GIVE TO THE POOR – Matthew 6:1-4
Cheers
The lord is good; his love is forever. I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tonight, I would like to share the meaning of giving to the poor and its relationship to thanking God. We would meditate on Matthew 6:1-4. Giving to the Poor should be:
a sacred event,
A sincere act, and
A Secret Act.
Definition of Poor in this sermon: I am using POOR as a representative word for people living in poverty and the categories of widowed, abandoned, oppressed, disabled, and elderly who need financial help. We are not going to dwell on receiving but more on givers and giving.
1. Holy Event
Gospel according to Matthew: The first gospel Matthew has many excellent teachings for mankind. Jesus selected the men who would be his followers. He wanted to instruct his helpers and assistants to do his work intellectually and efficiently, so he set guidelines to follow as rules and regulations. It is also known as ‘The Ordination Discourse of the Twelve’. ‘The King’s Manifesto’, ‘The Magna Carta of the KOG’ and ‘The Compendium of the Doctrine of Christ’ are some other titles given by early fathers and commentators.
In Psalm 112:1-5, we read that he who fears the Lord delights in the commandments of God. He is merciful, compassionate, generous and just. Generous means kind. He is kind to the poor. So he is blessed. His sons are powerful. Goods and riches are in his house. The light dawns for him in the darkness.
The prophet Habakkuk interpreted it as “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). The acts of the Just are redefined here as taking into account the poor and paying attention to them.
Deuteronomy 15:4-11 expresses the heart of God. In the V. 4 God desires that ‘there be no poor among you, but because of the evil nature and wickedness of the human race, in v. 11, God said, ‘there will always be poor people on earth’. So, in v. 7, God commands, ‘Don’t close your fist with the poor.’ We live in a very busy world and we don’t even have time to look around. God reminds us to think of the welfare of the poor and needy.
Psalm 112:9 says: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever.’ Giving to the poor is justice. Giving to those in need is considered an act of justice (Matthew 6:1-4). Like believing in God’s promises through Abraham (Genesis 15:6). The wells sprout when they pump the water. In the same way the giver becomes a great reservoir of God’s blessings. That is giving to the poor (2 Corinthians 9:9).
God’s sacred plan is to reach the poor through rich believers. Albert Barnes comments: The surplus and the surplus in the hands of believers are designed to divide and meet the needs of the unfortunate, the weak, the old, the imbecile, the sick, who “don’t have” enough. It is the “treasure” of God, the “storehouse” where what is stored is distributed for the needs of the helpless and dependent. The surplus belongs to God and must be appropriated as God directs.
The Jewish Rabbi Isaac taught: “Whoever gives a small coin to a poor person gets six blessings, but whoever addresses him with words of comfort gets eleven blessings.” There are eleven blessings found in Psalm 15 and six blessings found in Isaiah 33:15. Commentator Ellicott says: “It is a frequent and habitual action” of believers to give to the poor and needy.
2. Sincere delivery
Poor: The Greek uses two words like Penes and Ptochos. Penis describes a man who has to work for a living, ie autodiakonos (man serves his own needs with his own hands) and has nothing superfluous. Ptochos describes total and miserable poverty. Now Jesus used in his teaching saying blessed is the man who is penises and ptochos.
Whereas the Hebrew words for poor are ‘ani and ebion. Poor had gone through four stages: poor has no influence or power, no help or prestige. Therefore, it is oppressed and oppressed. Therefore, he has no earthly resources, so he puts his trust in the Lord (Ps. 34:6, 35:10, 72:4, 107:41). But Jesus was not talking about economic poverty. If he speaks, then the countries or cities that live in poverty are blessed. Jesus never said that ‘blessed is the city that has more slums’. But Jesus taught them despite having all the economic stability, the political power if you are poor in spirit, if you have complete trust in God, then you are a Blessed person. Then you will become a citizen of KOH.
It was customary for great people, princes and governors to go in public procession through their favored province and ask to blow the trumpets in front of them to give alms. In the alms a great quantity of gold and silver was scattered, thereby earning the good will of the poor (ref:studylight.org/sermon Bible).
Jesus mentioned that the almsgiving of the Pharisees was this kind of stately display of benevolence. They never distributed their alms without taking good care, in one way or another, to make the good deed known so that they would receive honor among men.
The rich gave in the synagogues so that their names could be proclaimed in the markets and the Temple. They wanted to be recognized as great philanthropists. They not only had a wrong motive; They had the wrong goal. They seemed to be giving to the poor, while in reality they were giving to buy popularity for themselves. When you give, give to pay a debt to the lost. Give to accumulate treasures in Heaven. Give to the Lord as a token of your worship (ref:studylight.org/Wells of living water).
Pulpit Commentary says: ‘scattering is not simply scattering profusely but with relief from the distress of the needy and poor. Alms and charity remain forever but not for popularity.
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17), He who mocks the poor insults the maker (Proverbs 17:5). He who oppresses the poor insults the Maker of him, but he who is generous to the needy honors God (Proverbs 14:31). Psalm 41:1 calls to have “Respect for the poor”.
So, Jesus told his disciples to avoid publicity such as lords and princes, Pharisees, and rich people. Jesus told them to give sincerely to the poor and needy. The faithful will get a hundredfold of the blessings (Proverbs 28:20).
3. Give in secret
Jesus spoke of three worthy and secret spiritual acts enumerated: giving alms, praying and fasting. These acts done in secret would receive their rewards publicly from the Lord. Maintain a relationship with God and please him instead of pleasing men. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are to please God and be appreciated and rewarded by him rather than to show off. Jesus says that we should give in secret without attracting attention. We do not need to ask for recognition. The heavenly investment is made in secret, and the reward comes publicly. Our giving is God centered in secret, and to the glory of God.
The longing for public recognition for almsgiving, sharing goodness with others, is strictly warned by Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry says that our Lord Jesus Christ warned against hypocrisy and ostentation in religious duties. Our almsgiving must be based on an inner principle, so that we are approved by God, not so that we are praised by men. In these verses we are warned against hypocrisy in giving alms. Pay attention. It is a subtle sin and vainglory creeps into what we do before we know it.
Albert Barnes – The encouragement to perform our acts of charity in secret is that it will please God; that he will see the act, however secret, and openly reward it. If the reward is not given in this life, it will be in the next. “If you help the poor, you lend to the Lord, and he will repay you!” (Proverbs 19:17). Father who contemplates all secret actions will open all secret springs of actions.
In Matthew 19:21, we read, “If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor. ” In Luke 12:33-34, we read: “Sell what you have and give to those in need.”
Peter and John shared the eternal bread with the beggar who was sitting at the gate of the Beautiful (Acts 3: 2,5). They did the same to them. He was worthy. The gospel changes the status of the recipient. God has adopted us all as His children (John 1:12).
So our charity without sharing Christ is mere social work but our call is to share our resources, blessings not only to satisfy their immediate needs but also their thirst of the soul. I’m not sure how many of you have shared the security of eternal life with your maids, gardeners, and drivers. Lead them to a worthy life in Christ.