“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. . . . 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:2, 3-4

The hearts of would-be generous givers are enlarged as they pursue generosity before an audience of One. This is often hard to do in a world that recognizes and praises us.

Trumpets! Were there actually almsgivers in Jesus' time who ensured that a fanfare of some kind was sounded when they made their offering? Perhaps Jesus was exaggerating, even employing a bit of humor here? No, he had seen men command such a show when they did their giving. People in our time do no less.

Sin is remarkably insidious. Here we are talking about an event the Jews considered to be among the greatest of all acts: giving to the poor. And even that, we discover, can be tainted by deficient motives. Here is the picture of a giver (perhaps a seemingly generous giver) who gives because, in the final analysis, he really wants to liked, praised, and admired.

Again, the comment: Seek this kind of recognition when you give, and recognition will be the scope of your reward or blessing.

But then Jesus goes to the opposite of his original word picture (the trumpets) to give us another: Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. The logic here? You should not only keep your giving secret from others but also, if you can, keep it secret from another part of yourself. That’s quite secret!

Someone says, “Never forget what someone has done for you; never remember what you have done for others.” So this principle of generous giving is further explained. We do not give in order to receive the approval or the applause of others, nor to feel good about ourselves.

And yet, there is One who always sees the generous act: the living God. One cannot keep secrets from Him. In this case, the secret is the generous giving event. And what God sees, He will reward.

The hearts of would-be generous givers are enlarged as they pursue generosity before this audience of One. This is often hard to do in a world that recognizes and praises us, often hoping to get more from us. But it is the discipline of secrecy that enlarges the soul faster than almost anything else.

© Generous Giving, 2002. Used by permission of Generous Giving. All rights reserved.

Generous Giving is an educational stewardship ministry that seeks to encourage givers of all income levels—as well as ministry leaders, pastors and teachers and professional advisors—to fully understand and embrace what it means to live generously, according to God’s word and Christ’s example.