In the first eighteen verses of this chapter, Jesus deals with the improper doing of righteousness. If you use the King James Version, you need to realize that the word alms found in verses 1 and 2 of that translation are derived from two different Greek words. The word alms in verse one should be translated “righteousness” or “acts of righteousness.” Vine says the Greek word under consideration refers to “religious duties.” Jesus is setting forth a general principle which we must follow. When we serve God, our practice of righteousness must be preserved from ostentation. The first example Jesus gives us is in the area of helping those in need. We must not only be willing to help the needy, we must do it the right way. Notice what this entails.

We Must Not Sound a Trumpet

Some say that this is just figurative language by Jesus, and it may well be. However, I have read where the Pharisees would literally sound a trumpet before they gave alms to the poor. They proclaimed that it was a signal to the poor that they were about to give alms. The sounding of a trumpet, then, was to give hope to the poor. In truth, however, the Pharisees were simply trying to call attention to the fact that they were about to give to the poor.

There is always a danger of falling into this trap when it comes to helping others. This is why Jesus begins this section by saying, “beware.” We must be very careful when it comes to giving to the needy lest we slip into showmanship without realizing it. We must examine our motives whenever we give to the poor in order to be sure that they are pure. Here is a key question that we should ask ourselves: “Would I be doing this if I knew for sure that no one else would ever know what I was doing?” If the answer is no, the giving will not be respected by God, regardless of the praise we receive from man. So, when you give, don’t sound a trumpet.

We Must Not Give Hypocritically

There are very few things in the realm of religion that are more appalling than hypocrisy. Counterfeit Christians have done more damage to the cause of Christ than all of the false doctrines of the world combined. So, as Christians we should have the kind of character that produces nothing but truth from us in word and deed. We should be exactly what we proclaim to be (2 Timothy 1:3-6). Now then, when it comes down to giving and helping others, this is the character we must have. We must give, but we must do it with sincerity.

We Must Not Seek Self-glory

Finally, whenever we help others, we must avoid doing it for the glory of men. The Pharisees were notorious for this. Personal glory was what they sought in almost everything they did. They became addicted to the praise of men (John 5:39-44; 7:18). The sooner we remove all desire of attaining the glory of man, the sooner our acts of righteousness will be pure and undefiled.

Doing things just to be seen of men is not something that died in the first century. There are still people who love to put on a religious show today. When we help others, let us make sure that it comes from the compassion of our hearts, and not the desire to impress others.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.