Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus
Teaches about Giving to the
Needy
6:1
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness'
before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will
have no reward from your Father in
heaven.
-
- 2
So when you give to the needy, do not announce
it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by
men.
-
- I tell you the truth,
they have received their reward in
full.
-
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. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you."
-
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to
change the way that we think, and the way that
we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
Jesus teaches about
giving to the needy
A picture entered my mind as
I read this passage. The image was of two people
holding a gigantic check and shaking hands in front
of several TV cameras giving to a very worthwhile
cause.
I am not condemning this
practice because I know this is normally a
corporate affair and part of their advertising
campaign and giving is a good thing no matter who
gives but it still strikes me that they are
"announcing it with trumpets" as Christ
stated.
This is not always confined
to the corporate world as I have seen many boast
about giving to charities or other causes.
When I think of giving in
secret as Jesus suggested, I think of another word;
integrity. It is said that integrity is what you do
when no one is looking. Giving needs to be done in
the same spirit.
It is much easier to do what
is right when we gain recognition and praise. I'm
pretty sure our motives are not selfish but we
should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with
no thought of reward.
Jesus says we should check
our motives in three areas:
- generosity
- prayer
- and
fasting
Those acts should not be
self-centered, done not to make us look good but to
make God look good. For instance, if we fast and
then brag about how many days then we have missed
the whole point of fasting to begin with. The only
reason we should fast is to bring us closer to
God.
The reward God promises in
verse four is not material, and it is never given
to those who seek it.
Doing something only for
ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next
good deed, ask, 'Would I still do this even if no
one would ever know I did it?
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
go
here and take the
first
steps to salvation.
More Bible
Reading:
Matthew
5:43-48
- Jesus
Teaches about Loving Your
Enemy
- Do you love your family? your friends? Of
course you do, so do I . But, what about those who
have done you wrong? Do you love your enemies?
Jesus says it's easy to love a dear friend and this
warrants no effort for the most part but loving an
enemy is cherished.
Verses about the spirit of giving are from
Life Application Study Bible: New International
Version
Comments are welcome. Please email
me with any questions or comments you
may have.
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