Daily Devotional For Saturday, October 5, 2024
It is Super Saturday and your long awaited weekend is here. We are making our way through Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount. You can read this in Matthew, Chapters 5, 6, & 7. Today, we are in Matthew 6:2, “So when you 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” (NASB). The New Century Version puts it this way: “Therefore, whenever you give alms, do not trumpet your generosity, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward.” Yesterday, we set the context for Matthew 6:1-4 talking about hypocrites. Jesus uses this word and it is the Greek New Testament word [ὑποκριτής; hypocrites].
This word comes from Greek drama. In the New Testament era, actors often portrayed different characters on stage and to do that, they had masks made, which they would hold up to demonstrate which character they were portraying. Sometimes, they would have one character’s face on one side of the mask and another on the other side. When they did not use this kind, they would simply put down that mask and pick up another one. Over time the word came to be used of someone who was pretending to be someone he or she was not.
Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“One of satan’s most common and effective ways of undermining the power of the church is through hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, therefore, is a great peril to the church, and it comes in two forms. The first is that of nonbelievers masquerading as Christians. The second is that of true believers who are sinful but pretend to be spiritual. The warning Jesus gives here applies to both groups. Augustine said, “The love of honor is the deadly bane of true piety. Other vices bring forth evil works but this brings forth good works in an evil way.” Hypocrisy is so dangerous because it is so deceptive. It uses things that are basically good for purposes that are basically evil. “Hypocrisy,” he goes on to say, “is the homage that vice pays to virtue” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 355).
In today’s text, Jesus refers to “alms.” The Greek New Testament word is [ἐλεημοσύνη, eleeemosune]. This word literally refers to any act of mercy or pity, but came to be used primarily of giving money, food, or clothing to the poor. It is the term from which we get the English eleemosynary, a synonym for charitable. Notice, this teaching by Jesus is not introduced” with the word “IF” as in the six statements He made in Matthew 5:21-48. This time, Jesus uses the word “when,” meaning this is something He expects us to do. Jesus here is not talking about good extensions or desires to give, but actual giving.
We see in the Old Testament, God has always been pleased with us being generous with what He has given us. Look at:
- Leviticus 25:35, “If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you” (NLT).
- Deuteronomy 15:13-15, “When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed. (14) Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you. (15) Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command” NLT).
Giving “alms” or money to the poor or a church or charity is not wrong, unless it is done in the wrong spirit and attitude. Jesus showed us in the Gospels how the religious leaders gave “alms” so that people would see them doing it and praise them for it. Unfortunately, as they did with most of the Old Testament law and theology, they distorted it for their benefit. In some books that did not make into the Old Testament called the Apocrypha, we read this:
- Tobit 12:8, “It is better to give to charity than to lay up gold. For charity will save a man from death; it will expiate any sin.”
- Sirach 3:30, “As water will quench a flaming fire, so charity will atone for sin.”
Do you see their distortion of God’s Word? Consequently, many Jews believed that salvation was much easier for the rich, because they could buy their way into heaven by giving to the poor. The same mechanistic and unbiblical principle is seen in traditional Roman Catholic dogma. Pope Leo the Great (approximate 400 AD–461 AD) declared:
“By prayer we seek to appease God, by fasting we extinguish the lust of the flesh, and by alms we redeem our sins. The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given to you; what you love will be yours forever. Since it is by giving alms that everything is pure for you, you will also receive that blessing which is promised next by the Lord: the Godhead that no man has been able to see. In the inexpressible joy of this eternal vision, human nature will possess what eye has not seen or ear heard, what man's heart has never conceived” (Source: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/671383).
In Matthew 6:2, Jesus referred to a practice that the religious leaders and the rich had done when they gave their “alms” – they had a trumpet blow to draw attention to it. Today, we do not do that, but that does not mean we are totally innocent in this. For example, we could do publicly what we could do privately. We could mention what we have given. Even some well-meaning Christian organizations promise plaques, certificates and even published names for giving to them. Jesus condemns this desire to have recognition for our giving.
This means that the wrong way to give is to “blow” or “toot” your own horn. Jesus made it clear that such people have their “reward” only from people, but not from God. New Testament scholar, pastor and author G. Campbell Morgan once wrote and said this:
“Probably the vast majority of people are more influenced by what men will say, than by what God Almighty thinks” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Study Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 110).
New Testament scholar William Barclay writes we have 3 choices in why we give. I have added to them some explanation to help:
- “We can give from a sense of duty. We can give because we feel guilty or pressured to give. Wrong reason to give. “Well, “I am a Christian so I better give.”
- We can give due to prestige or recognition. We give for the pleasure of not giving but from self-love. We do not love Jesus Christ; we love ourselves. In this way, we are guilty of idolatry. We worship the recognition we get.
- We can give because we simply feel we have to give out of love. This is the kind of giving Jesus says we should have” (Source: William Barcaly, The Daily Study Bible Series, “Matthew,” Vol. 1, pp. 217-218).
Questions To Consider
- When you give, do you always give for the joy of the Lord or are there times you give for other reasons: pressure, guilt, obligation and etc?
- What are some of the dangers of hypocrisy? Would any of these dangers affect you? Why or why not?
- Jesus says that if we give to be seen, we have our reward. What reward is that?
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 19:17, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and He will repay you!” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, help me to give without seeking recognition or acknowledgement. I want to draw attention to You and what You are doing, not myself. I do not want to be hypocritical nor guilty of idolatry in this. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly