Lesson One • Giving to Those in Need
Devotion 6: Hypocrisy vs. Authenticity in Charity
Pastor John Carter
Matthew 6:1-4 summarizes for us the difference between hypocrisy and authenticity, particularly in the area of our giving. Maybe as we walk through these verses you have found yourself on one side or the other of this coin. Are you living as a hypocrite or walking in an authentic relationship with Christ? Those are the two choices. Jesus never seems to mince words or leave a person guessing about what He means.
Matthew 6:1-4 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
You do not really need me to expound on this text any more than we already have in the previous devotions. It really comes down to your own decision of whether you are going to be authentic or going to be a hypocrite. We have examined the motives of being seen by others versus being seen by God. We have walked through the earthly rewards that come from being seen by others versus the rewards that come from working through the secret things in our hearts. If all we do is read and gain some kind of factual or intellectual knowledge without ever changing the way we operate, then we do not really live in truth and authenticity.
If you look at the etymology of the word “charity” it ultimately comes down to love. In Scripture, we read there are two great commandments that we as believers are to operate under. Mark 12:30-31 says, “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus is teaching us how to authentically love God and love our neighbors (brothers). He desires that we, like children, will listen to His instructions and learn to walk in the manner that He has taught us to operate. Just like kids, we can choose. We can choose to obey and listen or choose our own way. My hope and prayer this week is that as you have examined the Scriptures, you have taken time to choose to be authentic and genuine in your heart. This includes admitting our shortcomings and being encouraged in the person of Jesus.
As we looked at the differences between showing and living out the genuine love of God, it is ultimately a personal decision. It is something that stems from the depth of the heart. It is a decision that comes from a personal understanding of what we have received as followers of Jesus. Jesus left an example for us in this love that we are so desperately trying to mimic and live out in our own lives.
John 15:13-14 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Ultimately, God will be the one who knows the difference in the way you show your love. He will know whether it was authentic or for some ulterior motive. His desire is that His children operate and behave in a manner that is genuine and authentic. His desire is that the “charity” (love) we show is an example of the very love He showed us; in that, we give and obey what Jesus showed us in His Word.