FATHER SEES: CONCEALED CONTRIBUTIONS
Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Jesus’ exhortation Be careful is the present tense form, and emphasizing the need to be on the alert to the temptation to seek our reward from men.
Stuart K. Weber, Matthew, vol. 1, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 78.
Exhortation – an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something
The American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.
SUSAN: Take stock, examine yourself, check your heart motivation—the reason behind your acts of righteousness. Righteousness is right relationship with God and humankind. Are you giving, praying, and fasting to glorify God or to draw attention to your own holiness? We should be doing everything for the audience of One—God and God alone. Our public good deeds should always be to shine the light on God, not to put ourselves in the spotlight. If God chooses to put us in the spotlight of public ministry, it is for Kingdom purposes and not our own self-gratification.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
Matthew 6:2-4 So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 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. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
SUSIE: Notice that Jesus says “when” you give to the needy or in some translations, “give alms”. He assumes His followers will give to the poor over and above the required tithes. There were actually three tithes.
It appears that there were 3 tithes mentioned in the Torah. The first, called the Lord’s tithe, consisted of the 10% of the harvest that went to support the priests and Levites since they were given no inheritance of land. (Numbers 18:21) Then there was a 2nd tithe on the remaining 90% that the people consumed themselves each year at the Feast of Tabernacles in a nationwide celebration of God’s provision. (Deut. 14:22-27) It was called the Festival tithe. The 3rd tithe was the tithe for the poor. It was given every third year to help the poor and indigent. (Deut 14:28-29) There is a difference of opinion on this one, some believing that the 3rd tithe was the same as the 2nd, but was given to the poor instead of being consumed at the feast one year out of three.
https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/three-tithes/
At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of all your produce for that year and lay it up within your gates. Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands.…
Deuteronomy 14:28
When you have finished laying aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat and be filled within your gates.
Deuteronomy 26:12
SUSIE: However, there was also admonition to give generously to one’s “brothers” which would have been fellow Jews or in our case, other Christ-followers in our community:
“If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. “For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
SUSAN: The Pharisees made sure people saw how much they gave. There are still people who might as well have a brass band playing when they donate to the poor. What does Jesus mean by, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”? Here Jesus is using hyperbole—“extravagant exaggeration used to emphasize a point” (Merriam Webster).
Jesus’ instruction in 6:3 is exaggerated wording intended to make the point: “Do all you can to avoid drawing attention to yourself.”
Stuart K. Weber, Matthew, vol. 1, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 79.
SUSAN: If you want to do something wonderful for a person or organization, don’t make a big deal of it. In fact, if possible, do it anonymously.
SUSIE: Jesus reminds His listeners that the Father sees even what we do in secret and will reward us. I’ve often heard parents remind their children that Jesus is watching them in order to prevent bad behavior, but we should also teach them that Jesus sees the kindness we show others even when no one else is watching.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:13