Examine Your Motives in Good Deeds and Giving

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.  Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.  Truly I say to you, they have received their 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 in secret will reward you.” –Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV).

Jesus enters a period of His teaching which develops the theme of living the Christian life in the real world.  He warns that practicing righteous acts, giving to the needy and praying can, if the disciple is not careful, inadvertently or deliberately call attention to the doer so that he does these acts of Christian righteousness and piety to be seen of men and to receive praise from men.  He warns strongly against being hypocritical in behavior and in good deeds.  Public acts of obedience are honorable, but if they are done merely to be seen of men, then there is no reward from the Father in heaven. 

To be a hypocrite—pretending one is something he is not—uses the Greek word for “play-acting,” or wearing different masks, as on a stage, in order to be seen in the role of various characters.  We can do the right thing for the wrong reasons, and thus be a hypocrite.  The Pharisees were known for making public ado about their giving.  This public show of their charity was the only reward for their giving, for the Father in heaven was certainly not pleased with their calling attention to their gifts and generosity.  The only reward they will receive is the public acclaim they seek for their action. 

“Let not your left hand know what your right hand does” is a metaphor for secrecy in giving.  The best Jewish thought held to giving alms without boasting or making public what the gift was.  In the Temple alms boxes were placed strategically to provide charity gifts for widows and orphan children and other needs of the Jewish community.  Most of the givers did not make a public outcry of how much they gave, and that was good.  Those who tended to proclaim their generosity for the adulation of men were condemned by Jesus.  Our motives for giving are always open to God.  We should give from an open, willing heart, and that not for praise from our fellowman, or for bragging purposes of how much we gave.  Now with our income tax returns requiring that we show proof of our gifts to charitable and authentic religious causes, we know that those who are accountants of such funds know what we give.  As we say, “times have changed,” and we have to comply with the laws of our land.  But even in our modern means of accounting for our gifts, we can still have a good conscience, one that does not seek adulation of men, but seeks the approval of God who looks on the heart and knows whether we give willingly and cheerfully.

Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.  For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” –Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV).

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor” is found in Leviticus 19:18.  However, nowhere in the Pentateuch is found the teaching, “Thou shalt hate thine enemy.”  In the Psalms, a later sacred writing than the law, hatred for the enemy is expressed.  But Jesus is teaching a new and higher way.  “I say to you, love your enemies; pray for them who persecute you.”  God hates evil, but He still brings many blessings to both.the good and to the evil in what is termed “common grace.” The example used is that the sun shines on both the good and evil, lending necessary light, and the rain falls equally on the just and on the unjust.  These are examples of God’s “common grace” to all.  These represent God’s primary providential action toward mankind.

When I read these verses I am reminded of the statement President Abraham Lincoln made immediately after the Civil War when asked what he planned to do with all the enemies the United States made during the war.  His wise statement was, “We shall make them our friends.”  Unfortunately, because of the assassin’s bullet that killed that great president, he did not live to fulfill his aim in befriending the rebellious southerners.  But eventually his aim was carried out in successive administrations and America learned, in general, how to operate as one nation again.

What more detested class could Jesus have used than the tax collectors to tell his disciples that even those whom they despised loved those who loved them?  This was used for emphasis, for those in the Jewish community who “sold out” to the Romans to collect the dreaded taxes were despised; yet they loved those who loved them.  The transformed life of the believer should show significantly higher love than that of the publicans and sinners.  “”You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Did Jesus possibly expect us to measure up to this high standard of love?  Why, then, did he end this section on loving both friend and foe by telling us we should love as our Father in heaven loves?  He is speaking of the perfection of love, and love is the supreme virtue of both God and man.  “And now abides faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13).  Scripture is a reflection of God Himself.  And as we follow God’s way, as revealed to us through His word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are growing in perfection.  Loving our enemies and praying for them is God’s-way.  The Father loves His enemies and seeks to make them His children.  And we, as His followers, have a definite part in this holy plan and mission for those who are outside the fold of God.  In loving them and being concerned about them, we are following the perfect will of God on their behalf.  Praise be to God!

The Christian Does not Retaliate

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.  But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” –Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV).

Known as the “law of retaliation,” we read it in Deuteronomy 19:19-21: “Then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother.  So you shall purge the evil from your midst.  And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.  Your eyes shall not pity.  It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”  Also we read in Exodus 21: 23-24: “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” To us in a bit more civilized society, this “eye for eye” retaliation sounds cruel and inhuman.  Did God actually intend for the Israelites, as they settled into the Promised Land, to treat the people they met there in that manner?  The intention, back in the early days of the Israelite nation, was to prevent inappropriate punishment, with the idea being fairness:  “The punishment should fit the crime.”  It was to be imposed by civil authorities rather than individual to individual.  When Jesus said , “Do not resist the one who is evil,” He was not speaking of resisting the Devil, which we all should do, but rather resisting the retaliatory punishment for any wrongdoing an evil person perpetrated against another.  He is teaching that persons should not seek personal revenge when wronged, but allow the civil authorities to deal with the situation. 

“But,” we want to argue, “is Jesus teaching we should be victims of punishment, turning the other cheek for another blow when we are attacked?”  Jesus was teaching that to return a blow only leads to escalating violence.  To treat kindly anyone who mistreats us is like “heaping coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12:20).  And as to going the second mile, a Roman law practiced in Jesus’ day decreed that if a Roman soldier passed through a district, any Jew was compelled by law to carry the soldier’s armor for a mile.  The compulsory transport of the soldiers’ goods was one way of paying Roman tribute.  Jesus said, “When compelled to go one mile, go two.”  Do more than is expected of you.  Incorporated in this admonition from Jesus is the idea that Christian citizens should pay their taxes and obey the laws, all without complaining.  How do we stand on these issues?  Then Jesus touches on charity.  Because of the brotherly love which Christians ought to feel toward the improvident, they are admonished to give to them that ask.  But at the same time we must be discerning.  Nowadays, our post office boxes are filled daily with mail begging for donations.  Which, if any, of these should we heed?  A good principle to follow in our giving is to give and lend to that which helps people to help themselves.  Our churches have benevolent and mission ministries that enable us to give to others in need in situations geared to helping the improvident get on their feet again. The law of retaliation as interpreted by Jesus is a hard lesson, one that we can read again and again and not be able to grasp fully.  Pray concerning these matters.  We meet these situations every day and it is only through the Lord’s guidance that we will be able to do what is right.

Jesus’ Teaching on Oaths

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn’  But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let what you say be simply, ‘Yes’ or “no’; anything more than this comes from evil.” –Matthew 5:33-37 (ESV).

An oath involved invoking God’s name, or substitutes for His name.  By thus speaking, it was to indicate a guarantee of the truth of the statement.  Moses taught this about taking vows, as we read in Numbers 20: 1-2 (ESV): “Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded.  If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word.  He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth’”  Jesus was essentially saying that it is not necessary to reinforce your speech by vowing by something you think is solid and sure, as “I swear by heaven,”  or “As I live and breathe…” A Christian’s word should be his bond without the necessity of adding anything to make the vow sound more authentic.  Jesus’ followers are not to swear at all.  Their very character and lifestyle should stand for truth so that they will be believed by their very words.  To swear by something is not ever necessary.

What about being asked to serve on a jury, or to appear in a court of law as a witness?  Is taking an oath forbidden under these circumstances?.  We know that law requires us to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  In Jesus’ admonition to ‘swear not at all,’ was he forbidding Christians to participate in these obligations of our society?  Hardly.  He was looking forward to a time, (ideal, indeed), when truthfulness will be so binding that oaths will not be necessary, even in the courts of the land.  We certainly have not come to this point yet in our society.  Even at His own trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus allowed Himself to be put on oath:  “And the high priest stood up and said, ‘Have you no answer to make?  What is it that these men testify against you?’ But Jesus remained silent.  And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so.  But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:62-64, ESV).

We sometimes fall into undesirable speech patterns.  I cringe when I hear someone say, “I swear” and then they go on to state what they have to say.  Even by the prefactory phrase, “I swear” a flag goes up and I listen—and also observe the speaker—to see if I can discern whether the truth is actually being spoken.  To swear by God, by heaven, or by something substantial in nature or in society does not add an iota of truth to one’s statement.  Jesus is teaching that the truth should be told at all times, and that the character of the speaker should be beyond reproach so that hearers will know the person speaks the truth.  It is not necessary to preface what we say by an oath.  Jesus is teaching in Matthew 5:33-37 that our conversation should be so honest and our character so trustworthy that we do not need crutches such as oaths to have people believe us.  Words attributed to Solomon in Proverbs 10:19-20 fit well as we consider that oaths are not necessary to our speech:  “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.  The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.”  May we remember Jesus’ teaching about oaths the next time we are tempted to use an oath to preface what we say.  Just say what you mean and mean what you say.

Jesus’ Teaching on Divorce

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” –Matthew 5:31-32 (ESV).

A certificate of divorce in the time when Jesus lived on the earth, and for quite some time before, had been easy to acquire.  For example in one of the Jewish books of the interpretation of the law, Mishnah Gittin 9:3,  Essentially, the bill of divorcement that was easily allowed read, “Lo, thou art free to marry any man.” Divorce and remarriage were widely practiced in the first century.  Jesus was succinct in his statement here in the Sermon on the Mount concerning divorce and remarriage.  To get a fuller view of his teachings on the subject, confer Matthew 19:1-12.  There he explains that Moses, because of the ‘hardness of men’s hearts’ allowed divorce.  But from the beginning (when God joined Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) that was not the intention.  Except for unfaithfulness—adultery, sexual immorality—the marriage vows should not end in divorce.  “What God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6b) lies at the heart of the importance and sacredness of marriage.  We often hear a comment which we state far too glibly of a successful marriage:  “Their marriage was made in heaven.”  Far from meaning that the couple are compatible, they build a beautiful and worthwhile life together, actually all marriages should be considered “made in heaven,”  for marriage is a sacred relationship each to the other and to God.

If Jesus were to walk the earth today, and see in our own country and other places in the world, the high divorce rate (it is approaching the alarming statistic of half the marriages ending in divorce), would He be any more lenient in stating His terms of divorce and remarriage?  No. The principles He gave in the first century A. D. still hold today.  Regardless of man’s disregard of the sacredness and intended permanence of marriage, Jesus held up standards for us to follow, and these have not changed.  Marriage is not merely a human agreement but a relationship in which God enters in.  Marriage is so sacred and precious that the metaphor of marriage is used to describe Christ and believers—His church—as the “bride of Christ.”

The topic of adultery and divorce is so prevalent that almost three pages are given to the discussion of it in the study helps in The New English Study Bible.  To summarize, whether it is acceptable to marry again after divorce was not God’s original intention for marriage.  Jesus was rebuking the first-century practice of easy divorce for trivial reasons.  Likewise, He appeals to us today to think highly of marriage, to recall that the vows are made before man and God and are both legally and spiritually binding.  When there is divorce, for whatever cause, it represents failure to live according to God’s plan.  This behooves us all to think of how serious a matter is the commitment of marriage.  Just because our social norms make divorce easy, the original intention of God was for marriage to be permanent and fulfilling.  We remember the admonition in that great love chapter of the Bible, I Corinthians 13.  There we read, “Love suffers long and is kind” (v. 4).  When true love is the center of marriage, and spouses are attentive and perceptive to each other, the need for divorce does not arise.  It is a “’til death do us part” partnership that seeks the best one for the other in mutual love, respect and longevity of the marriage.  Thoughts of divorce nor unfaithfulness do not enter such a trusting loving relationship.