In Praise of Me – Matthew 6:1-4

Jennifer Winter of the Muse informs employees about how to brag about your abilities without actually boasting: 1) Ask your manager to look over your work to make sure you’re on the right track, 2) acknowledge something your manager has taught you (without sounding like a brown-noser, of course), and 3) demonstrate your confidence by killing it at the task assigned you.

We all want credit for our good deeds, but Jesus addresses this from the standpoint of the kind of righteousness that receives God’s favor. Jesus informs us that even if by using these techniques to avoid the appearance of boasting we are able to look good before people, God sees our hearts.

“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.

“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. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4 ESV)

Can you imagine hiring someone to play a trumpet for you as you go to give your money for the poor? Surely someone, somewhere, has done something like this, but Jesus may be speaking metaphorically here. Don’t make a big show of your works of charity. The righteousness of the followers of the kingdom is not done for the praise of others. In fact, such seeking of praise nullifies that righteousness. 

We long for others to see us in a positive light and even more selfishly, to see us as superior to them.  We do this as a cover for our shame and feelings of inadequacy.  We do it to protect ourselves, thinking God cannot do that. We don’t trust God to make known as needed our personal holiness.  Jesus turns the practice of blowing our own horn on its head and warns us there is no reward for that kind of “righteousness.”

So when we do good works, as he has already told us (5:16), they are to bring glory to our Father in heaven so that people will give praise to Him, not us.  When we give to the needy the motive must be to help the needy, not get brownie points with others.  When we do good works it must be trusting that our Father will reward us and that that kind of reward is more meaningful and necessary than one we manufacture for ourselves.

There is a spiritual discipline of silence. The practice of this discipline highlights just how much we want to talk about ourselves and make sure others acknowledge our glory. Silence moves us to share our hearts with our heavenly Father. “Father, I want to talk about my accomplishments so much. I obviously don’t think I can depend on You to uphold my reputation. Does my reputation even need to be upheld? Lord, cleanse my heart of self-seeking desire for praise. Help me to seek Your praise alone.”