They Have Their Reward | The Institute for Creation Research

They Have Their Reward

"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Matthew 6:2)

Evidently in our Lord's day there were individuals who, when they went to the synagogue to give of their money, did so with great show, even having a trumpeter go before them to announce their actions. They also prayed openly "standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men" (v. 5). Jesus called them hypocrites.

The Greek word for hypocrite was used primarily for a stage actor--one who acted as if he were another person, perhaps using a large mask to hide his true identity. In this case, the hypocrite played the part of a generous person, or a pious person, who, out of a heart of concern for the poor, or out of genuine love for God would give or pray abundantly. But under the "mask" was only a desire to have others recognize and glorify him. Perhaps they received the applause of the onlookers to which Jesus remarked, "They have their reward" (v. 5), even as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets receive theirs.

The word "have," an ordinary word, is here modified by a prefix which changes its meaning to "have in full" and was commonly used on business receipts to mean "paid in full." No payment or service was expected to follow the close of the transaction.

How sad it is when we do "Christian" work today for the praises of men and not the glory of God. Whatever comes of our work will be here; there will be no more reward to follow. Rather, let us give, or pray, or work, in secret, as it were, "and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly" (v. 4). JDM

The Latest
NEWS
Puzzling Fossils at an Unlikely Time
Wherever and whenever life is found, it is incredibly complex. This certainly applies to cyanobacterial photosynthetic life that supposedly were some...

CREATION PODCAST
A Theory Designed to Be...Anti-Design | The Creation Podcast:...
Science is objective. At least, that’s what we’re told. But there are inherent issues with this statement that can...

NEWS
Seeing the Case for Creation in Fruit Flies
Our brain is designed to smoothly and constantly process what we see via the incredibly sensitive photoreceptors (cones and rods) of our eyes.1...

DAYS OF PRAISE DEVOTIONALS
Winter 2024
...

NEWS
Amazing Defense Systems
Bacteria (prokaryotes) are ubiquitous. A fraction cause disease in people, animals, and plants, but the majority are the foundation for the global food...

NEWS
Octopus and Fish Plan a Complex Coordinated Hunt
The octopus—an invertebrate—never fails to surprise researchers with its incredible abilities.1,2 The octopus was designed...

NEWS
A ''40 million year old'' 100% European Gnat
Finding well-preserved creatures in amber1 is a landfall for creation scientists, much like the numerous discoveries of soft dinosaur tissue...

CREATION PODCAST
The Undeniable Power of Narrative | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
Science is objective. At least, that’s what we’re told. But there are inherent issues with this statement that can cause...

NEWS
Paintbrush of the Creator
Who doesn’t enjoy the amazing color patterns of butterflies?1,2 Such beautiful designs and construction do not reflect blind naturalistic...

NEWS
November 2024 ICR Wallpaper
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV) ICR...