Rachel Workman: 6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds
publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your
Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the
hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention
to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the
reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in
private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Never give
anything to anyone with the wrong motives at heart. It would be better if you
didn't give at all. This is one area that I can say I don't have to work on.
I'd much rather give something in private than to publicly give anything.
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John
Burnett: 6 “Beware
of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you
have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you [a]give to the poor, do not
sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have
their reward in full. 3 But when you [b]give to the poor, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that
your [c]giving will be in secret;
and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Giving of any kind has to be done with the right
attitude. I enjoy giving more when the object of my gift doesn’t know
where it came from. I would rather not give than to have someone know it
was me.
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Mike
Grimm: 6 “Be
careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by
them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not
announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the
streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward in full. The term hypocrites, as used
here, describes people who do good acts for appearances only—not out of
compassion or other good motives. Their actions may be good, but their motives
are hollow. These empty acts are their only reward, but God will reward those
who are sincere in their faith. 3 But when you give
to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, Here Jesus is teaching that our motives for giving to God and
to others must be pure. It is easy to give with mixed motives, to do something
for someone if it will benefit us in return. But believers should avoid all
scheming and give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to God’s love.
Why do you give? 4 so that your giving may be in
secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
It’s easier to do what’s
right when we gain recognition and praise. To be sure our motives are not
selfish; we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of
reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity
(6:4), prayer (6:6), and fasting (6:18), those acts should not be self-centered, but
God-centered, done not to make us look good but to make God look good. The
reward God promises is not material and it is never given to those who seek it.
Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next
deed, ask, “Would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?”
62 Bible verses about helping those in
need. http://www.openbible.info/
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