Week 9 (25 Feb) Day 2

Matthew 6.2-4

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 others. Truly I tell you, 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.

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Personal Reflections While the hypocrites demonstrate their charity for all to see, Jesus teaches that our piety should be reserved only for God to see, hence “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”. This does not mean that literally our giving must be in secret, but it does mean that we need to ensure that our giving to the needy is purely motivated by our love for God and desire to help others instead of receiving honour and praise from man.

What are the works of charity that you are led by God to do? Are you motivated purely by your devotion to God? How would you ensure that your charity and service are not motivated by people’s praise and honour?