Tricking Your Left Hand

Guest post by David Dorr

“When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).

Recently, I asked a group of students to hold up their right hand and then to hold up a certain number of fingers on their left hand. Then I told them to hide what they were doing from their right hand. Their looks said it all.

So what exactly does Jesus mean not “letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing?” We all know that it is impossible and nonsensical to hide anything from our other hand. We are always aware when our hands are doing something. That is, unless, they are doing it out of habit.

When we brush our teeth in the morning, or take a shower, we are barely conscious of doing these things, because we do them so often. And when we teach our children to brush their teeth or bathe, we are teaching them to, eventually, do those things automatically, without having to be told.

So when Jesus tells us to fool our left hand when we give to the poor, he is saying that giving to the poor is such a habit that, even in the act of giving, we are not conscious that we are doing an “act of righteousness.” Generosity is who we are, and giving is as automatic as brushing your teeth before bed.

When we give to the poor we are not congratulating ourselves or looking for praise, we are just being who we are -- generous. The gift, then, is not about the giver, but the need. The gift is about love. And, certainly, one of the rewards of the kingdom of heaven is to be free from vanity and entered into the exceedingly broad world of love for others.