Teaching about Almsgiving

Matthew 6:1 “Be cautious in your alms-giving, not to perform it before men, so that you may be seen of them: otherwise, you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven “

Alms-giving is a way of fulfilling one’s own duty to his own brother.  But if it is done with other intensions like for fame, etc. then, he loses the reward from God   because he has received another reward, which was the praise from men. That is, the work was good but intention was bad.  The same principle guides us in prayer, too.  If you are praying for the worldly matters you may get it, but then it costs you the reward that God alone can give you, eternal life.  In short, one who trades worldly things for eternal life is a fool.

“Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold” (Tobit 12:8).  The Jewish Rabbi’s taught that alms-giving were more dignified than sacrifice.

Matthew 6:3 “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”

This means that one who gave should  not know who he gave to and one who received should not know from whom he received; meaning unselfish service. Our Lord is a model for this.  After healing the leper He told him, “you don't tell anyone” (Mat 8:4).