Giving in Secret: The Reward of Righteousness

In this section of The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses our motive for giving. Giving isn’t meant to be a performance for praise, rather a quiet overflow of our relationship with Him. The way of the Kingdom is upside down. It’s not about being seen, but being known by the Father who sees in secret.

So the question is: Are we giving out of love or out of a need to be loved? Are we following Jesus with depth, or just checking the boxes of what a good Christian should do?

Key Takeaways:

1. Jesus cares more about what is going on inside of you than your actions and behaviors. He would teach that practicing righteousness was a response of the heart—where you receive God’s love and give that love out to others. It’s not about mustering something up to be seen, but about what flows from right relationship with Him.
   
2. Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Jesus is saying, don’t put your life on display just to be praised. Righteousness isn’t a show. It’s the overflow of a life connected deeply to Jesus.
   
3. Don’t give to get your needs met. If your giving is to get recognition or affirmation, you’ve already received your reward. Jesus invites you to get your needs met by Him first—and then give, out of the overflow of that relationship.
   
4. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Jesus is teaching us to give in secret—not for attention, not to check a box, but from a place of humility and trust that your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you.
   
5. Check your motives—what’s your why? Is your life a reflection of deep intimacy with Jesus, where His love pours out onto others? Or are you living for approval, praise, or surface-level Christianity that misses the depth of relationship Jesus is offering?