**** Matthew 6:1-4 right motive to give

Matthew 6:1–4 (NRSV)

1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Giving with an Ulterior Motive

Themes: Giving; Greed

In Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, Stephen Leacock gives a vivid description of Josh Smith, proprietor of the hotel in Mariposa. He learned “the blessedness of giving,” but his philanthropy had ulterior motives:

Mr. Smith subscribed to everything, joined everything, gave to everything. He became an Oddfellow, a Forester, a Knight of Pythias and a Workman. He gave a hundred dollars to the Mariposa Hospital and a hundred dollars to the Mariposa Hospital and a hundred dollars to the YMCA. He subscribed to the Ball Club, the Lacrosse Club, the Curling Club, to anything in fact, and especially to those things which needed premises to meet in and grew thirsty in their discussions.

As a consequence the Oddfellows held their annual banquet at Smith’s Hotel and the Oyster Supper of the Knights of Pythias was celebrated in Mr. Smith’s dining room. Even more effective, perhaps, were Mr. Smith’s secret benefactions, the kind of giving done by stealth of which not a soul in town knew anything, often, for a week after it was done.

The Right Motive for Giving, 6:1–4

(6:1–4) Introduction—Motive: what a man does matters greatly to God. God expects men to be kind and to do good in the world: to help others both through personal involvement and through giving generously and sacrificially.

But there is something else that God expects, something of critical importance: God expects a man to have the right motive. Just why a man does good and shows kindness matters greatly to God. It matters so much that a person’s eternal fate is determined by his motive. Because of this, Christ warns us about right and wrong motives.

1. The acts of righteousness—doing good and giving (v. 1).

2. The wrong motive: Giving for recognition (v. 2).

3. The right motive: Giving unconsciously, quietly, privately and secretly (vv. 3–4).

The Right Motive for Giving, 6:1–4)

DEEPER STUDY # 1

(6:1–18) Christian, Duty: Christ discussed the three great duties of religion to a Jew—the giving of alms (Mt. 6:1–4), prayer (Mt. 6:5–15), and fasting (Mt. 6:16–18). His concern was threefold.

1. That men give, pray, and fast.

2. That men do these works with the right motive and guard against hypocrisy when doing them.

3. That men receive their reward from God the Father.

The Right Motive for Giving, 6:1–4)

1 (6:1) Alms—Service—Giving: there is the giving of alms—doing good and giving to others. The word alms means righteous acts; giving in order to meet the needs of the poor. To the Jew, giving alms and righteousness meant the same thing. Giving alms was the greatest thing a Jew could do; it was the first act of religion. It was considered to be the very embodiment of righteousness, so much so that the two words began to be used synonymously. Giving alms merited and assured one of righteousness and salvation. (See note 5—Mt. 5:6.) Christ warned there is great danger in giving and doing alms. Take heed and guard yourself. Do not give for recognition, or you will lose your reward.

Thought 1. There are two important lessons in this verse.

(1) Man must guard and be alert to the deception of giving and doing good before men. A person’s heart can be deceived. The sin creeps up on man; it is insidious and subtle. It will keep a person from receiving anything from God.

(2) A person must give alms and do good. It is a duty of the Christian. In this passage alone Christ says four times, “Do alms.”

2 (6:2) Motive: there is the wrong motive for doing good. Christ takes for granted that the believer gives and does good. What Christ strikes at is the motive of the human heart for giving and doing good.

a. Giving for recognition is the wrong motive for giving. Recognition is said to be sought by blowing one’s own horn in two places: (1) in the synagogue before religious people, and (2) in the streets before the public.

Thought 1. There are several wrong motives for giving and doing good.

(1) A person may give for recognition and prestige: to be praised by men during life and to be remembered by men in death. A person may desire the applause of men: their thanks and appreciation, honor and praise, esteem and glory.

(2) A person may give for self-applause, self-satisfaction, and self-admiration: to feel comfortable with what he has done and to see himself at his very best. He may wish to boost his ego and to glory in himself.

(3) A person may give out of obligation: to fulfill his sense of duty.

(4) A person may give to secure the recognition of God: to feel that God is pleased and favors him because he has done good.

Thought 2. It is not always wrong to give alms when men see us. This cannot always be helped. It is wrong to give alms so that men may see us.

Thought 3. The point is not that a person should hold back from doing good, but he should guard against how he gives and does good.

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men” (Mt. 23:5).

“Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts” (Lu. 20:46).

b. Giving for recognition is characteristic of hypocrites. Giving out of the wrong motive is hypocritical. The word hypocrite (hupokrites) means an actor who puts on a show, who plays a part on stage; a mask, a fake picture; appearing to be something one is not.

1) It is “sounding a trumpet” before oneself (v. 2): blowing one’s own horn for self praise.

2) It is “sounding a trumpet” in the synagogue: blowing one’s own horn in the church and before the religious; it is seeking the praise of the religious (v. 2).

3) It is “sounding a trumpet” in the streets: blowing one’s own horn before the public, seeking the praise of the public (v. 2).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Mt. 23:12).

c. Giving for recognition is rewarded on this earth only. A person receives the recognition of men only. There are two rewards for a wrong motive: the recognition of men and temporary self-satisfaction. Note the words, “they have their reward.” This is an accounting statement: it means just what it says—payment has been made in full. One has received his payment and reward; he has received all he will ever receive. There is to be no reward—no reward whatsoever—from God (see note—Mt. 6:4).

Thought 1. The person who gives out of a wrong motive fails at several points.

(1) He fails to give of himself. He gives money and he gives things, but calculates exactly what he can give in order to meet the need; but he never becomes personally involved. He never gives of himself.

(2) He seldom puts the need or the needy person first. Satisfying his own motive and having his own need met is put first.

(3) He is always hurt, disappointed, unhappy, and sometimes even angry if his giving is not recognized and praised.

(4) He is never permanently satisfied with what has been done. Why? Because Christ and the genuine giving of himself is the only permanent satisfaction for the human heart.

(5) He has accepted the recognition that lasts only briefly. The prestige and honor, thanks and praise of men are only temporary.

(a) The man who gives in this life soon fades in the memory of men. His giving fades into the background. Men move on to other things.

(b) Once gone, the man who gave in this life knows nothing of the thoughts and words spoken in his behalf. He stands only before God, accountable to Him alone.

Thought 2. Three things can be said about the person who chooses man’s reward over God’s reward: (1) he has chosen the poorest reward; (2) he has cheated himself; and (3) he can expect no more. What a terrible fate! To have no more reward than what this world offers. Imagine! No hope and no expectation of a better future—nothing beyond this world.

“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away” (1 Pe. 1:24).

3 (6:3–4) Motive: What is the right motive for doing good and for giving? “Let not thy left hand know what thy right doeth.” What a descriptive way to say it!

Give unconsciously. Pay no attention to what you are giving and doing. Do it out of an inner compulsion to give and help, out of intense love, out of genuine concern. Keep your mind on the need, not on what you are doing and the benefits you may receive. Do not harbor such self-centered thoughts. Just love and care and be concerned as you give and do good.

Give secretly, quietly, privately. Do not let others know what you are giving and doing. Keep it quiet—say nothing. Keep a low profile; stay out of the center ring of applause; avoid recognition if possible. Fleeing recognition is critical. The other members of a person’s body—his hand, that is, his family—must not even know.

What is so desperately needed is a realistic view of the world. The world is a place of pain and suffering and sin and death—a world that needs to be saved and brought somehow to a state of incorruption. When a person faces the real truth of the world, he forgets himself and sets out to meet the needs of the world through the power of Christ. There is just no time for becoming entangled in the affairs of this world and seeking the applause of men. There is only time to minister. Taking time to applaud one another means there is another need that is going to be unmet.

There is only one right motive for giving and doing alms: to help those in need.

⇒ A person knows and lives with an awareness of the misery, misfortune, and desperate plight of the world.

⇒ A person loves and cares so much that he wishes to help those who need help.

⇒ A person literally throws himself into meeting the needs of the world and helping all he can.

Thought 1. There are three forceful lessons in this point.

(1) A person is to be immersed in God and in the needs of the world. There is no time for centering attention upon himself if he wishes his life to be focused on God and to be spent saving his world.

(2) There is only one way the needs of the world will be met: we must all get out into the world where the needs are. There is no time for the right hand to be explaining and receiving applause from the left hand.

(3) The servant of God is to be obsessed with his call and ministry to the world. He does not become entangled with the affairs of this world and the applause of men (2 Ti. 2:4). He quietly and diligently goes about pouring himself into helping others.

“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Mt. 19:21).

There are two reasons for doing good quietly and secretly.

a. God sees all secrets. God sees secret giving and secret alms or deeds. Nothing passes His attention. He knows the motive and the acts of every man, every single motive and every single act.

“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Je. 17:10).

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord” (Je. 23:24).

“The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (Na. 1:7).

“But if any man love God, the same is known of him” (1 Co. 8:3).

Thought 1. Note the words “Thy Father.” If God is truly a person’s Father, then the person must give and do good just as his Father dictates. Anything less is disobedience and displeasing.

b. God rewards openly. Note the words, “[God] Himself shall reward thee openly.”

1) It is God Himself who shall reward a person.

2) It is to be an open reward—a reward seen by all. A person is to have a personal moment before God when he shall receive his reward. This is the picture painted by Christ (see note 2 Co. 5:10; see Mt. 10:32; 1 Co. 4:5; He. 11:6).

Thought 1. The faithful person will be rewarded as a son, not as a servant. His Father, not his Master, will reward him.

“For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me” (1 Co. 9:17).