Almsgiving, Prayer, Fasting (Matthew 6:1-18)

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlines three aspects of religious life that were commonly practiced at that time, but not always with the correct motives. The primary focus of many people who performed these was on what others thought of them, not on God. To the Jews, "righteousness" meant those acts that made them worthy of salvation. Religious practice had the goal of earning salvation rather than expressing a life in a right relationship with God.

Almsgiving

For Jews, giving to the poor was the act of justice that stood out the most. Jesus doesn't condemn giving; He acknowledges that giving alms is a part of the spiritual life of the members of the Kingdom - "when you give to the needy" (v.2 NIV). Matthew Henry comments: "The riches we give away are the only ones we will keep forever."

The difference taught by Jesus is that giving to a needy person should not be done in front of others, otherwise we are only actors (hypocrites). It's a matter of choosing between two options: immediate recognition as a good person by others, or future rewards from our heavenly Father. "They have received their reward in full" (v.2 NIV) - there are no other prizes.

The fact that we must give in secret does not mean that we cannot give if others see us. We must avoid giving solely for the sake of being seen (see also 1 Peter 2:12). The phrase "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (v.3 NIV) means not to overly scrutinize ourselves when what we do is an expression of Christ's life in us. Our giving must be carefully considered rather than a whim (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Helping others in need is most effective when done through the local church. In this way, our offering is not given directly to those in need, and added to other offerings, it can really help people in difficult situations while we remain in secret. So together, as the local body of Christ, we put into practice His teaching on almsgiving.