Does Jesus expect us to give to the needy?

Can we assume, from Jesus’ teaching, that God’s desire is for us to care for those in need?

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “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.” (Mt. 6:1-2)

From this passage, being charitable and giving to the needy seems to be assumed. Personally, I think that is a correct assumption, and here’s why.

1. Religious people give.

First, the religious people of Jesus’ day knew that God expected this. Sure, they may have been hypocritical in how they facilitated their gifts to the needy, but there wasn’t a question of “if”, but “when”. This likely had a lot to do with Old Testament laws calling God’s people to a certain level of charity, but they definitely gave to those in need.

Second, even today, people get the memo that following God and giving to the needy are connected. Religious people still give. If you attend a faith-based institution, this isn’t a shock to you.

Church-folk definitely get this. And the stats prove it!

• 96% of practicing Christians have given to charity, versus 60 percent of atheists and agnostics. (Barna Group)

That’s on a national level, but now consider the Christian investment into international aid and relief.

• Christian NGOs comprised 57.4% of the NGOs affiliated with the United Nations. (Free Journal Network)

Giving to those in need is a crucial part of Christianity and overall church culture. It’s definitely not an “if” but a “when” question.

2. Christians should give in secret.

This is where Jesus calls us out on our intent. Like almost all of Jesus’ teachings, He points us to the heart condition behind the action.

We could give to the needy every day of our lives and still miss the mark. We could give for us, or make it all about our thoughts and feelings about the charitable gift, either outwardly or even internally. All of which points to a serious pride issue.

Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging. He follows up the warning with helpful instruction, explaining how and why true followers of Jesus should give to the needy.

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mt. 6:3-4)

Jesus has moved us past the questions of “if” or “when”, showing us that “how” and “why” are what we should focus on. There should be a level of secrecy in our giving and charity.

What does this look like in our culture? It comes down to our personal heart condition; being honest with ourselves on why we’re giving in the first place. Or if you’re looking for a clear example, a selfie of oneself dropping cash in a homeless person’s hat is an obvious fail.

3. Christians should know why they give.

To get a fuller picture of charitable giving in western culture, I have a few more stats to give us a better understanding of how giving to those in need plays out in day-to-day life.

When do people typically give to charities?

• 73% of charitable giving happens throughout the week. (PushPay.com – Digital Giving Platform)
• 31% of charitable giving happens in December. (Neon One – Non-Profit Marketing Firm)

Who is giving to charities?

• 8/10 People who give to charities have zero credit card debt. (Nonprofit Source – Nonprofit Professional Development Org.)

Do only rich people give to charity?

• Of families that make over $75,000 per year, only 1% donated 1/10 of their income. (Nonprofit Source – Nonprofit Professional Development Org.)
• People with a salary of less than $20,000 are 8x more likely to give than someone who makes over $75,000. (Share Faith – Church Resources)

Looking at these stats, I see evidence of Jesus’ teaching on giving to those in need. There’s clearly a heart connection to giving.

1. There’s a financial discipline and sacrifice connected to supporting a charity.
2. It can be motivated either by nostalgia related to an event or holiday.
3. Personal experience of knowing what it’s like to be in need can spur on a charitable gift.

Simply put, people who know what it’s like to go without (either by choice or by circumstance) seem to have a discipline of giving.

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• Do you connect Christianity with charitable giving? Why or why not?
• Should Christians be giving differently to those in need? If so, what would it look like?