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Sermon on the Mount X: How to give ...
Monday, Dec 8, 2014. Good morning! We are looking further into the sermon on the mount. Jesus is giving us his advice, his guidance. He is leading us into what he calls “his kingdom”. It is different from what we are used to. But it is truly great!
Show-off with good behaviour? …
One of the dangers in our life is to try to show-off with good behaviour. But that is not something which would help us or others. But before we go into more discussion, let us read what Jesus says:
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matth. 6)
Righteousness or “good behaviour”, which is demonstrated publically, has had its reward. That is what Jesus says. We will not earn Brownie points from God, when we already used good behaviour to earn Brownie points. Then, the good deeds are no longer carried out in faith, and they will not strengthen our relationship to the Lord!
A heart of faith …
Jesus wants us to live in faith. He wants us to understand by heart that God is good, that he loves us, that he helps us and holds us. He is our reward, much more than we could ever invent or think of.
Jesus wants our life to be driven and filled by God. It is not some strange behaviour which some people have displayed in history claiming to follow God. It is a life full of grace, mercy, truth and deep love. We are not like this - it is not that a Christian could immediately switch his whole life to this different state. But we are invited to learn, to walk with and towards the Lord. We are invited to grow!
Jesus is inviting us to a life full of faith, and it can show itself also when we give. It can show its faith when we are truthful, when we keep the truth even if it means disadvantages for us. There are so many possibilities to go steps of faith and steps of righteousness - in secret, not displaying them publically, not demonstrating our heart, but living it, knowing that God is there with us in all what we do. He knows it all, and he will not forget it! (RWEP) ... more texts