Chapter 39—The True Motive in All Service
In the days of Christ the Pharisees were continually trying to earn
the favor of Heaven, in order to secure the worldly honor and prosperity
which they regarded as the reward of virtue. At the same time they
paraded their acts of charity before the people in order to attract their
attention, and gain a reputation for sanctity.
Jesus rebuked their ostentation, declaring that God does not recog-
nize such service, and that the flattery and admiration of the people,
which they so eagerly sought, was the only reward they would ever
receive.
“When thou doest alms,” He said, “let not thy left hand know what
thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father,
which seeth in secret, Himself shall reward thee openly.”
In these words Jesus did not teach that acts of kindness should
always be kept secret. Paul the apostle, writing by the Holy Spirit, did
not conceal the generous self-sacrifice of the Macedonian Christians,
but told of the grace that Christ had wrought in them, and thus others
were imbued with the same spirit. He also wrote to the church at
Corinth and said, “Your zeal hath stirred up very many.”
Christ’s own words make His meaning plain,—that in acts of
charity the aim should not be to secure praise and honor from men.
Real godliness never prompts an effort at display. Those who desire
words of praise and flattery, and feed upon them as a sweet morsel, are
Christians in name only.
By their good works, Christ’s followers are to bring glory, not to
themselves, but to Him through whose grace and power they have
wrought. It is through the Holy Spirit that every good work is accom-
plished, and the Spirit is given to glorify, not the receiver, but the Giver.
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When the light of Christ is shining in the soul, the lips will be filled
with praise and thanksgiving to God. Your prayers, your performance
of duty, your benevolence, your self-denial, will not be the theme of
your thought or conversation. Jesus will be magnified, self will be
hidden, and Christ will appear as all in all.
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