Have you ever done the right thing in the wrong way? Or perhaps done the right thing with the wrong motives? All of us can probably raise our hand to those questions. Or maybe you’ve never considered that the method and the motive are just as important as the doing.
In the next section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, what we are calling The Jesus Way, He brings up the hypocrisy of doing the right things the wrong way or with wrong motives. Jesus began, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you give to the poor, don’t 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.” (Matthew 6:1–4, CSB)
The key verse for the next few steps in the Jesus way is “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” Some have taken this and the following verses to mean that Christians should only give, pray, and fast in secret. That’s not what Jesus said or meant. There are public displays of all three at times. But what are our methods and motive? Is it to draw attention to ourselves and praise from others? Then we truly are a hypocrite.
There’s that word again – hypocrite. It is a picture word for those pretending to be something or someone they are not. It literally means someone who is role-playing or play-acting or being two-faced. One face for public adornment and another face that is our authentic self. This is not the last time that Jesus will warn his followers about the dangers of hypocrisy.
Let’s turn back to Jesus’ instruction in the verses above. Giving to the poor is a good thing and something to be encouraged. But some in that day used it as an opportunity to literally “toot their own horn.” Look at what I’m doing; am I not righteous and wonderful? So, what is wrong with giving to someone in need and blowing our own horn about it?
Besides the fact that Jesus said don’t do that, there is one other glaring reason why giving should be without fanfare. That reason is the dignity of the person on the receiving side of things. The fanfare draws attention to both the giver and the receiver. Sometimes that attention might be desirable, but others feel bad enough about their situation without having their plight put in the spotlight.
By giving quietly, even secretively, we ensure that our motives are right and guarding the person’s dignity. They may not even know it was us doing the giving. So, would you rather have the fleeting praise of people or a reward for our Father in Heaven?
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