“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. 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. 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.”
Matthew 6:1-4
If you want to see human sin on full display, just attend a two-year old’s birthday party.
In my humble opinion, one of the most challenging responsibilities of being a parent is instilling in our children a basic understanding of sharing. (No doubt pre-school teachers would give me a loud “AMEN!”) As soon as we place our beloved little ones in social situations, we realize quickly that they are not wired to share, to yield to another person’s needs at the expense of their own.
Think of a horse trainer who takes a wild, unbroken colt, and turns her into a saddled and obedient horse. During the early years of a child’s development, in healthy circumstances, parents are consumed by training their child in the rules of sharing. Parents know that for them to thrive in human society, our children must be molded into people who can stand at the back of a line, wait their turn, and dutifully share some Halloween treats with their younger sibling.
This training usually succeeds because the child who shares is rewarded. He or she receives gold stars, expressions of praise, medals for good sportsmanship, and the promise that being in the back of a line will ensure a turn at the front. Sharing also makes friendships possible. The person who knows how to share enjoys the rewards of belonging to a community.
The first four verses of Matthew’s sixth chapter speak to a way of life far more radical than the lessons of preschool. For parents who follow Christ, our prayer is that our children will be given hearts inclined to live out this radical orientation towards all people.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them…”
Jesus tell his listeners to beware because clearly there is a danger in practicing acts of righteousness and sharing our provisions if we are motivated by the hope that these acts are witnessed by others. Jesus’ warning is directed at the human heart. Do we seek the rewards of the world, or the eternal reward that comes from our heavenly father?
The world expects us to publish our righteous giving. Colleges expect students to “build up” their charitable resume for advancement in the application process. Boys complete civically minded projects so they will be be awarded Eagle Scout. These things are both worthwhile, but they are not the rewards that comes from God. Parents have the opportunity to encourage their kids to cultivate an intentional concern for the people who are impacted by the service. This focus on other people and the satisfaction that comes when individual needs are being addressed, far surpasses college admission success and public achievement noted on a plaque or in a local newspaper.
“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.”
The “needy” Jesus refers to in this verse includes anyone in immediate need. These people lack fundamental things ranging from food, shelter, good health, physical ability, income, emotional peace, or basic security. All of us qualify as “needy” at certain points in our lives. The needy are not “them,” they are those among “us.” A heart after Christ’s heart does not condescend to a person in some need, but rather feels an affinity with that person. Responding to the needs of another is understanding that when a neighbor is in need, it is as if you yourself are in need. No trumpets involved.
And who are the hypocrites Jesus is correcting? The Greek meaning of this word refers to an actor who wears different masks to portray different characters in a performance. Jesus is telling his listeners, and us, that the world is full of real hypocrites: people who perform “good” acts for their own advancement. Hypocrites wish to appear to have a generous heart that in truth is not in them. The hypocrite sees the needy as a “them” from whom he has something to gain: the praise and admiration of other people, and God’s approval.
Teenagers as a rule are sensitive to hypocrisy and pretense, so Jesus’ teaching here will resonate. As parents, we should encourage this teaching by emphasizing the joy that comes from giving generously not for worldly praise, but out of solidarity with our neighbors.
“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.”
Jesus is the ultimate storyteller. What a picture he paints when he tells us to do something with one hand while keeping the other one in the dark. This is literally impossible, but it describes a selflessness that a merit-based, hypocritical world cannot comprehend. Christians are people mindful always of the needs around them, while being always mindless of their righteous acts of giving.
Our heavenly father who sees “in secret” is the God who sees everything, including our secret motivations. Without the saving act of his son, Jesus Christ, this would be a dreadful truth, and yet this saving act is ours to claim. It is for our teenagers to claim. In receiving this unfathomable gift, we receive hearts that respond to the wants and needs of our neighbor. And because through the pleasure of selfless giving we are rewarded so sufficiently, we have the pleasure of forgetting ourselves.
Join us November 2-4 for Rooted 2023 in Nashville, where we’ll explore the Sermon on the Mount together. How can we find true human flourishing? The world we disciple our teenagers in today does not merely offer them an alternative way to live, but an alternative account of where true human flourishing is found. This competing vision encompasses all that we believe about ourselves, our bodies, justice, security, suffering, and meaning. In the most famous sermon in human history and the longest recorded teaching from Jesus’ ministry, our Lord gives us a wholistic vision of how we can live in a way that leads to our flourishing in every aspect of our lives. At the core, his teaching shows us that such flourishing is only found through faith in the God who created us and in Jesus Christ who is redeeming us. As we walk through the Sermon on the Mount together, our prayer is that the teachings of Jesus will invert and subvert the teachings of this world and compel our hearts to live in light of the Kingdom of God in faith.