480 -- Right and Left-Handed Rewards

(For Better or Verse: Each day in 2025 I will begin this Godsfield e-mail with a Bible verse that corresponds with the month (chapter 1-12) and day (verse 1-31) it is sent. This month features a lot of sixth chapters! Those with eyes and ears, let them see and hear.)

Matthew 6:3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

I understand that it is about motive. Let what you do be seen only by God; our little secret God.

And Jesus says "Your Heavenly Father, who sees in secret, will reward you."

He says the same about prayer and fasting. It's between you and God.

Prayer, I'm good with that; fasting, makes sense to me. No one needs to know my actions there; this is our time together, God, although I hope you don't mind if my mind wanders to other things pressing in on me; you can come along if you like.

(I'd rather not take time to ponder what that's all about.)

But giving, it's hard not to blow a trumpet or at least trumpet the act with a comment, a sharing, a statement, a reasoning, because I want credit. I want some sort of tally. A little notice.

Exactly what Jesus says to avoid, so that God will know the motive is pure.

And that reward thing, doesn't that spoil the motive, too? Isn't that like giving in order to get?

Only if it is.

I like giving gifts, especially if they are unusual, unexpected and spontaneous (and cheap!). I buy from a lot of auctions the one dollar boxes of things no one really wants (although inflation seems to have raised them to two dollars!), and find treasures in there that remind me of someone, then give it to them, often anonymously, knowing that they will figure it out at some point.

But that is not what Jesus is saying here -- when you give to the needy, when you do some act of charity, when you give alms -- he expects us to see a need and fill it, provide for it, meet it, and to do so in secret, so that the motive is to honor God. After all, it was God who opened your eyes to the need.

And while we all can recite, it is better to give than to receive (although getting is pretty good, too!), it is hard to not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. And being left-handed, I mostly try not to let the right hand know what the left hand is doing, which, by the way, is pretty self-defeating when I am trying to type.

Anyway, today let's act in trust of God being the reason for the pleasin' !

Love ya,

Paul