Matthew 6:1-18 · Matthew 5:20 · Matthew 5:16 — Sermon on the Mount
The King's Children Motives
Jesus calls his followers to perform good deeds with the right motive—so that God receives glory, not ourselves. True righteousness flows from a heart seeking to reveal God's character rather than win human approval.
Introduction
Motivation shapes everything we do. Why do we go to work? While we may enjoy our jobs, we typically go in order to get a paycheck and pay bills. The motivation is to have some comfort or at least to avoid discomfort. Those who truly enjoy their work with the expression “I can’t believe I get paid to do this” would perhaps enjoy the work less without pay. As one entrepreneur said, “Every morning I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.”
It is very similar to losing weight. “I’m so depressed and I can’t get any dates,” the 300-pound man told his minister. “I’ve tried everything to lose weight.” “I think I can help,” said the minister. “Be dressed and ready to go tomorrow at 8 a.m.” Next morning, a beautiful woman in a skintight exercise suit knocked on the man’s door. “If you can catch me, you can have me,” she said, as she took off. He huffed and puffed after her. This routine went on every day for the next five months. The man lost 115 pounds and felt confident that he would catch the woman the next day. That morning he whipped open his front door and found a 300-pound woman in a jogging suit waiting for him. “The minister said to tell you,” she began, “that if I can catch you, I can have you.”
We just have to find the right motivation to get started. Jesus speaks of motives in our text this morning. In Matthew 5:20, he said that the righteous acts of those who are going to follow him must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. Throughout this sermon, the Pharisees are the silent opponents. Jesus demonstrates that the perception of righteousness is not reality. Throughout chapter five, Jesus reviews what the intent of the law was and through each subject, Jesus calls on his followers to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. In chapter 6, we will see again Jesus’ call for greater righteousness. As he did throughout the first part of the sermon, Jesus focuses on the heart and attitude of the followers. In this case, he speaks directly to motives for right actions. God is looking for right motives even as he looks for right actions. Let’s be encouraged today.
The Text
The entire section of 6:1-18 is summarized in verse 1. The point of the section is simply this: if you do good deeds so that everyone will know what a good person you are, then you have your reward. You got what you wanted. You want recognition from others, then do something which others will see and pat you on the back for it. There may be some confusion in reference to what he has said before. In 5:16, he said that our good deeds or righteous acts are to be seen. Now he says not to allow your righteous acts to be seen. Is Jesus confused? Not at all.
The difference is in motive. It is one thing to do something so that God is seen and another thing to do something so that you are seen. No doubt that doing good things so that God is seen will result in some recognition as well. But the motive for lifting up God rather than self is preserved. Jesus isn’t confused, but his hearers may have been. The question has to do with motivation.
The only reward that comes when we want the attention from some good act is the pat on the back. God doesn’t reward such a determined glory-seeking attitude. If you do something to be noticed then you have received what you truly wanted. There is no room for God in such actions. You get what you really wanted—for people to think of you as a truly spiritual person. That doesn’t mean that we take an “I don’t care” approach to our actions, but it does mean to do things so that God gets the glory. It all has to do with what you want and the motives behind your actions.
With that point firmly entrenched, Jesus gives three illustrations or examples of doing good things for the wrong reasons. Each of these examples would have been familiar to the people hearing the sermon. Notice the similarity of the text in verses 2-4, 5-6, and 16-18. The wording is almost identical which further illustrates that Jesus is giving three examples rather than dealing with three different subjects. Three illustrations in which Jesus shows how the proper motives are important.
Application
The point has to do with your motives in this world—why you do what you do. Jesus talks about giving to the needy. If you make a donation to the needy and call attention to the donation, so that others applaud your effort then you have your reward. If you pray with the intent to impress others with your theology or with your intellect and others are impressed with your words and intellect then you have your own reward. If you go without food to demonstrate your spiritual piety and others are impressed with your spiritual discipline then you have received your reward.
Similar examples can be given about our own experience. If you go to school only to make good grades and others applaud your effort then you have received your reward. The student leaves home and goes to college. The student goes in order to experience freedom. The motivation is to be free of restraints and education is secondary. What would happen if the student went to college with the motivation to demonstrate the character of God?
If you go to work to receive a paycheck and others applaud your work ethic then you have received your reward. You leave home every day to go to work. You go to earn a paycheck to pay bills. What would be different if you went to work in order to reveal the character of God?
If you retire and travel the world and others applaud your adventuresomeness then you have received your reward. You retire and look forward to spending some leisure time enjoying things of this world in the few years you have left. What would be different if you thought about retirement in terms of revealing the character of God?
If you attend a congregation and participate in worship and ministry and others applaud your spirituality then you have received your reward. What would be different if you thought about worship and ministry in terms of revealing the character of God?
The issue from the sermon continues to be about the heart of the follower of Jesus. If you do what you do for recognition, the recognition is its own reward. All of us need pats on the back. Encouragement is that which keeps us going. But to do what we do in order to receive the pat on the back provides a shallow, self-centered reward. May God grant us a clearer understanding about his will and may we have the will to change our hearts to become less so that God may become more.
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