I can’t truly know what first-century life was like in Jesus’ day. I imagine it was much more difficult without the accoutrements of our modern world. There was no light switch in the evening. No hot water heater for a shower. No central air or heat. No clothes washer or dryer. No electric or gas stovetop. No truck or car in the driveway.
Worse yet, there was no internet, no social media, no TV, no grocery stores, and no convenience stores. I could go on, but I suspect you get the picture. Life today is vastly different from that of our ancient forebears.
Drive-thru restaurants? Clothing stores? Power tools? Yes, we have much to be grateful for.
During the ice storm this past winter, my house went without power for 15 days. Modern homes and lifestyles are not designed for such conditions. Even with a generator and power cords running in every direction, it was still much easier than what the first-century world had to endure.
In some respects, we’ve come a long way, baby. In others, human nature hasn’t changed one whit.
With that in mind, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught some amazing things that continue to be a blessing to our culture.
The Beatitudes. The Lord’s Prayer. Salt and Light. Love Your Enemies. Do Not Judge. The Foolish Man. The Wise Man.
Amid all that incredible wisdom, Jesus taught us how to give. “But when you give to the poor, don’t 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.” (Matthew 6:3–4 CSB)
In other words, when you give, help, or support others, do so without drawing attention to yourself. Don’t make it about you.
Don’t make it about you? Yes, Jesus understood human nature. We are an attention-seeking bunch, me included. I imagine that if we truly followed what Jesus said, social media might disappear overnight.
Maybe you are a giver no one sees. Maybe your own family fails to recognize how you serve and care for them. Maybe you are taken for granted at work and at home. Maybe you are tired of always giving. Maybe those who were supposed to cherish you have cast you aside. I see you.
The Bible tells the story of Hagar, who was sent away from her family through no fault of her own. Banished. Lost. Lonely. All she had given and done was for naught.
But God showed up. Scripture says, “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’” (Genesis 16:13 NLT).
May you go through the rest of this week knowing that God sees your sacrifice—God knows your service. God sees you, and I see you too!
Thank you for all you do to make life better.
We can do this, you and I!
Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com
