An Eternal Reward

Mt. 6:3,4  "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

Which would you rather have, an earthly reputation or an eternal reward?  Jesus explains that the motive we have for doing charitable deeds (giving alms) will determine which one we receive.

Hypocrites (v.2), literally those hiding behind masks like actors, are those whose true motives are not in seeing the needs of others met but rather in seeing that their own needs for attention are met.  Their giving is out of conceit and not compassion.  Their glory, obtained through the praise of men, is more important to them than God's glory.  Have you ever been around someone who likes to toot their own horn (sound a trumpet)?  Jesus said their reward will be, at best, nothing more than an earthly reputation.  The praise of men is all they will get.  It is their one-time payment in full.  Notice that Scripture says it is their reward not His.

Our motive and primary concern in doing charitable deeds should be to glorify God through a sincere compassion for others, without drawing attention to ourselves.  In other words, doing them secretly, without letting our left hand know what our right hand is doing.  From God (v.4) instead of man, we will then receive not the one-time payment that a master gives a servant but the abundant, limitless and everlasting blessing that a loving heavenly Father gives to His child.  We will receive His reward, an eternal reward!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Our motive will determine whether we receive an earthly reputation or an eternal reward.