The television series Gunsmoke was one of the longest running weekly series in television history.
Growing up, I heard an adult in the “know” explain that the role of Marshall Dillon was originally offered to John Wayne. He turned it down, not being interested in weekly television and not wanting to be stereotyped as a “cowboy actor.”
I think of that story often when I walk out the John Wayne airport, where the cowboy statue of John Wayne stands. John Wayne starred in so many movies as a cowboy, that many of us picture him as the cowboy he portrayed.
Actors and actresses portray a person so powerfully we cannot disassociate them from the role.
When my wife and I went to see the movie Pearl Harbor, portraying the epic World War II event, it was discombobulating to see Dan Aykroyd playing a naval intelligence officer.
The great actors, actresses can “get into character” in such a convincing fashion that we actually identify them as the person they portray. This is that nature of great acting.
In fact, the term “Method Acting” is when the actor/actress quite literally become their character physically and mentality.
This idea is thematic in the Gospel of Matthew and arises in Matthew 6:1-4, particularly regarding giving.
Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
The passage finds itself nestled into the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus envisions a kingdom ethic that is as close to a Kingdom manifesto as can be found in the Gospels.
In the previous section of the “sermon” Jesus outlines the nature of Christian character, mission, and righteous living. Matthew 6 addresses the nature of Christian devotion and what is often called piety.
The first section of the chapter may be divided into four sections as follows:
- The Principle – Matthew 6:1
- Alms Giving – Matthew 6:2-4
- Prayer – Matthew 6:5-15
- Fasting – Matthew 6:16-18
The practice of alms giving, prayer and fasting are common Jewish religious activities that Jesus addresses.
The teaching on each practice contains four elements, (1) a warning not to focus on the praise of other people, (2) those who focus on the praise of people will get that and nothing more, (3) instructions on how to carry out the activity in secret, and (4) a promise that what is done secretly will be acknowledge by God publicly.
In all three cases the term hypocrite is used (vv. 2, 5, 16). Our attention will be on the principle (vs.1) and the giving of alms (vv.2-4).
Giving Should Be Done In a Manner That Gives Glory to God
The principle stated in 6:1 concerns the heart motive behind an act of righteousness. Jesus earlier urges the disciples to live in a way that their good deeds glorify God.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Here, Jesus is urging the disciples to a public life of righteousness that gives glory to God.
His concern in Matthew 6:1, is the heart motive which is not for the glory of God but rather the acknowledgement of people. As is so often the case, this principle ranges much further than just giving money for the poor.
My early years in ministry were serving as the Children’s Pastor at Mariners Church. Every year Dr. Joe Aldrich would return to the church he had served for many years as a guest preacher.
On one such occasion, he preached an amazing message and afterwards I went up to him and began to tell him that it was one of the finest sermons I had ever heard. In mid-sentence he stopped me and said, “don’t steal my blessing in heaven.”
I was taken aback and later realized it was this passage of Scripture he had in mind. His motive was not the recognition of people but to glorify God.
The principle that Jesus states is that giving should be done in a manner that gives glory to God.
Jesus goes on with his first warning against hypocrisy, a fascinating word.
The Greek word hypocrites was the word for an actor in the Greco-Roman theater. In using this word, repeated throughout this passage and then again prodigiously in Matthew 23, Jesus declares that Jewish leaders were akin to “actors” pretending to be someone they were not.
Their giving was for the acknowledgement of people (vs.2) and an act.
Much has been made of the nature of the “acting.” Some believe that the “acting” was to convince the “audience” of people that they were someone they really were not.
Others argue that the “acting” had become so deeply entrenched that the Jewish leaders had become like “method actors” believing they were literally someone they were not. Still others believe that both are true.
The overarching point seems to be that Christ’s followers are to avoid this kind of acting. Whether we give publicly or in secret our motive is to see God glorified.
This explains the very public offering for the building of the temple outlined in detail by King David in I Chronicles 29:1-9.
Although a public display of giving the heart of David was to glorify God and invite others to join in the giving. It also explains Jesus’ challenge to give in secret knowing that God was glorified with the attention drawn away from the accolades of people, the Jewish leaders problem.
When Every Generation Ministries was founded the entire fund development work of the ministry lay on my shoulders. I was a young and inexperienced leader, and the Board of Directors sensed the need to take this burden with me.
In an early Board meeting the Board discussed the financial needs of the ministry and decided collectively to commit to funding the entire administrative cost of the ministry. This allowed me to tell potential financial supporters that their entire gift would go the field of ministry.
This was a public act, but the entire motive was to give glory to God and join Him in equipping churches for life changing children’s ministry. There was no hint of desire for acknowledgement from people.
This is the message of Matthew 6, that we give generously expressing our love for God and drawing attention to Him.
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If you're serving in a church in the United States, you can be part of the exciting new launch of EGM-US by hosting a vision meeting in your area, attending a training, or just contacting us for more information about how this could benefit your next generation ministries by contacting us contacting our team at (951)587-3825 or [email protected].