Hey Pastors!
I love the idea of giving to others as a church body, but always thought it should be done anonymously. When is it okay to give in-person versus doing it anonymously?
Sincerely,
Gavin A. Way
Dear Gavin,
There is a misunderstanding about what Jesus meant when he says in Matthew 6:3,4: “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.” Some think this passage means no one should know about your giving. Let’s look at the context in chapter 6.
In verse 1, Jesus says not to do acts of righteousness…to be seen by men, then in verse 2, not to announce it to be honored by men. In the following paragraph about prayer, he says not to have showy prayers, but to pray “in your room”. In the next section on fasting, he says the hypocrites make it obvious — again for the eyes of men.
Jesus is making the distinction that an impure motive will strip from an ‘act of righteousness’ any reward in heaven. (v. 1) The issue is a matter of motive. Throughout the New Testament God is glorified by the visible acts of Jesus’s disciples. Peter and John publicly heal a crippled man in the name of Jesus. (Acts 3) When the crowds thronged them, Peter explained that the miracle was performed by Jesus.
In Luke 14:13,14, Jesus says, “…[W]hen you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Jesus says that we will be rewarded in heaven for such giving.
As a final example in Acts 8, Philip is healing and driving out demons. Peter and John lay hands on people who then receive the Holy Spirit. When Simon, a sorcerer, saw that he could profit from such powers, he tried to buy from them the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to others. While cursing him harshly, they explain that his heart is not right with God and he will receive no such power.
If the Holy Spirit is leading you, giving can be done anonymously, so not even the recipient knows from whom the blessing came, privately, so only the recipient knows what happened, or publicly so everyone knows what happened. The goal is to bring God the most glory. Check your motives. If you seek to honor yourself even in giving privately, then find a way to give anonymously — and don’t tell anyone about it! It’s all about the motive of your heart. Will God be glorified or will you?
Shane (after open discussion with the other pastors)
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Tags: Anonymity, Benevolence, Giving, Reward in Heaven