“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, “that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. (Matthew 6:1-4, NKJV).
There are few things more obnoxious than an ostentatious do-gooder, someone who either overtly or covertly proclaims his or her awesomely awesome philanthropy. The underlying motivators of such a person are ignorance and pride.
The ignorance is in regard to where all good gifts come from (above) and who really owns everything (God). The pride comes into play by that person thinking that by being generous they are somehow worthy of something. The truth is that if anyone is in a position to give to charity, the glory is God's, and that by giving anything good to anyone they are only doing what the Lord in His mercy and grace has commanded His children to do. Not that He will not reward a cheerful giver, but that the definition of an obedient benefactor is one who gives sacrificially without expecting notice, and does so, not out of obligation, but out of love and gratitude for all that God has done by giving us His Son.
This first verse of Matthew 6 begins a series of teachings by Jesus that contrast the hypocrite, someone who does things for show in obeisance to an evil and prideful, self-centered heart, with the humble servant, that person who does what is right motivated by love for God. The commonality between each of these forthcoming examples (giving, prayer, and fasting), is that the sincere person is lovingly obedient without regard to notice from men. He has the simple, heart-felt assurance that God will notice and respond. The reward may either be in this life or the next, or both, but it is guaranteed.
I also believe that the truly humble servant pictured in these passages is obedient not primarily because any reward is promised, though clearly Jesus intends that to be part of the equation, but because doing these things brings glory to God through the sincere actions of a changed heart. Not a "look at me" thing at all, but a "look at Him!" In other words, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).
There at least three important principles outlined in these passages. The first is that spiritual hypocrisy is defined as someone doing something outwardly for God, but inwardly for themselves. We are all guilty of this, even "innocent" children, partly because we are not completely cognizant of our own motives, and partly because our fallen nature is fundamentally incapable of being entirely sincere. Practicing hypocrites are ALWAYS found out, again, either in this life or the next. The advantage a well-taught Christian has in this regard is that we know that our hearts are desperately wicked, and that the only good we ever do is that done in the power of His Spirit.
The second principle is that the best safeguard for our own inherent hypocrisy is not to draw attention to ourselves in whatever good we do. Personally, I stink at this. I want notice and renown and popularity and acclaim. I want to be well-thought of and considered special and worthy. I want glory from men, and this brings us to the third spiritual principle, best summarized in: And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15, NKJV). That is as sobering a verse as "…for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23, NKJV).
The phrase "Take heed…" that Jesus begins with is a warning of significant intensity. It is equivalent to Beware! If, then, your purpose in doing anything is to be seen by men, then you will forfeit reward from God, and the fickle and ephemeral acclaim or "glory" of men is ALL you will receive. That kind of recompense is in reality a kind of judgment in itself. Human renown is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways. It is NEVER given without price, and it is NEVER pure. It can't be, since all things solely from men are defiled by sin. And all things exclusively human are temporary. They cannot last. To exchange eternal reward for temporal makes sense only to the unbelieving, so in a very real way, to seek approbation from mankind is a declaration of unbelief.
Consequently, we Christians are to do good things surreptitiously, secretly, trusting in God, who sees in secret, to reward us openly. So secretly in fact that figuratively, one hand does not know what the other is doing. For “…whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. (Luke 12:3, NKJV). Furthermore, the act of giving itself is an act of faith. It is something to be done not because it makes earthly sense, but because it follows the logic of Heaven. It also aligns perfectly with yet another spiritual principle, that of of sowing and reaping. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:7-9, NKJV).
Pragmatically speaking, this admonition to charity is a command we obey just like any other of the Lord's commands. Jesus does not say if, but when you do a charitable deed. And while the act in view is the giving of money or goods, it logically extends to investments of time and energy, as well as emotional support. And the giving itself brings joy, since “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35, NKJV). And that joy of giving is a blessing to the Lord Himself, as Paul writes: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7, NKJV).
Finally, in this one area of our faith, God invites us to actually test Him, whereas in all other aspects, putting the Lord to the test is expressly forbidden. He says in Malachi, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10, NKJV).
