SO HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR REWARD?
MATTHEW 6:1-4 NKJV
6 "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. 2 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. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
This is one of those rich-in-content chapters. Jesus spoke to prayer, fasting, money, and worry. This is also the chapter where Jesus instructs us to seek first the Kingdom of God. This chapter is worth reading again and again and again and…
In our verses for today, Jesus is talking about rewards. Specifically, rewards associated with charitable giving.
Jesus was very straightforward regarding motives and rewards. He said that if giving was done to be seen of men, there would be no reward from the Father in heaven. Evidently, giving involves more than the physical act. The heart motive behind giving is what comes into play.
In Jesus' day, the hyper-religious people would sound a trumpet and call attention to themselves and their gift. Their whole purpose of giving was so that other people would see and be amazed. Jesus said they were giving that they might have glory from men. The trumpet sounds, and a big show is made of the gift and the amount, and everyone goes wow! So according to Jesus, if they did it for the wow, then the wow from people was all the reward they received.
So, Jesus gives instructions as to how to give a charitable gift. Do it in secret. Not letting your left hand know what your right hand was doing was an idiom used in that day. Obviously, this was not literal, but the idea conveyed was giving in total secrecy.
But, of course, nothing is secret to God. He sees the gift and the heart behind it. And according to Jesus, if the gift is given in secret in order to bless someone, then God sees. And God will reward openly.
Jesus also talked about the hypocrites praying to be seen of men. The same pattern of rewards pertains to prayer also. Pray to be seen of men, and that's all you get rewards-wise. Pray in secret, and God sees and rewards openly.
APPLICATION:
Jesus makes a very clear point. Our heart and motives determines our reward. And this is something that we need to be aware of in our own lives.
I have seen people do things and it did not have a good feel about it. It all looked like a show to me. But in all honesty, I am not qualified to judge what is in someone else's heart. That is above my pay grade.
But I can examine my own heart and motive behind anything I do for the Lord. Whether that be speaking, serving, giving, worshipping, I must ask the question, who am I doing this for? To be seen and applauded by other people? Or to be seen and to honor my Heavenly Father. Where my heart is in the matter is where my reward comes from.
PRAYER:
Lord, I want to be someone who is sincere and genuine in Your sight. I want my rewards to come from You. Help me to recognize any area where I am trying to be seen of men.