The Lord admonishes His disciples (Matthew 5:1)
to not do their ALMS BEFORE MEN, because they would have NO REWARD FROM their "FATHER which is in heaven"
(Matthew 6:1)
It is important to understand WHY this ADMONITION held
so MUCH MEANING for His disciples (Matthew 5:1)
- they had "FORSAKEN ALL" (Matthew 19:27) and IN RETURN were PROMISED to "sit upon TWELVE THRONES, JUDGING
the TWELVE TRIBES of ISRAEL" (Matthew 19:28) WHEN "He shall COME in His GLORY" and "sit upon the
THRONE of His GLORY" (Matthew 25:31)
To SEEK any REWARD NOW is to be DENIED any REWARD LATER
(Matthew 19:29-30) - for the Lord PROPHESIED that WHEN "I COME ... MY REWARD is
WITH ME" (Revelation 22:12)
Abraham in REFUSING the NOW REWARD of the King of Sodom
(Genesis 14:21-24) is a type of the faithful Jewish Tribulation remnant REFUSING the
NOW REWARD of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:16-17;Revelation 15:2)
Abraham IN RETURN RECEIVED the BLESSING of his God (Genesis 15:1)
as the faithful Jewish Tribulation remnant IN RETURN are PROMISED TO RECEIVE the KINGDOM (Revelation 2:26-27;Revelation 7:13-15)
The Lord admonishes His own to not be as the HYPOCRITES
who do their ALMS PUBLICLY to be recognized by men and receive the GLORY OF MEN and so they have their REWARD NOW
(Matthew 6:2)
The Lord CONDEMNED PUBLICLY the SCRIBES and the PHARISEES
as HYPOCRITES (Matthew 23:27) who "OUTWARDLY APPEAR RIGHTEOUS ... but WITHIN ... are FULL OF
HYPOCRISY AND INIQUITY" (Matthew 23:28)
He informed the "PHARISEES ... who were COVETOUS"
(Luke 16:14)
that "the KINGDOM of God shall be TAKEN FROM YOU, and GIVEN TO a NATION bringing forth the FRUITS THEREOF"
(Matthew 21:43)
The "NATION bringing forth the FRUITS THEREOF"
(Matthew 21:43) is the "LITTLE FLOCK" (Luke 12:32),
i.e. the KINGDOM will be GIVEN TO "HIS DISCIPLES" (Luke 12:1)
who the Lord called "MY FRIENDS" (Luke 12:4)
The Lord teaches His JEWISH KINGDOM disciples (Matthew 5:1 cf.Matthew 19:28) that when DOING ALMS - "LET NOT thy left hand KNOW WHAT thy right
hand DOETH" (Matthew 6:3)
Paul SIMILARLY exhorts GENTILES living under "the
DISPENSATION of the GRACE of God" (Ephesians 3:1-2) to DO ALL service "in SINGLENESS of HEART, as unto Christ"
and "NOT with EYESERVICE, as menpleasers" (Ephesians 6:5-6;Colossians 3:22-23)
The Lord COMMENDED the POOR WIDOW'S GIVING in contrast
to the giving of the rich men (Luke 21:1-3),
because hers was a SACRIFICIAL GIVING - for "she hath CAST IN ALL the living she had" (Luke 21:4)
He PARTICULARLY cites the PHILIPPIANS who were ESPECIALLY
HELPFUL "in the BEGINNING of the gospel" outreach to MACEDONIA (Philippians 4:15) WHEN "ye sent ONCE AND AGAIN unto my necessity" (Philippians 4:16)
The Lord explains that which is DONE "IN SECRET"
is SEEN by the Father "IN SECRET" and shall be REWARDED "OPENLY" (Matthew 6:4)
Paul SIMILARLY explains that ALL service DONE "with
GOOD WILL ... as to the Lord" (Ephesians 6:7) - "the SAME shall" one "RECEIVE of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:8)
- "for ye SERVE the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:24)
Paul tells the FAITHFUL GENTILES living under "the
DISPENSATION of the GRACE of God" (Ephesians 3:1-2) that there is "laid up ... a CROWN of RIGHTEOUSNESS ... unto
ALL ... that LOVE His APPEARING" (II Timothy 4:8), i.e. for ALL that are "LOOKING for ... the GLORIOUS APPEARING
of the GREAT GOD and our SAVIOR" (Titus 2:13)