A Community of Generous Giving
For Meditation (Corey Widmer)
The Sermon on the Mount is divided into three main sections: the introduction (5:1-16), the main body of teaching (5:17-7:12) and the conclusion (7:13-29). The main body of teaching, in turn, is also divided into three parts. We just finished part 1, in which Jesus explains his relationship to the Torah. We are now beginning part 2, in which Jesus addresses the practices of righteousness (6:1-2), specifically in the common religious disciplines of giving, praying and fasting. It’s appropriate that we will be in this section throughout Lent, since those are also spiritual practices that have been historically emphasized in this season of the church year.
But Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 is not just about what we practice as his followers but why we do what we do. He takes for granted that we will be people who give to the poor, pray, and fast. But his emphasis in this chapter is the importance of doing these actions for the right reason - not for the reward of getting approval and attention from others in our religious communities, but to honor God and seek his reward.
In these first few verses, Jesus assumes that we will be people who are generously giving to the needy. This was an expected practice in the community of Israel. But Jesus also suggests we can give to the needy in such a way that we are actually just giving to ourselves! So he cautions us to give for the right reasons, not like the religious hypocrites who love to promote themselves, but who do so for the reward from our heavenly Father. The more we can give in secret, keeping our pious actions hidden from others and even from ourselves, the better off we'll be!
As you prepare for worship, consider the following:
What is a way that people might give, even generously, but do so for the wrong reasons? Can you think of an example of this from your own life?
What do you think Jesus means when he says that when you give, your left hand should not even know what your right hand is doing? What might this look like in actual practice?
What do you think is the “reward” that Jesus promises we will receive from God when we give in secret?
What are some ways we could live out this teaching of Jesus in our personal and communal lives?
Matthew 6:1–4
“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.
“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. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”