In today’s post, Craig A. Evans brings social realities from the world of theater to our attention that shed light on specific expressions in Jesus’ teaching on giving to the needy. It is long but worth the read, as he helps us grasp that Jesus wants us to avoid giving for show or public praise.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4
“Jesus’ “to be seen by them” is literally “to be watched by them” (cf. Matthew 23:5). The word “watched” (or “seen”) is theathenai, which is from the root that gives us theater. This word by itself would not bring to mind the theater, but as Jesus begins piling up other terms and activities, such as “hypocrites” (or play-actors), sounding a trumpet, long prayers and speeches, coordination of the movements of one’s hands, and wearing makeup, his hearers would recognize the allusions to the theater, lending an element of the comical to what is otherwise a serious matter.
The first example concerns donations. “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites to” (v. 2). Giving “alms” became a standard feature in Jewish piety of late antiquity…and is attested in the early church (cf. Acts 3:2, 3, 10; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17). Giving alms is good and fulfills the Old Testament commands to be generous with the poor (e.g., Exod 22:25; Deut 15:4, 7, 11). But when one practices charity, one is not to “sound a trumpet” (or “toot one’s horn,” as we say nowadays). In the theater of late antiquity, trumpets often announced an action or a new scene. There are also traditions about trumpets sounding for prayer and worship…
The sounding of the trumpet comes from the Greek theater, not the Jewish temple or synagogue. Jesus has warned us not to make theater of one’s piety, whether in giving alms or in any other act of faith and practice. In Matthew, “hypocrites” are phonies who have no sincere regard for the Law and can almost be regarded as apostates. They are examples of pious frauds…The play-actors, Jesus says, sound the trumpet “in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others.” That is they draw attention to themselves in public places, where they may be observed and praised. If their motivation for almsgiving is this, then “they have received their reward.” Because the play-actors have done what they have done for their own glory, not for God’s, they may expect no reward from God.
Therefore, Jesus instructs, “when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret” (vv. 3-4). We often jokingly refer to an organization or institution (or government!) whose “right hand does not know what its left hand is doing.” We think this means inefficiency or clumsiness. The actual point, however, may once again have to do with the theater, in which play-actors skillfully coordinated the motions of their hands to compliment their words and to make more vivid in the minds of the audience what they are to imagine.
The hands of the actors were supposed to be synchronized and meaningful, drawing attention to what is being said or done (on this see Marcus Fabian Quintillian, Institutio Oratoria [on stage and orations] 11.2.42; 11.3.66; 11.3.70. 85-121, especially 114: “The left hand never properly performs a gesture alone, but it frequently acts in agreement with the right”). Against such well-orchestrated and polished performances, Jesus says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” There is nothing public in one’s almsgiving; it is not a public performance, an act to be observed and acclaimed. Giving is to be “in secret” (i.e., private).”
Craig A. Evans in Matthew (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012) 140-141.
In reviewing this interesting research that adds depth to our understanding of this core teaching of Jesus on giving to the needy, my mind went to the diligent work of our daughter, Sophie. She choreographed elements of the fall theater production at SDCC and was recently asked to choreograph the spring show in March 2017. When she does her work well, everyone takes the stage at their appropriate cues and performs their motions with the words and music of the script in sync and in full view of the audience.
Jesus essentially says that if you do your giving for praise from people, you will receive your reward on earth. But if you take your cues from God and do your giving in private, the Father who sees will reward you. This means that is right and fitting for couples or families to talk about their giving, but don’t do the act of giving for an audience of people or to receive their applause, do it for God.
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