When I do my morning Bible study, I use a daily devotional, one chapter of the book of Proverbs, and two chapters of Bible reading. This morning, as I was reading in the sixth chapter of Matthew when a phrase I’ve read many times suddenly caught my eye: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1; emphasis added). I decided to do a Bible study on that two-word phrase, mainly out of curiosity, to see how it is used in scripture. As I began to study this phrase, I began to learn some interesting lessons from that small little two-word phrase.
The phrase take heed is used fifteen times in the New Testament and is not found anywhere in the Old Testament. According to Dr. Ed Vallowe in his book, Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics, fifteen is scripturally significant since it is always connected with rest. Vallowe states that fifteen is always associated with deliverance or salvation and is a concept that is demonstrated because three times, the children of Israel rested on the fifteenth day of the month as found in the book of Leviticus 23:6-7, Leviticus 23:34-35, and Esther 9:20-22 (1). As I continued my study, I began to notice are fifteen distinct things that the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles Peter and Paul told believers that they must take heed of. While not commonly used today, the phrase “take heed” simply means to pay special attention to or to be on the lookout for whatever is being described. Here are the first four things of the fifteen that as Christians, we must pay attention to:
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1).
It’s pretty straightforward that we are not supposed to draw any attention to ourselves when we do give to others in their time of need. When we make a big spectacle of our giving, we take the emphasis off of God. Instead of God’s generosity being the focus of the gift, as demonstrated through our ability to give, we place ourselves ahead of God. In the next three verses, Jesus warns that when we place ourselves as the source of blessings, we will get the rewards (whether good or bad) of man.
No one likes admitting they need help; often a good deed given in anonymity to them not only serves as a demonstration of God’s love for them, but it can also ease the feelings of guilt or shame associated with the need. If that same person was given a gift by someone who would turn to brag on themselves, not only could it create a situation where the person in need feels that they owe a debt to the giver, but could also serve as the beginning for contention within the local congregation. Jesus tells us to do them secretly and uses the image of us doing something with our right hand that the left hand does not notice – in other words, seek not the accolades of men, give in private and do not make a spectacle of your giving. Allow God to bear witness of your deeds, the condition of your heart at the time of the gift, and allow God to be the one that openly blesses you for your obedience to Him.
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 18:10).
It is hard to believe but some people are extremely uncomfortable around children or do not wish to be bothered by children. Unfortunately, this attitude is carried with them throughout all that they do. As a former volunteer and a professional with a youth-serving non-profit organization, I often heard volunteers complain about the youth of the program. In the past, I have even been in churches where members openly complained about the youth in the church – the messes they make, the damage the older kids do, the waste of floor space in the building that a nursery causes, and so on. Again, the Lord Jesus Christ is pretty straightforward in his teaching that as Christians, we are to do nothing that could discourage or cause children to not come to the Lord Jesus Christ. As adults, we need to do whatever we can to bring those young children boldly to the feet of Christ.
Imagine standing in the chamber of the Great White Throne, with all the hosts of Heaven watching, while angels explain to the King of kings and the Lord of lords that some ill-spoken word, deed, or action by you said to that person brought before the throne was the reason they rejected Christ. Imagine the brokenheartedness of the Heavenly Father as He gazes over to see you, a child of his, bought by the blood of the Lamb – and the very cause this person before Him now is awaiting the final judgment and be sentenced to the lake of fire. It is after the Great White Throne judgment of God that the apostle John wrote, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:4). It’s a painful reality that many of us will face as we see those who we could have shared the gospel with, could have been a better example of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to get condemned to eternal punishment. What a day of great sorrow that will be!
