“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
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. The hypocrites — the Greek word means actors performing a role — give in a way that ensures their giving is visible and praised. The sounding of a trumpet before giving to the poor may be literal (some scholars think it refers to trumpet-shaped collection containers in the temple) or figurative. Either way, the giving is designed for maximum visibility. They have received their reward communicates that human praise is a real reward — they got what they were seeking. But it is the only reward they will receive; the Father's reward, which is what the disciple community seeks, has been forfeited.
Church Fathers on Matthew 6:2
Above the Lord had spoken of righteousness in general. He now pursues it through its different parts.
He opposes three chief virtues, alms, prayer, and fasting, to three evil things against which the Lord undertook the war of temptation. For He fought for us in the wilderness against gluttony; against covetousness on the mount; against false glory on the temple. It is alms that scatter abroad against covetousness which heaps up; fasting against gluttony which is its contrary; prayer against false glory, seeing that all other evil things come out of evil, this alone comes out…
He who sounds a trumpet before him when he does alms is a hypocrite. Whence he adds, 'as the hypocrites do.'
Read all 19 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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