Matthew 6:3 is part of a much larger sermon, spanning Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 that Jesus delivered to his disciples (see Matthew 5:1 for the start of the sermon). In these words, Jesus taught many lessons on the types of behaviors that are pleasing to God; one of which is that the intention behind an action is at least as important as the action itself. In Matthew 6:1-2, Jesus instructs his disciples not to perform charitable acts with the intention of gaining recognition from other people. For those who strive to follow Jesus’ example, life’s main goal is to cultivate an attitude of sacrifice of worldly goals, including worldly recognition, and adopt God’s ways of love and servitude toward others (Philippians 3:13-16). Seeking recognition from others for one’s actions is in contrast to this goal, and thus the recognition becomes the reward (“They have received their reward” in Matthew 6:2).
Performing acts of servitude toward others without thought of recognition emphasizes the act denotes a true sacrifice of our worldly resources, such as money, possessions or time. Throughout Matthew 5, Jesus emphasizes the importance of love as the basis for one’s thoughts and actions. Acts of sacrifice without thought of reward, and that are based on love for others and love for God, help to develop a personality that will be rewarded by God (“thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense you” in Matthew 6:4).
Matthew 6:3-4 are one coherent thought in which Jesus uses the example of giving alms as a means to emphasize this lesson. Today, the expression “the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing” is used to describe a situation where two groups don’t understand what each other are doing, even though there is an expectation that they should. Jesus uses similar words to describe how the giving of alms should be between the giver and God, and not done to be seen or receive praise from a larger audience, as emphasized in verse 4 (“that thine alms may be in secret”).
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1017: “Who and What Should a Christian Support?”
Establishing solid Christian principles for charitable giving
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
Animated videos:
How can we be more giving?
What is generosity?
What can we offer to God?
