Matthew Chapter 6:2-4

Most believers want to serve God, but only in a advisory capacity. Jesus addresses this and other problems in Matthew chapter 6. Each chapter in the Sermon on the Mount can be broadly outlined under three topics. They are listed below. Chapter 6 emphasizes spiritual service and instructs about giving, prayer, fasting (the time set aside for intense spiritual thought and prayer), money, and worry. All of these are activities that we regularly must consider. Our motivation and attitude become fundamental tests for us. How and why we give; what kind of a prayer life do we have; do we ever take serious time to think and prayer; where does money fit into our lives and does it rule us; and then of course, worry is the little gremlin that chases all of us. Jesus knew that his disciples would face these same attitude and motivation tests, and so he instructed them in the biblical viewpoint.

Very Broad topic outline of Matthew 5-7

Matthew 5 instructs the disciples about moral questions and answers.

Matthew 6 instructs the disciples about attitude and motivation questions and answers.

Matthew 7 instructs the disciples about people questions and answers.

1. Spiritual service (giving money), Motivation (why one gives), and rewards (the return on the spiritual investment) in reference to giving alms (2-4).

2. The spiritual service: giving alms is from the words poih~ (pres act subj, 2 sing, doing) and elehmosunhn (fem accus sing, mercy, pity, alms).

a. This means giving to the poor in this context. Whenever you do it, there is a wrong way and a right way. As we have seen there is a human good works way and a divine good works way. There were no local churches at that time. This giving seems to be individual giving at the temple.

3. The wrong motivation and the wrong execution of one’s giving is to give with publicity and fanfare so that people will honor you and congratulate you. The motive here is to please self.

4. The reward for human good works is the immediate personal approval by people. This is the only reward for human good works and it is very short lived. Jesus warns the disciples against that kind of reward.

5. Verse 3, the right way to give aid. The phrase right hand, left hand is a figure of speech that means that they are not to do what they do publicly and for personal honor by others.”

a. There is not much hard evidence for literally blowing a trumpet before giving, though it could have been in association with the trumpet sounds during a festival. Vincent writes that it may refer to the 13 trumpet shaped chests in the temple treasury.

b. AT Robertson records in his Word Pictures that he talked with a missionary during a Winona Lake conference. The missionary said that he had personally seen Hindu priest blow horns to call crowds together to see the Hindu priests give money.

c. So it means to give without public notice; to give without calling attention to yourself.

6. God the Father knows why we give, when we give, and what we give. He is the one who will reward genuine giving.