THE SECRET LIFE OF CHRISTIANS: giving

“Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

~ Jesus, in Matthew 6:1-4

Would you call yourself an attention-seeker or an attention-avoider?Being one or the other is fine – we’re all wired different ways. It’s fine if you avoid the spotlight, and it’s fine if you enjoy it… except when it comes to our spiritual practices. As Jesus states in Matthew 6:1 (above), when it comes to these, we must ensure we are not doing them for the attention of others.

By way of example, Jesus addresses the three most common acts that represented holiness and righteousness in Jewish life: giving, praying, and fasting. Over the next three weeks we will look at each practice as we explore the secret life of followers of Jesus. Let’s start with the spiritual practice of giving.

WHEN you give…

One of the most important things to note is the word, “WHEN.” Jesus does not say “If you give,” but “When you give.” He assumes that his followers will be generous, giving people.But it’s not just “When you give…” It’s “When you give to the needy…”

So here, Jesus is not talking about tithes to the church.  He is talking about giving to those in need, and he says, “When you give to those in need.” He assumes that each one of us will give to people and families in need.  So the first question we must ask ourselves is “Do I?”

“Do I share what God has given me with the people around me who are in need?”

Giving is one of the most powerful proclamations of a changed life a follower of Jesus can give.  Humanity is not generous by nature, but when Jesus gets a hold of our life and the Holy Spirit starts his transforming work in our heart, we grow into generous people. 

So when we give to the needy, and especially when we give generously, it is a powerful way to say “God is real and has changed my heart.”

Hypocrite…

However, when we do give, Jesus tells us to do so in a way that does not draw attention to ourselves (trumpets).

During Jesus’ time, almsgiving was considered by most to be the ultimate act of piety, and there were some who wanted others to know about their giving. When we do a good thing, we often want people to know, at least one person to say, “You did a good thing.”  But Jesus says, when you give, do it quietly. Don’t be conspicuous about it.

If we are purposely conspicuous, seeking the praise of others, Jesus calls us a hypocrite. 

The word hypocrite is a favourite word of Matthew.  He uses it 14x, which 3x as many as it appears in the rest of the New Testament.  The Greek word originally meant “actor,” a person who wore masks to play different roles, and who they appeared to be was not who they really were.  

Basically, hypocrites are those who play roles and see the world as their stage, those whose behaviors are out of sync with their heart. We may not realize this is going on, but it is. Hypocrisy has an element of self-deception and an attempt to deceive others. This is why Jesus warns against seeking approval of others, because it is very intoxicating and self-deceiving.

Here, the Pharisees are performing for an audience and appearing to be something that they really were not – good, holy, and in sync with God. 

Avoiding hypocrisy

The way to avoid hypocrisy, says Jesus, is not to stop giving, but to do it with secrecy. The finest example of giving in secret is Matthew 25:31-46 (“I was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, in prison…”), where disciples are surprised because they weren’t aware that their actions and giving were directed at Jesus.

However, let’s be clear: Jesus not against giving in public – he praised the widow. Jesus is not opposed to public deeds; he is opposed to using the publicity of deed as a means of gaining approval from religious community.

As an antidote, do every pious action as secretly as possible, and the beauty of this is the more we give in private the more we focus on the person in need.

What about this “reward” thing?

Even though it’s the same in English, the word Jesus uses for “reward” in verses 2 and 4 are different words in the original Greek language.  In verse 2, the word for “reward” was originally a commercial term meaning being paid in full for what we’ve earned (like a wage). It is what I earned by my act, and I’ve been paid in full – there is no more coming later. 

Jesus says when we act the hypocrite, the actor appearing to be as we not really are, doing things for the applause of people, we have earned our reward in full, and all we got was the approval of people.

Reward in verse 4 also means repayment, but in a more generous sense rather than a strict transaction. It suggests a gracious repayment rather than a mere wage. When we do our good deed in secret our heavenly Father who sees in secret will graciously reward us. 

However, we have to get out of our heads the thought that if we give money, God will give us more money.  That is not the fulfilling reward God has in mind, because that is not fulfilling. Abundant life is fulfilling, and the reward of giving in secret is coming closer to the heart of the Father and receiving his light and life.

PAUSE and REFLECT:

According to Scot McKnight, the signs we need to do more giving in secret are:

• Grumbling (internally or externally) when our actions aren’t noticed or congratulated

• Envy or jealousy when others gain credit for something, and we don’t

• Irritation when we don’t get our wishes despite how much we have given to church

 Jesus says we cure this hypocrisy with secrecy. So, three questions for reflection:

• Do I give to the needy?

• Is my giving generous?

• Is my giving quiet?

The secret life of followers of Jesus is difficult and very counter-cultural. However, the fruit of such a life is one of beauty, peace, and joy. Giving generously and secretly is our first invitation to embrace it.