The Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Matthew, is the most quoted sermon ever preached and for good reason because it is a message, a Word, from the Lord himself. At one point in that sermon Jesus tells us, “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see.” At another point in that same sermon Jesus tells us, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly.” Which is it, Lord? More than a little confusing isn’t it? Although those are two accurate quotes from the NLT translation, they are both taken out of context. Let’s put them back into context and see if they are no longer confusing or contradictory.
Here is the first quote in context. “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Here, He is talking about true believers doing good deeds in the name of the Lord, so that He is the one who receives praise and glory.
Now let’s look at the second quote in proper context. “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 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. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4) So now we know the difference is motive. When we let God’s light shine through us by our words and deeds, He gets the praise. When we help others to show everyone what a good person we are, the praise of men is the only reward we will ever receive. Have you ever heard the expression, “He (or she) is blowing their own horn”? Now you know where that expression probably originated.
That sermon Jesus preached is very often quoted out of context by unbelievers or by those who don’t want to face the full truth of His teachings. As Christians, we need to make sure we read and understand the full context of scripture, not just brief excerpts that seem to justify our opinions. When we read and study God’s word to sincerely discover the full truth He has for us, context is extremely important. Not all context is as obvious as the example I’ve given above. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the full message God has for us in His Word.