I Give My Dime, He Serves My Line.

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam yanked the covers off a most insidious Christian habit: the act of giving not because of our love for the person(s) in need, but because we want other people to see and laud us for our "generosity".

Some of us are engaging in what Jesus specifically warned us to avoid. Here is what He said:

Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)

I have seen the "photo opportunity" version of charitable giving. Perhaps you've seen it too. Pastor Sam gave a wonderful description of this phenomenon: if there are no cameras available to record the good will, then no gift is given. The needy are left in need until some sort of public accolade can be derived from the gift.

Here is the formula behind the phenomenon: Every time I (the consumer) give a beggar (the facilitator) ten dollars, he helps me to get high on the drug of recognition. He clearly needs help beyond my little donation, but he won't get more help. I need him to stay enslaved, so that he can continue to make me look generous. And, if no one is watching the transaction, I won't give a cent.

But is it worth losing heaven's reward?

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. (Acts 3:1-2)

The lame man in Acts 3 is not on a side road fifty meters away. He is seated at the entrance to Gate Beautiful, the gate with the most traffic, where all the religious people can watch as other religious people give him alms. His placement there is an open invitation for the community of faith to disobey the directive of Jesus in Matthew 6.

What shall we choose? The attention of men, or the accolade of God?

Lord, give us pure satisfaction in knowing that You see our secret works, and that Your commendation is the only one that matters. You love us. You warn us. We are grateful.