"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.
"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. 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 6:1-4 I believe giving is an essential part of being Christian. We need to help those less fortunate to the best of our ability.
We can all do something for someone.
I remember my mother in law when I first met her. She was as poor as a church mouse. She was living well below the poverty line. Yet she always had a cup of tea or a snack for someone who dropped by.
At Christmas and new year there was always food enough for everyone and an empty chair ready for any unexpected guest that might drop by.
She in small ways helped those around her to the best of her ability.
My parents both non-Christians brought us up to help others in need. My father a union activist always said he did so because he wanted to better the lives of the average worker.
This was ingrained into us as we grew up.
Neither my wife’s mother or my parents ever made a big deal about it. And it wasn’t until their funerals that we realized just how many lives they had touched.
This is how it should be for Christians.
The Jews have a word for it Tzedakah,
Tzedakah is a Hebrew word for what we in English call Charity, but it is more than that.
Charity suggests an act of generosity by the wealthy for the benefit of the poor and needy.
In Judaism however giving to the poor in not viewed as a generous act, it is considered an act of justice and righteousness. The performance of one’s duty giving the poor their due.
C. C. Montefore states, "
It is the highest ideal in Jewish teaching—for it is the highest application of Jewish ethical values. It is Judaism in action—and Judaism is inherently and deeply a religion of action, a way of life, a way of living." Some Jewish teachers consider it the highest of all commandments and a person who does not perform tzedakah is equivalent to an idol worshipper.
Certainly if we look at the teachings of Jesus we can see this teaching.
Jesus put people first. He stressed the importance of the individual. When he states, "
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42.
This is an act of tzedakah. The scripture at the beginning of this piece makes it clear Jesus’s teaching on giving when He states,
"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. "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. 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 6:1-4I believe like Judaism from which Christian ideals come, Christians have an obligation to the poor.
Anne Frank a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in occupied Holland wrote these words,
"Give of yourself, give as much as you can? And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness! If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world. Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible. Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving! No one has ever become poor from giving!"
It was their duty to do so even though it placed their very lives in jeopardy. We as Christians need to look carefully at our lives and ask ourselves are we giving enough? Are we doing all we can do by our words and our deeds to help those around us?
I got the following list from a web sight written by Tracy R. Rich on tzedakah. It lists the ways to give from the least to the best.
I place it here for all Christians to think about.
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity
Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity
Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant
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