NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER SIX

Part I

NOTE: Some have called this “The Anti-hypocrite chapter of the Bible.” Christ, who was so pure and spotless, despised more than anything else a two-faced, deceiver. First He talks about their deceit with others; then their attempted deception with God; and then their self-deceit; and finally their attempt to deceive all three. This chapter might also properly be referred to as: “The Spiritual Investments and Profits Guide for all Believers.” The right investments will bring eternal dividends, not only at maturity, but also along the way. But I’m afraid that many believers are more interested and acquainted with short-term stocks and bonds than they are with heavenly shares. But as the scripture warns, “Put your treasure where it cannot be eroded or stolen.” So put it in a heavenly trust fund where God keeps His eye on it and the interest rate is unmatched by worldly fame or finances. This is a very clear and precise exposition of rewards. Those things that are earthly and temporal – and therefore so easily lost or devalued, cannot be compared to those rewards which are heavenly and eternal – and therefore permanent and everlasting. Christ here exhorts us to choose the latter, but in so doing He knowingly cuts cross the grain of human egotism and desire. The earthly, temporal rewards are much easier to acquire, take less time and investment, and appeals more to the carnal nature. They are often bestowed with promises and assurances that cannot be guaranteed, and on many occasions disappoints the one who has been striving to obtain them for many years. But Christ clearly states, these are low rated rewards. They pass quickly from memory and there is the possibility they may be destroyed on purpose or lost through decay. This may sound very academic, but it’s based on facts. That’s the whole crux of the Christian life; accepting the facts – Biblical facts.

Verse 1: “Be careful! When you do something good, don’t do it to show off in front of others so that they will applaud you. If you do that, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

So profound and impacting is this truth that I feel it should be the eleventh commandment. Of all the Christian vices, this is the most prevalent. God help our Pharisaical attitudes. However, it must be understood in context and content. Jesus had just finished talking about people finding the will, purpose and destiny for their lives and working on them toward completion. Among the many things that believers are encouraged to do are acts of kindness, courage, patience, assistance, plus their actions and attitudes, and how they must work together harmoniously for the glory of God. But what Jesus has in mind here are acts specifically designed so a person can draw attention themselves so that they, not God, get the honor and praise. These are negative ambitions. But there is a counterpoint to this on the positive side. This involves the unseen acts of kindness, courage, patience, assistance, actions and attitudes that are only noticed by the individuals involved. For instance, say you are the only one in the aisle at the grocery store when you see a lady in a motorized cart unable to reach an item on the upper shelf or in the freezer section. With nobody looking, you quickly offer your assistance. But let me share another that has both possibilities. You are on a bus or subway and an elder man or woman or pregnant lady comes on board and there are no seats available. You can either stand up to give them your seat in a fashion that guarantees everyone will see you and may even give you a nod of approval or a smile of admiration; or you can simply arrange for them to take your seat because it is ingrained in you as something any normal person would do.

We see that this principle was taught back in Moses’ day.¹ This was called “righteousness.”² One Jewish scholar goes so far as to say that if you loaned something to a person in need, and they gave you collateral to guarantee the repayment, should you find out that they are in need of the collateral they gave, give it back so it can be used and then returned. For instance, if a farmer gave a plow in order to get enough money to buy seed, but before he can earn enough money to pay back the loan he must plow the field in order to plant the seed. Says the Rabbi, let him use the plow until he gets the field ready for planting and then have him return it while you wait for the loan can be repaid. In other words, even though you are owed, never take advantage of someone’s distress. Says the Rabbi, “It would be cruel in the extreme to take advantage of the helplessness of the type of person described here in the law of Moses.”³

But the word righteousness should not be understood, as most make take it, as doing something pious or extremely religious. Rather, it is righteous because it’s the “right thing to do.” Yet there is another component. Jesus emphasizes that while doing good is highly commendable, it is not to be done for bragging rights. Sounds simple, right? However, in one Jewish writing we read where Rabbis are having a discussion on practicing righteousness, but couldn’t agree if it should be done openly or in private.⁴ Jesus doesn’t disagree with them on principle, but makes it known that when it is done in the open it should not be a performance where applause is expected.

We also find that in one Rabbinical School it was taught: “Concerning matters which are normally performed publicly the Torah prescribed that it be done in humility. So how much more should matters that are normally done privately be done in humility”⁵ This certainly gives what Jesus said even more of an impact on how things should be accomplished. For instance, prayer in private should be no less earnest, sincere, fervent and meaningful than when it is done in public. And in Jewish literature, especially the teaching on prayer, is said whether one prays along the road, in the streets, or in the Temple courts, the emphasis is on sincerity and purpose more than performance. For instance, if as a believer we should follow this same ethic when we find ourselves in a restaurant where there are people all around talking with waiters and waitresses going back and forth, even though it may seem a little awkward, we should bow our head to say grace. I personally do not find it difficult to take my wife’s hand and ask God’s blessing while thanking Him for His provisions. But I don’t insist on saying it so loud that people on the other side of the restaurant can hear me just to show that I’m religious and proud of it.

In the prophets we hear the Lord’s disgust with those who only listen, agree, but then do not apply what they’ve heard, “They sit in front of you as if they were my people. They hear your words, but they will not do the things you say. They only want to do what feels good”⁶ What Jesus is touching on here was an already established custom among the Jews. As one venerable Rabbi explained: “We are obligated to be careful with regard to the law of charity to a greater extent than all other positive commandments, because charity is an identifying mark for a righteous person, a descendant of Abraham, our patriarch as the Scripture states: ‘I have acknowledged him because he commands his children… to perform charity.’”⁷ Also, “the throne of Israel will not be established, nor will the true faith remain standing except through charity, as the prophet tells us: ‘You will be established through righteousness.’⁸ And Israel will be redeemed solely through charity, as the prophet again states: ‘Zion will be redeemed through judgment and those who return to her through charity.’⁹‘”¹⁰ This Rabbi then goes on to discuss the various levels at which such charity can be expressed.¹¹ We find that he was commenting on what was taught as verbal tradition. In a written copy, one Rabbi declares: “Charity is equivalent to all the other religious precepts combined.”¹² And in another place we read where it was said: “This nation is distinguished by three characteristics: They are merciful, bashful and benevolent…Only he who cultivates these three characteristics is fit to join this nation.”¹³

So Jesus is not in disagreement with what was done, but how it was done. There were many among the Pharisees and Jewish leaders who prided themselves in acts of charity. They used it as a way of garnering respect and admiration. After all, they were only copying Abraham.¹⁴ And did not Solomon say: “It is better to be a humble person living among the poor than to share the wealth among the proud.”¹⁵ That’s why our Lord tells them that in order to please God with their charitable acts, do them anonymously or out of the spotlight. The Master basically says that His followers have a choice when giving and helping others. Either do it to get the accolades of man, or do it to get a reward from God the Father. Why was Jesus so adamant on this point. We need look no further than the comments on this subject by the Jewish teachers. One Rabbi expounded: “The practice of kindness is greater than charity, for it is said, Sow to yourselves according to your charity, but reap according to your loving-kindness¹⁶.”¹⁷ In other words, it’s not the amount of effort you put into a good deed, but the amount love you put in that will determine any kind of reward. Also in the earliest Jewish writings we see the same thought repeated as mentioned before: “Charitable and righteous deeds outweigh all other commandments in the Torah.”¹⁸

So impressed were the early church scholars in what Jesus said here that they saw its application to the everyday life of the believer. For instance, Origen of Alexandria (AD 184-253) said: “Just as water always conflicts with fire and fire with water and such things can never dwell together simultaneously, so likewise egotism and virtue are opposed to each other and can never easily coexist in one and the same soul. Therefore egotism is to be expelled from our souls, and we must abide in Christ’s commandments.”¹⁹ And later, Hilary of Poitiers (AD 310-367) noted that Jesus “removes all concern for things of the present and bids those thunderstruck by the hope of the future to pursue neither the favor of others by parading their virtue nor religious boasting through an outpouring of public prayer. Rather, the fruit of good works is to be contained within the knowledge of faith, because the pursuit of human praise will receive only that reward which it looks for from people, while to yearn for God’s approval is to pursue a reward longed for patiently.”²⁰

But another anonymous writer from the early church period had this to say: “You who have offered nothing to God, what do you expect to receive from God? Everything done on account of God is given to God and received by God. But what is done to be seen by others is poured into the wind…. What is human praise but the sound of the whistling winds?… Those who act on account of others, to be praised by them, have wasted their energy. What sort of wisdom is it to put on a show and to prepare empty speeches? Those who do so scorn the treasure of God waiting in eternity in heaven, preferring fleeting human words. It is better to do nothing than to act to be seen. For those who do nothing, even if they do not enter heaven, at least squander nothing on earth. But those who act to be seen by others not only fail to enter heaven but also earn pitiably little on earth.”²¹

These may sound like strange words from the past for us today, but it will give all of us an idea of how the Word of God was applied to believers in the early centuries of the Church, so that we can either see how far we have come in our understanding of what Jesus was trying to teach His disciples, or how far we have regressed in our comprehension of the truth our Lord came to deliver to us from His Father in heaven. In either case, we should let our spirit agree with the Holy Spirit in how we should respond in our own lives, but remember not to hold others responsible for the same decision in their lives. For in the end we are only accountable for one person’s commitment and conduct, and that is ourselves.