Day 10: Motives
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Transcript
Jesus once told his followers:
““Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.””
It’s worth remembering the world in which Jesus said that. Wealthy citizens in the Roman empire—even emperors themselves—would fund things like temples, theaters, pools, gymnasiums, and festivals for everyday citizens.
However, these acts of generosity were rarely anonymous. A main reason a person of means would bankroll something for the common population was so that their name would be remembered. As for the emperors, they would pay for big projects to stay on people’s good side, so there wouldn’t be an uprising.
So at that time, generosity from the wealthy mostly came with strings attached. The givers had themselves in mind more than the benefactors. In fact, the first Roman emperor, Augustus, documented everything he could think of in terms of how generous he was to the citizens of Rome. You’ll love the title of the document he wrote that talks about all his acts of kindness: The Deeds of the Divine Augustus.
Before we get too critical of Augustus and other Roman elites, let’s admit something that’s universally true: we all want to be known and remembered for being generous—for doing things to help other people. The truth is, when we give away our money, it can be tough to discern how much of our giving comes from a pure heart and how much comes from wanting to be known for being generous.
While traces of pride and posturing may always haunt us on this side of heaven, the words of Jesus point us to our target—words that would have been in direct contrast with the type of self-serving giving that was prevalent in ancient Rome. There’s a difference between being known for being generous and only giving because you want to be known for being generous. The former is giving toward God’s kingdom; the latter is giving so that people are impressed with your kingdom. Again, Jesus said:
““Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.””
Jesus redefined the motivation for giving. While the wealthiest Romans often gave to gain public honor or approval, Jesus emphasized that true generosity—pure generosity, the kind God really treasures—seeks no recognition. Instead, Jesus taught his followers to give quietly, even in secret, so that the act is an offering to God rather than a performance for others.
The question we have to continually ask is this: When we’re being generous, how much of our motivation is for our own reputation, and how much is motivated by God’s reputation and the benefit of other people? There’s hardly ever a simple answer to the question (again, we’re flawed), but with the help of God’s spirit inside us, we can be people who learn to give with pure and joyful hearts.
“Heavenly Father,
Help me to give with a pure heart, seeking to honor you and bless others, rather than to gain recognition. Amen.”
