Overview of: MatthewToday's Reading:
Matthew 5:1 – 7:28
"Sermon on the Mount"
Focus Verses: Matthew 6:1-4
1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 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."
Insight:
Righteous living that honors God includes giving to the needy and having compassion for those in poverty. A readiness and willingness to help others is a testimony of gratitude and trust toward God. It is possible to give in a selfish way if the goal is to be noticed and praised by others. It is best to give in quiet and secret ways to keep personal motives in check. God knows and sees when we are caring and openhanded toward others, and God rewards those who are gracious and generous.
Response and Action:
My trust in and gratitude to God move me to be a giver. I will give a significant portion of all I have and receive as an act of worship and faith. I will open my eyes to the needs of others. I will open my hands and be generous to help those in need. I will open my heart to the leading of God's Spirit and let him lead me in the ways of compassion and justice. I will do this in quiet and secret ways because I am doing out of reverence for God. I want God to be praised and honored, not me.
O God, help me to love you with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my strength. Help me to love my neighbor as myself. Give me a heart of compassion and a readiness to share with others. Teach me to be generous and cheerful in my giving. Help me to always remember that caring for the needs of others is an act of thanksgiving and worship toward you. Thank you, O God, for being generous and compassionate toward me. Amen.
Old Testament for Today: Psalm 112:4-5
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. 5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
In Context: Psalm 112
Proverb for Today: Prov. 20:12
"Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both."
Recommended Reading:
Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America
by Ronald J. Sider
