Matthew 6:1

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Matthew 6:1

“You beware of your compassionateness, not to do before men to be seen by them. And if otherwise, no reward you have from your Father, the ‘in the heavens’” (CG).

The previous verse concluded Matthew 5. Matthew 6 begins with Jesus’ continued discourse to His disciples. He now says, “You beware of your compassionateness.”

The word translated as “beware,” prosechó, is introduced here. It gives the sense of setting a course and staying on it or giving one’s full attention to something. Thus, one is to beware and pay heed. The specific thing Jesus says to heed in this verse is their compassionateness.

The Greek word eleémosuné is used. It is a noun that is exactingly translated as compassionateness, as in alms. Thus, the word alms is how it is often translated. It is a benefaction bestowed upon someone. The word is derived from eleos, signifying compassion, such as pity, mercy, etc.

Some manuscripts, however, instead have the word dikaiosuné, righteousness. Thus, “Beware not to do your righteousness...” Either way, the point is to “not to do before men to be seen by them.”

Jesus is making a point about the conduct of such a display of doing good. If you are going to do a good deed where others will see, it demonstrates that your intent is less in helping the object of the deed, meaning the poor person, but in being viewed by others to become the subject of their praise.

People do this for a variety of reasons, such as being complimented, getting a job promotion or a favorable status among others, getting an appointment to a position (such as in the government), and so forth. If this is the intent, which is expressed by doing the thing in front of others rather than without eyes watching, Jesus says, “And if otherwise, no reward you have from your Father, the ‘in the heavens.’”

If the goal is to gain earthly benefit, then whatever you receive here is all you will get. However, God will give you no reward. What would be the point? You obtained what you desired which was something other than pleasing Him.

Under the law, there were mandates for caring for others. Some of them were things that, by default, others would see. They occurred during the annual pilgrim feasts and so forth. However, there were things the people were commanded to do that could be done at any time.

If someone was doing them for everyone to see, it meant that he was not necessarily doing them to be pleasing to the Lord who gave the law, but to show off to others about how obedient to the law he was. It demonstrated that the law itself was more important to this person than the One who gave the law.

Life application: Though Jesus is speaking to Israel under the law, this verse essentially carries a moral precept about the heart. Paul says –

’The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10

He refers to belief in the heart. Anyone can say, “I believe in Jesus” with it not being true. Politicians do it all the time. What matters is not what one says openly, but what the heart believes.

God is evaluating the heart of man in Matthew 6:1 just as He is doing throughout Scripture. If the heart is right with Him, then the action that accompanies what one is doing will be acceptable. This is the point of Jesus’ words.

Lord God, may our hearts be right with You. When they are, our actions will be considered appropriate as well. Help us in this, O God, so that we may be perfect in Your sight as we live out our lives in Your presence. Amen.