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.
Jesus is giving practical teaching on the motives behind generosity. In his day, some religious leaders would make public displays of giving in synagogues — Jewish houses of worship and community gathering — and on street corners, to earn applause and admiration. The word Jesus uses for 'hypocrites' comes from Greek theater, where it literally meant an actor wearing a mask. Jesus isn't condemning giving itself — he's exposing the hunger for human approval that can quietly corrupt even the most generous act. His point is stark: if you give to be seen, the recognition you receive is the only reward you'll get.
God, expose the places where I dress up pride as generosity. Teach me to give in a way that doesn't need an audience — where your seeing it is enough. Loosen my grip on what others think of me, and let my giving come from something real. Amen.
Think about the pull to let something good you did slip into conversation. The casual mention of the donation. The photo from the food bank. It doesn't feel like pride — it feels like inspiring others, or just sharing your life. But Jesus cuts through that rationalization with surgical precision. He's not just targeting the guy blowing a trumpet in the street; he's talking about the quiet, almost invisible hunger for recognition that lives in most of us — the part that wants to be known as generous, not just be generous. The reward Jesus describes isn't a punishment — it's a trade. You can have the nod of approval from people watching, or you can have something harder to name: the intimacy of a gift that only God sees. That kind of giving quietly reshapes the person doing it. It asks something ruthless of you: can you do good with no audience? Can you walk away without anyone knowing — and find that enough?
What do you think Jesus means by 'received their reward in full' — is he saying God withholds blessing, or is something more subtle happening about what we're actually seeking?
Think of a time you gave something — money, time, help — and felt the pull to mention it afterward. What was underneath that impulse for you?
Is there such a thing as public generosity that isn't hypocritical? Where is the line between inspiring others and performing for them?
How does the way you give — quietly or publicly — affect the people close to you who are watching how you live your faith?
What is one act of generosity you could do this week that no one will ever know about, and what would it take to feel genuinely satisfied with that?
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:5
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
2 Corinthians 9:15
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully .
2 Corinthians 9:6
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
James 2:15
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
James 2:16
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:16
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:16
"So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
AMP
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
ESV
'So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
NASB
“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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
NIV
Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
NKJV
When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do — blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
NLT
"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get.
MSG