Reward in Full

I heard a good message about the Sermon on the Mount this morning. The message touched on Christ's warnings regarding the pitfalls of giving. In stark contrast to those already controlled by the sin of pride, the followers of Jesus are commanded to give in secret. Our giving should be so secret, according to Jesus, that our left hand shouldn't know what the right hand is doing.

I've always been fascinated with this image. Jesus loved his hyperbole, and it makes me wonder if people have ever tried to fulfill this command literally. Who knows, maybe that's why they invented pockets.

The substance of Jesus' point, of course, wasn't to change the manner in which people give. The point, as far as I can tell, was to contrast those who are prideful from those who are not. If you're prideful, you'll go out of your way to reap the praises of people, but the reward stops there. If you're concerned with pursuing good, then the manner in which you give really doesn't matter. Public or private, you are hopeful that your giving makes a difference.

It's remarkable, though, to think of how easy it is to turn hyperbole into another rule. Christians are undoubtedly obsessed with rules. Even those individuals who supposedly focus on the grace of God instead of the rules can fall into deceptive traps. I'll always remember a conversation I had with an acquaintance of mine about Christians and dancing. My friend referenced the anti-dancing crowd as "legalists." I found that unsettling. What he said didn't bother me, but rather the way he said it. There was no small measure of contempt in his voice. Though I think that dancing is perfectly fine, I'd like to think I save my contempt for something other than individuals who choose not to dance. I figure if they don't have rhythm then they are quite possibly doing all of us a favor.