In Matthew 6:2-4, Jesus tackles the first of three acts of piety. He describes the way of the hypocrite, seeking applause from those around, and the way of the kingdom, seeking God’s reward.

It’s interesting that giving to the needy is not expressly commanded in the Old Testament, but rather, taking care of the needy, as well as social justice, is. Yet, synagogues took on roles such as sometimes acting as a social agency and providing assistance for the needy. Giving to the synagogue became a mechanism for caring for the needy.

It also became a mechanism for seeking out the praise of others. We’ve all heard of the expression “blowing his own horn”, right? Jesus said those seeking recognition and praise for their giving were sounding the trumpet before them. We don’t know of an actual practice where that happened before someone gave; it appears that Jesus is using hyperbole to get his point across: don’t seek the praise of others in giving.

Jesus said your giving should be such a secret that even your left hand doesn’t know what the right one is doing. In Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Kindle edition), Randy Alcorn says this:

So what’s Christ’s point? Do your giving quietly, unobtrusively. Don’t cough loudly just as you’re giving. Don’t slam-dunk your offering in the plate. Drop your check in the offering or send it in the mail without drawing attention to yourself. Fold the check. Keep the envelope sealed. Give in a spirit of humility and simplicity, as an act of worship. Don’t give in order to get your name on a list. Don’t give in a spirit of self-congratulation. Don’t dwell on your gift, fixating on it, building a mental shrine to yourself. In other words, don’t make a big production out of it, either in view of others or in the privacy of your own heart.

We should not gain status in anyone’s eyes by focusing on our giving. To do so puts us in place of Christ. Our giving should be generous and sacrificial – and it should be between our Master and us.