When You Give (Matthew 6:1-4)
The following is a sermon delivered on the Lord's Day, May 17, 2020,
at First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, KS. The text was from
Matthew 6:1-4 on the subject of giving to those in need.
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.
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:1 says that Jesus' disciples came to Him. The verses that follow describe what disciples of Jesus look like, the section of this sermon we refer to as the Beatitudes. Jesus goes on to say to His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth," and, "You are the light of the world."
Next, Jesus said, "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." What follows from that statement in Matthew 5:17 is Jesus' teaching on the law—His correct teaching, as opposed to the Pharisees false teaching. And we finished up that section last week.
Today, we enter into the third portion of the Sermon of the Mount, and we begin with this statement in verse 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."
Everything that we will look at in chapter 6 expounds on that statement. These are instructions on practicing righteousness—and doing so in a way that is pleasing to our Father in heaven, not so we would gain recognition from people on earth. We start Matthew 6 by talking about giving, next we look at prayer, and then fasting. So these three things in succession deal with how faith in Christ affects our regard toward these principle interests: the handling of our estate, the handling of our souls, and the handling of our bodies. After that we have the instruction on laying up treasure in heaven, and we conclude with a lesson on anxiety.
There are three things I would like for you to receive from our study of this chapter. First of all, you will notice this recurring theme to focus on heavenly things, not on earthly things. If our concerns are heavenly, we will be less concerned with things that are earthly. If our desire is to please our heavenly Father, we will not run ourselves ragged trying to gain approval from men. If our greatest joy is Christ, we have no reason to be anxious.
A second thing you will see in this chapter is the tender reminder of God's love for us. Now, we have certainly seen that all the while. All the instructions that we read in the previous chapter were indeed spoken in love. There were times already the words of Jesus have sounded harsh, but that is because God disciplines the one He loves.
Here in Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us, His disciples, that God provides for even our basic needs. You see that He provides for the birds, He provides for the fields, so He will provide for you. Jesus teaches us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." He reminds us that God is watching over us. He says that we are of more value to the Father than anything else that He has made. And therefore, being so loved by God, we have no reason to despair.
So Jesus tells us to look to God; He reminds us of the love of God; and the third thing you will see in chapter 6 is blessings from God. Even in this opening statement, we are reminded that true and meaningful reward is granted not by men but by our Father who is in heaven. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." This is the blessing of our faith—God rewards those who love Him.
Look for those three things as we go through Matthew 6: you are to look to God, you are loved by God, and you are blessed by God. These blessings are in the present and for our future. The practical results are these: you will depart from evil, all of which is self-motivated; and you will learn to do good, which is Christ-motivated. With such heavenly thinking and behavior that flows from it, you will experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit. In Christ, there is no cause to despair, and you will be filled with hope.
All of this begins with this opening verse of the chapter: "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."
Now notice that Jesus has cautioned you, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them." That is critical to understanding this instruction. Don't miss that, or your liable to get this idea that we shouldn't let our good deeds be seen by anyone ever. On the contrary, our good works demonstrate whom we belong to. We just heard from Jesus in Matthew 5:16, "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 yes, you should let others see your good works. But what is your motivation? Are you doing it to please man or to please God? Of course, our first desire should be to serve Christ our King. In Galatians 1:10, the Apostle Paul says, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Remember that back in chapter 5, Jesus confronted several heart sins: heart-murder, heart-adultery, insincere oaths, and a selfish sense of justice against those who wrong you. This instruction here in Matthew 6 is given in that same spirit. Jesus is getting to the heart of the matter. The hypocrites do good works in order to be seen by men. The person who genuinely loves God does good works because they love God, not to receive any recognition from men.
This is quite contrary to the attitude of our day when so many have become like a walking personal Wikipedia page. And we will boast highly over the most asinine things. I watched a documentary recently about the old 80s arcade games. This was considered the golden age with games like PacMan, Q-Bert, Space Invaders, Missile Command, Frogger. And back in that era of gaming, people were actually concerned with scoring. Anymore, you just play a game and try to get through it. But back in the day, the score actually mattered to people.
Well in this documentary, they interviewed the world record holders for each respective arcade game—the guys that held the world records for the highest scores. And my goodness, the way some of these guys talked about themselves, you would have thought they found the cure for cancer. Have you really contributed anything of value to our culture for having the highest score in Donkey Kong Jr.?
It is the American way to have something to boast about and boast in yourself. No one emulates this better than our own President, Donald Trump. If he said, "I'm the best at boasting, and no one is better than me," that's a brag I can certainly agree with. Now, plenty of people dog on President Trump for his boasting when they're just as much a braggart as he is. It is practically the American way. Whether you're a soldier, an athlete, a medical professional, or the world's greatest coach potato, everyone believes they've got something to brag about.
But that's not the way we as Christians are to be. Remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." We're told in James 4:10 and in 1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time, He may exalt you."
Now that's not to say it's a bad thing to receive recognition for doing a good thing. I find the Proverbs to be helpful here. Proverbs 27:2 says, "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." Proverbs 25:27 says, "It is not good to each much honey, nor is it glory to search out one's own glory."
Consider also whom we call the Proverbs 31 woman: "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates" (v.28-31).
It's alright to list your accomplishments on your resume. That's not a sin. But again, the question here is: what's in your heart? Are you seeking your own glory, or are you desiring to glorify God with all that you say and do? Your Father sees what you have done, and He will reward you for it. Nothing that you say or do will go unrecognized, and His approval is all the approval that you need. But if your desire is the approval of man, then that's all you'll get—the approval of man.
Look at verse 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."
This is in regards to the giving of alms, or money for the poor. What we have in our Bibles as "give to the needy" is in the Greek poies eleemosynen, and it means to give mercy or do an act of charity. Many scholars believe that Jesus is making a reference to putting money in the alms box in the temple, and that's possible, but I think a wider perspective is in view here. This is any kind of giving to the poor. Notice that Jesus says the hypocrites proclaim their giving in the synagogues and in the streets. So it's not just the giving in the temple, or in our case it's not just what you give to the ministry of the church—it's the giving that you do anywhere.
Also recognize the way this verse beings: "This, when you give to the needy." Notice what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say, "First of all, I want you to give to the poor. And when you give to the poor…" There's not a command to give, and then instructions on giving. Why is that relevant? Because with this instruction, Jesus presupposes giving to those who are in need. He doesn't need to tell you to give because you already know you are supposed to give. Even the hypocrites are giving!
My friends, I believe it is not only the command of God that we help those in need—it is in fact built into the natural order that we give to those in need. Look around the world, and you see evil people giving all the time. Now, their moral compass is off, so even what they believe is charity is actually wicked. For example, the liberals believe abortion is a charitable act, but it is one of the worst abominations protected by the rule of law today. Proverbs 12:10 says, "Even the compassion of the wicked is cruel."
But the point remains. Just about everyone knows it is right to give to those in need, and the person who doesn't give anything is generally thought of as unkind. Not only do most people know that you should help the less fortunate, you also know that there is great reward for doing so. Why else would the hypocrites go about waving a flag to celebrate their giving if there wasn't some kind of prestige that came with helping the poor?
Speaking of waving a flag, June is two weeks away. Somehow, America has branded June as pride month—a name that is self-appointed and yet ironically appropriate. Of course, we're talking about LGBTQ pride, the public celebration of Lesbianism, Genital mutilation, Buggery, Transvestite cross-dressing, and any other Quasi-normal sexual perversity we might have missed. (That's what LGBTQ+ stands for, right?)
As you well know, this brand of pride has its own flag. And once June rolls around, a good deal of American companies will cloak their logos in tacky LGBTQ pride flag colors, quite literally parading in the streets that they love and care for marginalized people. (News flash: if a majority of congress, the court of popular opinion, major American companies including entire sports franchises, and the rule of law are on your side, you're not marginalized.)
But again, the point stands. There's a level of favorable notoriety that comes with having a reputation as a charitable person—so much so that the culture will divide people up into social classes and determine by a secular standard of justice which ones are marginalized or oppressed in order to signal virtue and parade righteousness in the public square.
You know without Jesus having to give this command that you should help those in need, and there is reward for helping those in need. But don't do it to gain something from it. You're giving to others who do not have gain, not so you can receive gain. When you give to benefit yourself, that's hypocrisy. You are not actually considering the needs of others ahead of your own.
When we give hypocritically, it corrupts the act of giving. Again, just look at the way a secular society gives to those in need. They will redefine how we give, and whom we give to. In our secular culture, free healthcare is considered a necessary right, so that voting for political candidates who will give you free healthcare and paying your taxes to provide that free healthcare is considered charity.
But this is a faceless, heartless, impersonal view of charity. You're not personally helping anyone with a legitimate need. You are delegating charity to the federal government—which is, by the way, the same government that has defined the murder of unborn children as healthcare. I think many other current events have shown us just how uncharitable the federal government can be.
Furthermore, this brand of charitable posturing seldom defines what healthcare is and who needs it. So when someone who doesn't truly have a health needs dips their hand into the public coffer, they are stealing from the person who has a legitimate health need. And hey, that's not your problem, right? You did your solemn duty and voted for free healthcare. Now great is your reward in heaven.
Godless charity is selfish charity. It's not really about helping others. It's about looking like they're helping others. Jesus is saying here: give, as God has established in the natural order of things to give to those who are in need. But do not give as the hypocrites do, who benefit themselves.
"Sound no trumpet before you," Jesus says, in the streets or in the synagogues. Jesus is being hyperbolic here: Don't throw a parade in your own honor, as though you've done something worthy of a royal procession; Don't go into the places of worship and preach sermons that proclaim your glory. You don't give because you want the recognition. You simply give because you know it pleases your King!
If there's anyone you want to receive recognition here, it's God. Once again, Matthew 5:16, "so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Now, as you have heard me say many times before, our good works don't save us, but that doesn't mean our works are not important. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it is by grace you are saved through faith and not of works, so that no one has any cause to boast in himself. But then verse 10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
You are not saved by your works, but the saved will work. I've also heard it said this way: "You are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone." In fact, if you say that you are saved by faith, and you do not have good works to evidence that faith, then you are not saved by faith. That's what James means when he says in James 2:17-18, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead… Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Even here, Jesus is not saying give to the poor that you may be saved. But whom is He talking to? He is talking to the saved. And His instruction presupposes that they are already giving to those in need. How does your charitable giving look different than the world's charitable giving? You don't give to glorify yourself. You give to glorify your Father in heaven, and He, at the proper time, will glorify you.
Look at verses 3 and 4: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Consider these words from 18th century theologian Matthew Henry: "It is true, our alms-deeds do not deserve heaven; but it is as true that we cannot go to heaven without them. It is pure religion (James 1:27), and will be the test at the great day; Christ here takes it for granted that His disciples give alms, and He will not own those that do not."
Henry touches on something there in reference to James 1:27, which says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." Too often that reference to "orphans and widows" is taken so literally, we tend to think it must mean we care for orphans and widows or we are not saved.
But throughout the Old Testament, orphans and widows were the closest examples of those who were most in need. An orphan has no parents to take care of them, and an aging widow has no husband to take care of her. Neither of these two—the orphaned young child or the widowed old woman—is able to care for their themselves. That doesn't mean those most in need are limited to orphans and widows. They are simply our examples, from the youngest to the oldest.
You may also include soldiers or police officers who have been injured in the line of duty; persons who have a serious disease or physical defect; someone who has lost their job and is experiencing a lapse in income; a single mom who has been abandoned by her husband. Even if someone doesn't need the charity—you just want to do something nice for them anyway. Do it! But don't do it expecting repayment, reward, or recognition. We must take that which God has blessed us with on earth and help those who do not have as much on earth.
And once again, all of this is in view of heaven. We as Christians are following a calling that is higher than an earthly calling. An earthly sense of charity is often faceless and unfeeling. It might be emotionally driven, but not for those who are legitimately in need. A heavenly sense of charity is a solemn duty, that cares for people as our Lord Christ has cared for us. He left His place in heaven, showed us what it meant to live righteously, and sacrificed His body for us on the cross, so that we might have the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life with God in heaven.
Surely you have heard it said, "Don't be so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good." That is a lie from the pit of hell. Instead, I tell you to be so heavenly minded that you will be of earthly good. Be of such a heavenly mindedness that you are not holding too tightly to the things you have on earth, and therefore you will be all the more willing to give to those in need. Do you understand what I mean?
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar. You are encountered by a homeless person or a beggar asking for money. You believe in your heart that the right thing to do would be to give that person some money so that they can buy food or whatever else it is they need.
But suddenly your mind tells you, "Whoa, hold on. How do you know that person won't use that money to go buy drugs or alcohol? After all, statistically speaking, most homeless people became homeless because of a drug addiction, or they presently have a drug addiction. So if you give them your money, you might actually do more harm than good. What would be better is if you just take them over there to that restaurant and buy them some food, so that you know they're spending money on what they truly need." Have you ever reasoned your giving that way before?
I want to do something for you. Let me help you understand why that reasoning doesn't work, and so the next time you encounter someone begging for money, you will give to them freely, and you will also be free of this war of conscience, okay?
If your reasoning is that you will not give them money because they will just go buy drugs, so you take them to a restaurant or the grocery store to buy them food, are you not saving them the money that they would have bought on food to now go and buy drugs? My point here is not to discourage you to give to those in need but to encourage you to give. What they do with that money is between them and God. Don't try to reason yourself out of giving. Just give, okay?
Again, part of what we see here in Matthew 6 is a call to heavenly mindedness, and Jesus wants us to long for the kingdom of God so much that we're not clinging too tightly to our treasures on earth. As we will read when we get to Matthew 5:21, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." If you know your treasure is in heaven, you will likely be more generous on earth.
Now, having said that, I think that we should certainly be responsible with our giving. When I'm at the grocery store or the fast food place, I don't give to those dollar charities that they tack on to your bill. Do you know what I'm referring to? "Sir, would you like to give a dollar to the Shelter for the Breast Cancer Homeless Plaid-Ribbon Society?" And I'm like, "I have no idea what you just said to me." My answer to those things is always no. I have no idea what this charity is and what they do with their money.
If we're irresponsible with our giving, then we won't have enough to bless those who are truly in need of something. I think we've all heard the expression that we are to be good stewards with that the Lord has given to us. A steward is someone who looks after another person's property. We understand that everything belongs to the Lord anyway. What He has blessed you with, handle it responsibly.
Once I was in Kansas City, and a homeless man came up to me and asked me for money so he could go buy a Budweiser. There's no question what he's going to do with the money. He just told me. So I told him no, and he made a very lewd remark toward me. I think I sarcastically replied, "Sir, you just changed my mind. Here's my wallet. Go get blitzed on me."
On another occasion, I was in Kansas City with my son. We pulled up to a stoplight and there was a man with a sign that said, "Homeless Veteran. Anything Helps." I rolled down my window, and I gave him all the cash that was in my sun visor. I believe I said, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, friend," he thanked me, and then the light turned green.
On that occasion, I was helping two people—I was helping the man who was asking for something in need, and I was also helping my son. I wanted him to see an example of giving to those in need. That was not so that my son would give me recognition as being a pretty cool dad. It was I could teach my son our Christian responsibility to help others—especially those who can never pay us back. I showed him my good deeds so that he would grow to give glory to His Father who is in heaven.
We could never pay back what our Lord Christ has given to us. He has made the greatest sacrifice that we may receive the greatest treasure. So may you also be willing to sacrifice that others would benefit, and great will be your reward in heaven. We read in 2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich."
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.
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:1 says that Jesus' disciples came to Him. The verses that follow describe what disciples of Jesus look like, the section of this sermon we refer to as the Beatitudes. Jesus goes on to say to His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth," and, "You are the light of the world."
Next, Jesus said, "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." What follows from that statement in Matthew 5:17 is Jesus' teaching on the law—His correct teaching, as opposed to the Pharisees false teaching. And we finished up that section last week.
Today, we enter into the third portion of the Sermon of the Mount, and we begin with this statement in verse 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."
Everything that we will look at in chapter 6 expounds on that statement. These are instructions on practicing righteousness—and doing so in a way that is pleasing to our Father in heaven, not so we would gain recognition from people on earth. We start Matthew 6 by talking about giving, next we look at prayer, and then fasting. So these three things in succession deal with how faith in Christ affects our regard toward these principle interests: the handling of our estate, the handling of our souls, and the handling of our bodies. After that we have the instruction on laying up treasure in heaven, and we conclude with a lesson on anxiety.
There are three things I would like for you to receive from our study of this chapter. First of all, you will notice this recurring theme to focus on heavenly things, not on earthly things. If our concerns are heavenly, we will be less concerned with things that are earthly. If our desire is to please our heavenly Father, we will not run ourselves ragged trying to gain approval from men. If our greatest joy is Christ, we have no reason to be anxious.
A second thing you will see in this chapter is the tender reminder of God's love for us. Now, we have certainly seen that all the while. All the instructions that we read in the previous chapter were indeed spoken in love. There were times already the words of Jesus have sounded harsh, but that is because God disciplines the one He loves.
Here in Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us, His disciples, that God provides for even our basic needs. You see that He provides for the birds, He provides for the fields, so He will provide for you. Jesus teaches us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." He reminds us that God is watching over us. He says that we are of more value to the Father than anything else that He has made. And therefore, being so loved by God, we have no reason to despair.
So Jesus tells us to look to God; He reminds us of the love of God; and the third thing you will see in chapter 6 is blessings from God. Even in this opening statement, we are reminded that true and meaningful reward is granted not by men but by our Father who is in heaven. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." This is the blessing of our faith—God rewards those who love Him.
Look for those three things as we go through Matthew 6: you are to look to God, you are loved by God, and you are blessed by God. These blessings are in the present and for our future. The practical results are these: you will depart from evil, all of which is self-motivated; and you will learn to do good, which is Christ-motivated. With such heavenly thinking and behavior that flows from it, you will experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit. In Christ, there is no cause to despair, and you will be filled with hope.
All of this begins with this opening verse of the chapter: "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."
Now notice that Jesus has cautioned you, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them." That is critical to understanding this instruction. Don't miss that, or your liable to get this idea that we shouldn't let our good deeds be seen by anyone ever. On the contrary, our good works demonstrate whom we belong to. We just heard from Jesus in Matthew 5:16, "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 yes, you should let others see your good works. But what is your motivation? Are you doing it to please man or to please God? Of course, our first desire should be to serve Christ our King. In Galatians 1:10, the Apostle Paul says, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Remember that back in chapter 5, Jesus confronted several heart sins: heart-murder, heart-adultery, insincere oaths, and a selfish sense of justice against those who wrong you. This instruction here in Matthew 6 is given in that same spirit. Jesus is getting to the heart of the matter. The hypocrites do good works in order to be seen by men. The person who genuinely loves God does good works because they love God, not to receive any recognition from men.
This is quite contrary to the attitude of our day when so many have become like a walking personal Wikipedia page. And we will boast highly over the most asinine things. I watched a documentary recently about the old 80s arcade games. This was considered the golden age with games like PacMan, Q-Bert, Space Invaders, Missile Command, Frogger. And back in that era of gaming, people were actually concerned with scoring. Anymore, you just play a game and try to get through it. But back in the day, the score actually mattered to people.
Well in this documentary, they interviewed the world record holders for each respective arcade game—the guys that held the world records for the highest scores. And my goodness, the way some of these guys talked about themselves, you would have thought they found the cure for cancer. Have you really contributed anything of value to our culture for having the highest score in Donkey Kong Jr.?
It is the American way to have something to boast about and boast in yourself. No one emulates this better than our own President, Donald Trump. If he said, "I'm the best at boasting, and no one is better than me," that's a brag I can certainly agree with. Now, plenty of people dog on President Trump for his boasting when they're just as much a braggart as he is. It is practically the American way. Whether you're a soldier, an athlete, a medical professional, or the world's greatest coach potato, everyone believes they've got something to brag about.
But that's not the way we as Christians are to be. Remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." We're told in James 4:10 and in 1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time, He may exalt you."
Now that's not to say it's a bad thing to receive recognition for doing a good thing. I find the Proverbs to be helpful here. Proverbs 27:2 says, "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." Proverbs 25:27 says, "It is not good to each much honey, nor is it glory to search out one's own glory."
Consider also whom we call the Proverbs 31 woman: "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates" (v.28-31).
It's alright to list your accomplishments on your resume. That's not a sin. But again, the question here is: what's in your heart? Are you seeking your own glory, or are you desiring to glorify God with all that you say and do? Your Father sees what you have done, and He will reward you for it. Nothing that you say or do will go unrecognized, and His approval is all the approval that you need. But if your desire is the approval of man, then that's all you'll get—the approval of man.
Look at verse 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."
This is in regards to the giving of alms, or money for the poor. What we have in our Bibles as "give to the needy" is in the Greek poies eleemosynen, and it means to give mercy or do an act of charity. Many scholars believe that Jesus is making a reference to putting money in the alms box in the temple, and that's possible, but I think a wider perspective is in view here. This is any kind of giving to the poor. Notice that Jesus says the hypocrites proclaim their giving in the synagogues and in the streets. So it's not just the giving in the temple, or in our case it's not just what you give to the ministry of the church—it's the giving that you do anywhere.
Also recognize the way this verse beings: "This, when you give to the needy." Notice what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say, "First of all, I want you to give to the poor. And when you give to the poor…" There's not a command to give, and then instructions on giving. Why is that relevant? Because with this instruction, Jesus presupposes giving to those who are in need. He doesn't need to tell you to give because you already know you are supposed to give. Even the hypocrites are giving!
My friends, I believe it is not only the command of God that we help those in need—it is in fact built into the natural order that we give to those in need. Look around the world, and you see evil people giving all the time. Now, their moral compass is off, so even what they believe is charity is actually wicked. For example, the liberals believe abortion is a charitable act, but it is one of the worst abominations protected by the rule of law today. Proverbs 12:10 says, "Even the compassion of the wicked is cruel."
But the point remains. Just about everyone knows it is right to give to those in need, and the person who doesn't give anything is generally thought of as unkind. Not only do most people know that you should help the less fortunate, you also know that there is great reward for doing so. Why else would the hypocrites go about waving a flag to celebrate their giving if there wasn't some kind of prestige that came with helping the poor?
Speaking of waving a flag, June is two weeks away. Somehow, America has branded June as pride month—a name that is self-appointed and yet ironically appropriate. Of course, we're talking about LGBTQ pride, the public celebration of Lesbianism, Genital mutilation, Buggery, Transvestite cross-dressing, and any other Quasi-normal sexual perversity we might have missed. (That's what LGBTQ+ stands for, right?)
As you well know, this brand of pride has its own flag. And once June rolls around, a good deal of American companies will cloak their logos in tacky LGBTQ pride flag colors, quite literally parading in the streets that they love and care for marginalized people. (News flash: if a majority of congress, the court of popular opinion, major American companies including entire sports franchises, and the rule of law are on your side, you're not marginalized.)
But again, the point stands. There's a level of favorable notoriety that comes with having a reputation as a charitable person—so much so that the culture will divide people up into social classes and determine by a secular standard of justice which ones are marginalized or oppressed in order to signal virtue and parade righteousness in the public square.
You know without Jesus having to give this command that you should help those in need, and there is reward for helping those in need. But don't do it to gain something from it. You're giving to others who do not have gain, not so you can receive gain. When you give to benefit yourself, that's hypocrisy. You are not actually considering the needs of others ahead of your own.
When we give hypocritically, it corrupts the act of giving. Again, just look at the way a secular society gives to those in need. They will redefine how we give, and whom we give to. In our secular culture, free healthcare is considered a necessary right, so that voting for political candidates who will give you free healthcare and paying your taxes to provide that free healthcare is considered charity.
But this is a faceless, heartless, impersonal view of charity. You're not personally helping anyone with a legitimate need. You are delegating charity to the federal government—which is, by the way, the same government that has defined the murder of unborn children as healthcare. I think many other current events have shown us just how uncharitable the federal government can be.
Furthermore, this brand of charitable posturing seldom defines what healthcare is and who needs it. So when someone who doesn't truly have a health needs dips their hand into the public coffer, they are stealing from the person who has a legitimate health need. And hey, that's not your problem, right? You did your solemn duty and voted for free healthcare. Now great is your reward in heaven.
Godless charity is selfish charity. It's not really about helping others. It's about looking like they're helping others. Jesus is saying here: give, as God has established in the natural order of things to give to those who are in need. But do not give as the hypocrites do, who benefit themselves.
"Sound no trumpet before you," Jesus says, in the streets or in the synagogues. Jesus is being hyperbolic here: Don't throw a parade in your own honor, as though you've done something worthy of a royal procession; Don't go into the places of worship and preach sermons that proclaim your glory. You don't give because you want the recognition. You simply give because you know it pleases your King!
If there's anyone you want to receive recognition here, it's God. Once again, Matthew 5:16, "so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Now, as you have heard me say many times before, our good works don't save us, but that doesn't mean our works are not important. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it is by grace you are saved through faith and not of works, so that no one has any cause to boast in himself. But then verse 10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
You are not saved by your works, but the saved will work. I've also heard it said this way: "You are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone." In fact, if you say that you are saved by faith, and you do not have good works to evidence that faith, then you are not saved by faith. That's what James means when he says in James 2:17-18, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead… Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Even here, Jesus is not saying give to the poor that you may be saved. But whom is He talking to? He is talking to the saved. And His instruction presupposes that they are already giving to those in need. How does your charitable giving look different than the world's charitable giving? You don't give to glorify yourself. You give to glorify your Father in heaven, and He, at the proper time, will glorify you.
Look at verses 3 and 4: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Consider these words from 18th century theologian Matthew Henry: "It is true, our alms-deeds do not deserve heaven; but it is as true that we cannot go to heaven without them. It is pure religion (James 1:27), and will be the test at the great day; Christ here takes it for granted that His disciples give alms, and He will not own those that do not."
Henry touches on something there in reference to James 1:27, which says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." Too often that reference to "orphans and widows" is taken so literally, we tend to think it must mean we care for orphans and widows or we are not saved.
But throughout the Old Testament, orphans and widows were the closest examples of those who were most in need. An orphan has no parents to take care of them, and an aging widow has no husband to take care of her. Neither of these two—the orphaned young child or the widowed old woman—is able to care for their themselves. That doesn't mean those most in need are limited to orphans and widows. They are simply our examples, from the youngest to the oldest.
You may also include soldiers or police officers who have been injured in the line of duty; persons who have a serious disease or physical defect; someone who has lost their job and is experiencing a lapse in income; a single mom who has been abandoned by her husband. Even if someone doesn't need the charity—you just want to do something nice for them anyway. Do it! But don't do it expecting repayment, reward, or recognition. We must take that which God has blessed us with on earth and help those who do not have as much on earth.
And once again, all of this is in view of heaven. We as Christians are following a calling that is higher than an earthly calling. An earthly sense of charity is often faceless and unfeeling. It might be emotionally driven, but not for those who are legitimately in need. A heavenly sense of charity is a solemn duty, that cares for people as our Lord Christ has cared for us. He left His place in heaven, showed us what it meant to live righteously, and sacrificed His body for us on the cross, so that we might have the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life with God in heaven.
Surely you have heard it said, "Don't be so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good." That is a lie from the pit of hell. Instead, I tell you to be so heavenly minded that you will be of earthly good. Be of such a heavenly mindedness that you are not holding too tightly to the things you have on earth, and therefore you will be all the more willing to give to those in need. Do you understand what I mean?
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar. You are encountered by a homeless person or a beggar asking for money. You believe in your heart that the right thing to do would be to give that person some money so that they can buy food or whatever else it is they need.
But suddenly your mind tells you, "Whoa, hold on. How do you know that person won't use that money to go buy drugs or alcohol? After all, statistically speaking, most homeless people became homeless because of a drug addiction, or they presently have a drug addiction. So if you give them your money, you might actually do more harm than good. What would be better is if you just take them over there to that restaurant and buy them some food, so that you know they're spending money on what they truly need." Have you ever reasoned your giving that way before?
I want to do something for you. Let me help you understand why that reasoning doesn't work, and so the next time you encounter someone begging for money, you will give to them freely, and you will also be free of this war of conscience, okay?
If your reasoning is that you will not give them money because they will just go buy drugs, so you take them to a restaurant or the grocery store to buy them food, are you not saving them the money that they would have bought on food to now go and buy drugs? My point here is not to discourage you to give to those in need but to encourage you to give. What they do with that money is between them and God. Don't try to reason yourself out of giving. Just give, okay?
Again, part of what we see here in Matthew 6 is a call to heavenly mindedness, and Jesus wants us to long for the kingdom of God so much that we're not clinging too tightly to our treasures on earth. As we will read when we get to Matthew 5:21, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." If you know your treasure is in heaven, you will likely be more generous on earth.
Now, having said that, I think that we should certainly be responsible with our giving. When I'm at the grocery store or the fast food place, I don't give to those dollar charities that they tack on to your bill. Do you know what I'm referring to? "Sir, would you like to give a dollar to the Shelter for the Breast Cancer Homeless Plaid-Ribbon Society?" And I'm like, "I have no idea what you just said to me." My answer to those things is always no. I have no idea what this charity is and what they do with their money.
If we're irresponsible with our giving, then we won't have enough to bless those who are truly in need of something. I think we've all heard the expression that we are to be good stewards with that the Lord has given to us. A steward is someone who looks after another person's property. We understand that everything belongs to the Lord anyway. What He has blessed you with, handle it responsibly.
Once I was in Kansas City, and a homeless man came up to me and asked me for money so he could go buy a Budweiser. There's no question what he's going to do with the money. He just told me. So I told him no, and he made a very lewd remark toward me. I think I sarcastically replied, "Sir, you just changed my mind. Here's my wallet. Go get blitzed on me."
On another occasion, I was in Kansas City with my son. We pulled up to a stoplight and there was a man with a sign that said, "Homeless Veteran. Anything Helps." I rolled down my window, and I gave him all the cash that was in my sun visor. I believe I said, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, friend," he thanked me, and then the light turned green.
On that occasion, I was helping two people—I was helping the man who was asking for something in need, and I was also helping my son. I wanted him to see an example of giving to those in need. That was not so that my son would give me recognition as being a pretty cool dad. It was I could teach my son our Christian responsibility to help others—especially those who can never pay us back. I showed him my good deeds so that he would grow to give glory to His Father who is in heaven.
We could never pay back what our Lord Christ has given to us. He has made the greatest sacrifice that we may receive the greatest treasure. So may you also be willing to sacrifice that others would benefit, and great will be your reward in heaven. We read in 2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich."
