ONE activity which is central to our religious life and duty is the matter of giving to God’s work and giving to those in need. This is what Jesus deals with first here in verse 2-4.

Like in the previous chapter Jesus has in mind the example of the religious leaders of his day. They gave their money to the temple for the work of God and for the poor in an ostentatious way. They gave to gain the praise of men. Their attitude was that the act itself was all that mattered, and not the attitude with which the money was given. Because they gave they felt and believed this gained them merit before God. The underlying motive in giving they felt had no relevance in the matter, it was the act and the greatness in money terms that mattered. Jesus instead tells us in these verses that the underlying motive is very important, and if this is not right then it destroys, before God at least, all the good of the action.

Jesus says that if our attitude in giving is wrong then we are a hypocrite. Jesus gives the example of the fact that the giving at that time was done in a very ostentatious way. As people gave they made certain people saw that they were giving, and knew how much they were giving. Jesus tells us that such people have their reward and by this they expose the goal of their giving, which was the praise of society. The terrible thing that Jesus makes plain is that what every good the giving does for people, God is not pleased with it and the person gains no reward or praise from God.

This is so hard for us to accept or understand. We say that the money given does good by providing for the needs of others, and therefore must be approved my God. The motives behind the giving may be bad, but good resulted therefore some reward from God is only just. Jesus tells us this is not in fact the case. People who give for their own glory and for the praise of society gain a reward, but it is not from God. They are dealt with justly by God. God gives them the reward they seek, which is the praise of men, and they can’t expect any other. This teaching of Jesus shows us that good works can’t gain approval from God if they are done in a worldly spirit.

Jesus illustrated this when he saw the important Jews giving their money into the temple treasury. They gave of their abundance and they gave openly for all to see. Their aim was to be seen of men and receive glory for their acts from men. But then Jesus saw a poor widow. She had practically nothing to give, but she gave all she had to keep her and her family for a day. She could have easily said that her need demanded that she cared for her needs and those dependent on her, but she loved God. This can be the only motive that drove her quietly and unostentatiously to give her ‘mite’. Jesus said that she had given more than all the rest who had placed so much into the treasury. She sought her reward from her heavenly Father. She trusted her heavenly Father to provide for her. This was more value to God than all the rest of the money put together. She sought no reward from society, but she received the commendation of Jesus and her reward was in heaven.

Self should never enter into our giving, whether it is the giving of our money, or our time, or our abilities. Jesus makes this plain when he says we must not let our right hand know what our left hand is doing or has done. We give to God, for the love of God, and because we want to please God. We then forget the act. It is done, and we have no more to do with it. We must not keep accounts, nor must we keep a record so that we can secretly pride ourselves on our giving and generosity. We certainly must not seek glory from others.

There is a difficulty here, at least which I see. I feel I must keep some memory of what I give so that I may be sure that my giving is worthy of God, and in obedience to God. If I don’t do this it is easy to get lax in my giving and think that I am giving as I should when I am not. If I keep this record I find myself tempted to think that I deserve recognition, and this is black sin.

What Jesus tells me here is that my giving should be in secret, whether it is of my money or my service, as far as this is possible. Where it is not possible my giving must be done as simply as possible with one goal alone in the doing of it. This is the goal of pleasing my heavenly Father. When I have given then I must put the act behind me, and get on with my living for the Lord. This means in my thinking I must not be returning to past giving and thinking I deserve any recognition or thanks for it.

What Jesus assures us is that God sees our giving. He sees into our hearts. If we forget the giving, God does not. He keeps a record, and he gives his reward in his way and according to his good purpose. The reward may be given in some way in this life, but the reward mainly will be given in the life to come. Jesus describes this so graphically in Matthew 25:34-39. The righteous will be surprised that Jesus tells them on that glorious day in the Kingdom that he rewards them for doing so much for him. They will say we don’t understand. When did we do these things for you and to you? Jesus will show that he has remembered all our giving in every way - giving we have forgotten, and tells us that in doing this for those in need we were doing it for him, and he has remembered and kept a record.