Let your light shine

[IAMANOBODY2015]

Jesus said that let your light shine before men so that people may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. But in another verse he says if you give to the poor to be seen by men, you will not get a reward in heaven. And then he says don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.


I am not quite understanding what he is saying there. First, he says show your good deeds so that men can see you do good and glorify God. And then he says do your good deeds in secret. Can you explain to me what he means in these passages?

 

[John Robie]

I think it goes to your intentions. If you do something to be seen as good by men, that it your reward. If your intentions are to bring glory to God, He will reward you.

 

[twin1954]

Jesus said that let your light shine before men so that people may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. But in another verse he says if you give to the poor to be seen by men, you will not get a reward in heaven. And then he says don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.


I am not quite understanding what he is saying there. First, he says show your good deeds so that men can see you do good and glorify God. And then he says do your good deeds in secret. Can you explain to me what he means in these passages?

He is showing the difference between false religion and true. True religion shows itself without trying to put on a show. False religion always puts on a show. True religion does what it does because it is the natural result of life and faith. It never does anything to be seen of men. That is letting your light shine. We do not hide, unless there is real danger in being open about our faith, our faith and neither do we display it as something to be admired by men. We simply experience faith and it shows in our lives.

But if we act like a religious person in order to be seen by others and put on a show we are hypocrites. The Scriptures condemn a show of religion and hypocrisy.

 

[brinny]

He's saying NOT to feed someone hungry to "show" how wunnerful you are and to give yerself a pat on the back, but to feed someone hungry because you empathize with someone suffering with hunger and you want to relieve their hunger, and not to jot it down as another "good deed you've done", but to then "ferget about it"

He's stressing "motives" here.

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ~John Bunyan

Another way to look at it is the doing "random acts of kindness" (anonymously when possible).

 

[IAMANOBODY2015]

Thank you for explaining. That was very helpful.