Matthew 6:1-4, Giving to the Needy

1 “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.

2 “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. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Comments

Giving should not be performative. Quite the opposite: Jesus encourages privacy in our generosity to God and others. Jesus directs his followers to focus on our eternal relationship with God and not temporal applause. It is a direct reflection of the close relationship we have with our Father. As Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:2, “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.”

Prayer

Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all your mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(BCP p. 835)