Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 18

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

                                                                Matthew 6:1-4 (NRSVue)

This passage really gets to the philosophical question of altruism.  Can a person be really selfless in their giving or actions?  We do receive something from giving or doing for others.  It can give us a sense of pride or satisfaction when we help with someone's need.

Jesus wants us to be aware that his disciples should not be doing something solely for self-promotion.  

This may go along with the idea of padding your resume' with philanthropic activities for college or another job.

When we do these kinds of things or when we are involved or give for the accolades we receive, we are not living up to a very high standard with regard to ethics or morality.  If you look at Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of morality, giving for praise is fairly low as far as the stages.  I would say it is either stage 2 (Self-interest) or stage 3 (Conformity).  In using the imagery of not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing, Jesus seems to be urging us on to higher moral behavior.  In other words, we don't do something for accolades but rather because it becomes inherent in us to do the right thing.

Jesus seemed to think that giving to others should absolutely be done.  But if we are able to do this in secret, it may also allow the receiver of the gifts to retain their dignity.  If we make a public showing, this could also further delineate social standings between individuals.  This may keep a person from rising past the limitations society has blatantly or inadvertently placed upon them.

During Lent, we can do a healthy self-examination of our intentions when we give.  It may be that there are multiple reasons when we are honest with ourselves.  But as we seek to find our primary rationale, Jesus is asking us to give more out of being the hands and feet of God.  We love (give) because God loves (gives).

Prayer for the day: Bountiful God, we are thankful for all that we have received in life.  Within our gratitude, we also confess that we may often believe that we have earned most of it.  We may choose not to pay attention to the little things that have gone our way because we like to think that we are worthy of the resources under our sway.  Help us to understand that grace in our lives goes very far indeed.  May we look for ways that we can be the little thing in someone's life that could make a difference.  And may we do it because it is what you have already done for us.  We pray this in Jesus' name.  Amen.

 

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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.