Word to the Wise
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - Wednesday in the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Corinthians 9:6-11 and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18]Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.....
. Not long ago, I commented on the apparent tension between the statement above and the one earlier in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus says, "Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Matt. 5:16) One of the most important dimensions of the Sermon on the Mount, of which both these statements are a part, is the "interior" dimension of motivation. Why we do something can be as important or more important than what we do. In some cases, even if we are prevented from doing what we are motivated to do, whether good or evil, we can still be praise- or blameworthy before God! It is difficult to come up with absolutely "pure" motives. If it makes us personally feel good to be generous to others, then we are motivated, at least partially, by selfish considerations. I am reminded of the old preaching professor who told his students, "As for praise for your preaching, let it be like water off a duck's back........ But the duck loves it!" Taking responsibility for our motives should be one with taking responsibility for our actions. This brings about integrity of person and spirit. This seems to me to be one of the primary demands of the Sermon on the Mount. Reading it often in the Gospel of Matthew can help us refine our motives. AMEN
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