Rewarded By God: Matthew 6:1-4

Early on in the gospels, during one of Jesus’ sermons to a crowd of followers, He makes a very profound and challenging statement that sounds very much like a universal principle that’s just as true today as it was back in the first century.

Matthew records this sermon and statement, so let’s dive in and read it before unpacking how this is relevant for each of us living today. Our passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 6, and we will be reading from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 1, Jesus tells the crowd present:

¹ “Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you. ² So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. ³ When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.

We’ll stop reading here because what Jesus tells us in these four short verses is too powerful and important to miss. The truth Jesus shares here is crucial for us to pay attention to and we can use it to evaluate our motives and our character.

Jesus opens this passage by warning us about where we have placed our motives. He tells us, “Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention.” (v. 1a)

Before looking at Jesus’ reason for why we shouldn’t base our good deeds on public praise, let’s take a look at why it might not be a great idea to begin with. If we focus on doing good actions for external rewards (either praise from others, or maybe even monetary compensation), we immediately set ourselves up for disappointment. Regardless of what action we do, external rewards are not guaranteed. They may be present early on, or they may be present under a certain set of circumstances, but things will always change, and external rewards by definition are based on others.

When the source of the external reward changes, or when the bar is moved, those chasing after external rewards must move too, often to more extreme or unusual activities in order to keep receiving the reward. This makes those who seek external rewards dependant on the giver of the reward, and given enough time for a habit to form, those who seek external rewards lose their freedom as they seek their rewards.

In contrast, internal rewards might not look like rewards at all, but they are more certain than external rewards. Internal rewards are rewards that we give ourselves for achieving, accomplishing, and/or behaving in a certain way. In some ways, internal rewards shape how we think of ourselves, and internal rewards help us enjoy life more.

However, does Jesus give us an internal reward or an external reward in this passage about doing good works?

Jesus tells us that those who seek attention with their actions will not be rewarded by God. In contrast, Jesus says that those who do good works or deeds privately, or we could say secretly, will be rewarded by God.

Does this then mean that God’s rewards are also external rewards? In my mind, this might be the case.

When I read this passage, I see two possible ways we can live doing good works secretly: We can either do good works secretly because we will claim God’s promise that He will reward us. This is the external reward option. Or we can do good works secretly because God recommends we do and our good works are done because we are thankful to God for everything He has done for us. This option is actually an internal reward.

In my own mind, God will honor His promise to reward us regardless of whether we internally or externally do good works for Him. Where things get tricky is how and when we will be rewarded.

When we do good secretly, we are not looking for or expecting a reward, at least in this life. The good deed is its own reward and anything above this is great but not necessary. This is doing good secretly based on being internally rewarded.

In contrast, when we do good secretly, while looking for external rewards, we then set ourselves up for disappointment if God doesn’t reward us with what we want, as quickly as we would like, or as abundantly as we would have hoped it to be.

With external rewards, there are plenty of ways for our expectations and hopes to not be met, and only one way for success. With internal rewards, there are significantly more ways for us to enjoy the rewards we get, and there is very little, if any, downside.

God has called us to live generous, grateful, and gracious lives and when we give secretly, He is more than happy to reward us. However, for our lives to be enjoyable, we shouldn’t live seeking after God’s rewards. Instead, we should live our lives doing good as a way of saying thank You to God for everything He has already done for each of us through Jesus on the cross!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As always challenge you to do, seek God first and live your life in a way that says Thank You to God for everything He has already blessed you with. Chances are, you have been blessed in many more ways than you are being challenged with. God works in both the blessings and the challenges, but too often, we focus too heavily on the challenges and not enough on the blessings. Take a moment to thank God for what He has blessed you with recently.

Also, be sure to study the Bible for yourself and intentionally grow closer to God and Jesus through what you learn from His Word. The best place to learn what God is like is through the Bible, and while a pastor or podcaster can help, there is nothing like learning, growing, and discovering the Bible for yourself!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!