Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Introduction

Chapter 6 begins a new phase of the sermon.

We are now going to see several practical lessons on how we as disciples are to live our life before God.

It starts with the religious aspects of how our faith plays out. 1-19

Man-ward

God-ward

Self-ward

Mundane 19-34

There is a definite theme to this first half of chapter 6.

It starts with the first two words.

Take heed...

So much of the last chapter dealt with issues of wrong actions.

Jesus warns His disciples, in this chapter, that it is also possible to do the right things for the wrong reasons.

The overarching theme that we will see repeated is that if we are religious for the approval of men, then that is the only reward we can hope for.

Over the next three weeks we are going to look at the three areas that the Jews considered to be the pinnacle of religious expression.

Alms

Prayer

Fasting

Motivation for alms. vs 1

Almsgiving, which is mentioned here, is simply helping people.

There is an understanding that this would mean helping the financially poor.

But, that is not the full picture.

People can be needy without being financially poor.

Alms-giving helps the needy wherever their need may lie.

Alms-giving, helping the needy was/is a big part of religious expression.

Jesus assumes that His disciples will be involved in this activity.

You will notice that He doesn’t say “if” but “when” you do alms.

Jesus’ disciples need to take heed that they don’t help others for the wrong reasons.

What could be a bad reason for helping someone else?

Well, Jesus says that doing something just to be seen by others is a disqualifying motivation.

This is an interesting statement when you think about it.

In chapter 5 we are told to be a light, Jesus literally said in Matthew 5:16, “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

But now we are told not to be seen.

Attract attention; don’t attract attention.

Is this a contradiction?

No.

Jesus isn’t saying that we can’t be seen doing good for others.

If our religion is genuine, then the outflow of that will be consistent.

It will be impossible for us to conceal our good works.

Jesus is targeting the motivations behind our good works.

In chapter 5, people see our good works and give glory to our Father.

In chapter 6, disciples are warned against performing good works in order to be seen by man (getting glory for themselves).

It goes back to a foundational question of whether or not our goal is to please God or pleasing ourselves.

Even charitable work can be done in a selfish or self-serving way.

Jesus gives His disciples a better way of doing charitable work.

Methods for giving alms. vs 2-3

This method for helping others is steeped in humility.

It shuns attention.

It revels in anonymity.

Jesus says that His disciples will give or help others without looking for attention.

He tells them not to be like the hypocrites that make a big show of their alms-giving.

We see a picture of someone blowing a trumpet to announce the arrival of an alms-giver’s arrival in the street or in the synagogue.

This is a hyperbolic statement about the production that would occur whenever someone would give or do something nice for someone else.

This is an unfortunate but understandable situation.

Someone in Judaism’s past had known about the propensity to want attention for do-gooders.

The Jews actually had what was called “the Chamber of the Silent.”

This was a place where people could give to help others in a secret and anonymous manner.

Why use that if you are only helping so that someone will recognize you for it?

It’s like the cynical saying about if you didn’t get a picture, did it even happen?

If you think about it, this makes alms-giving into a type of investment.

Rather than engaging in charity, alms-givers engage in speculation.

If I do this which costs me something, I hope to gain something more desirable, the approval and applause of men.

Jesus reiterates that people who have this as their motivation; they have received their reward.

They can expect no reward from their heavenly Father if they are seeking the rewards of men.

It’s a small thing, but the greek word behind the english word “have” is a pretty specific term.

It refers to the receipt of a bill.

It’s as if we have a choice whether to hand the bill for our charity to men or to God.

If we hand it to men then whatever reward we receive, God considers the bill to be fully covered.

If you get shortchanged in the recompense for your charity, well then too bad.

Though this is a simple truth to understand, that doesn’t mean it is easy to practice.

We are geared to desire the approval and recognition of others.

When we see others being lifted up for their charity, it makes it hard not to want some of that recognition too.

Jesus helps us with this further bit of clarification.

He tells His disciples to not even let their left hand know what their right hand is doing.

What does this mean?

It means that their needs to be a level of release that comes in the moment of charity.

We must release the public, the individual, and ourselves from keeping track of the good and the help that we have performed.

We talk a lot about not keeping a record of wrongs that others have committed against us.

It is almost just as important that we do the same with the good that we do for others.

One author said this, “Don’t keep books at all; don’t keep spiritual ledgers; don’t keep profit and loss acounts in your life; don’t write a diary in this sense; just forget all about it.”

Paul reiterates this truth in Colossians 3:23 “23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

Can you help someone and be okay if no one else recognizes what you have done?

Can you help someone and be okay if the person you’ve helped doesn’t say anything?

Can you help someone and move on without even bringing it up again to yourself?

In this way we keep our alms secret, even from ourselves.

This brings the best reward for appropriate alms giving. vs 4

Is it wrong to seek a reward?

It is quite right to seek the rewards of God.

The problem that we deal with in oh so many areas of life is when we look to men for the things that God wants to do for us Himself.

Jesus asks his disciples to trust God that He will do a better job at rewarding them then men could do.

This is another foundational truth that all of us must wrestle with.

Is God’s way better than my way?

In this case, if it is, we can be charitable in secret, keeping no record.

If His way isn’t better than all we can hope for in charity is that someone will see us and reward us as best as they can.

Which will it be for you this morning?

Alms-giving, helping others is a natural part of our spiritual life.

When you engage in charity, who are you looking to for a reward?

How you answer that will effect the way that you go about helping others.

Do you trust that God is capable of rewarding you beyond any human agent?

Can you be secret with your alms-giving?

It is the better way.