Why do you serve God?

For salvation? because it’s the right thing to do? to say thank you? for recognition? for a thank you?

Jesus challenges you and me in this next portion of the sermon on the mount, to ask ourselves, why do you do, what you do? Today’s scripture passage focuses in on generosity.

Why are you generous?

A newly ordained minister, was thrill to be installed in a small country church which had just over 100 people on her rolls. The average Sunday worship attendance, however, was 36 people.

Seeing that two thirds of the congregation didn’t worship regularly, she set out to visit with each family to learn, why. She received the usual reasons: some people worked on Sunday morning, some people wished they had the time to, some people found worship boring, others didn’t like the previous minister, some people admitted it was a habit which they just fell out of.

While making these visits, she came across, a person, whose, great, great grandfather, was one of the founding members of the church. As she delved into this family’s history, she found that members from each generation, such as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, had served on the church board, as Sunday school teachers, sang in the choir, were officers in the ladies aid society and the men’s service club. She even learned that this person had even married a woman, whose family was just as deeply entrenched in the life and history of the church.

Before making her visit she tried to figure out why, this person would no longer be involved in the life of the church. She thought perhaps, it was because their son had epilepsy. Maybe it’s because he had to work two jobs to pay the medical expenses. It was possible that he was angry at God because his wife had died when she was only forty-five. Trying to anticipate the various reasons WHY, he no longer came to church, she finally reached his house.

She found him sitting on his front porch, waiting for her visit.

After exchanging introductions and small talk for a while, she got to the reason for her visit.

"Why do you no longer come to church or participate in the other programs the church offers?"

It was evident that he was waiting for this question. What she got next was both barrels. He delivered a forty minute litany of things he and his wife, and his family had done for the church. He told her that his family were the pillars of the church. If it weren’t for him and his family the church would not exist today.

The minister responded, "So then why are you not involved anymore?

"Why?", he said. "I’ll tell you why. When the church needed something done. I was the one who did it." At which point he went into another lengthy litany of all the things he personally did for the church.

She responded, "But that still doesn’t tell me why, you stopped coming. Why you stopped being involved."

"Do you think anyone cared? Do you know how many thanks I got?"

"Is that what this is about, recognition for your works?" she asked.

"I’m not saying I did it for a Thank you, but the work I did for that church should be acknowledged. I should be recognized"

Jesus said,

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them."

Jesus is not saying, we shouldn’t say thank you. What Jesus is saying, recognition should not be the motivation for doing.

It is easy to do what is right for recognition and praise. BUT that should not be our motivation for doing.

It is easy to give with mixed motives, to do something for someone, for the church, if it will benefit us in return. Jesus is telling us, we must give for the sake of giving. We must give as a response to God’s love. This is what Jesus meant when he said,

"Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

Our acts of giving alms, our acts of generosity should be God centered, not self centered. We should do them not to make us look good, but to make God look good. Self centered generosity goes unnoticed by God.

Jesus said

"Beware of practicing your piety before others to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Paul echoed what Jesus said,

"If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not love, I gain nothing."

Actions and deeds, no matter how good they are go unnoticed by God, IF the motivation for those acts and deeds ARE not love and compassion. Jesus saw an hypocrisy of the heart in those who were being generous.

Tomorrow we remember men and women who served their country, who gave their life. I would be surprised if their motivation to go to war, to lay down their life was for their own glory, and not for the sake of preserving freedom.

Each man and woman laid down their life, in the same way that Jesus laid down his life. Out of love for you and me.

What is your motivation, for doing what you do in terms of worship, serving God and neighbor, in terms of being generous?

Recognition OR Love of God?

AMEN

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