Not Letting Your Left Hand Know

THE Great Teacher was the keenest observer of human nature this earth has ever seen. Unerringly he detected ulterior motives and unsparingly he spoke out against them. In one of his strictures against a common human failing he once said:

“Take good care not to practice your righteousness in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. Hence when you start making gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, just as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, They are having their reward in full. But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, that your gifts of mercy may be in secret; then your Father who is looking on in secret will repay you.”—Matt. 6:1-4.

How searching these words of the Great Teacher are! How well the Son of God understood human nature, especially fallen, imperfect human nature! We may not think of blowing a literal trumpet, but we are prone to advertise our own goodness. As the Scriptural proverb states: “A multitude of men will proclaim each one his own loving-kindness, but a faithful man who can find?” Fittingly we are therefore counseled: “May a stranger, and not your own mouth, praise you; may a foreigner, and not your own lips, do so.” A deed may seem to be generous, but if we call attention to it the deed becomes a mere investment in our reputation. Our motives become suspect and we lay ourselves open to the charge of pride and hypocrisy.—Prov. 20:6; 27:2.

But just what did Jesus mean by telling us not to let our left hand know what our right hand is doing in the matter of charity? For one thing, it would indicate the greatest secrecy regarding our giving. Since the left hand works so very closely with the right in almost everything we do, for the left not to know would certainly preclude our boasting about our charitable works to even our closest companion, be that a wife or a husband. By means of this hyperbole Jesus was also driving home the point or vital principle that our chief concern should be to win God’s approval rather than man’s.

Not that there may not be times when calling attention to our own good works would serve a good purpose, as when making a certain point or when endeavoring to stir others to follow a good course. Thus King David pointed to the treasure he contributed to the building of a temple to Jehovah, gold and silver to the value of well over $90 million. Likewise other faithful servants of Jehovah, both before and since his day, including the Son of God, at times made mention of their good works. However, in no instance was this done for the purpose of being “glorified by men.” Rather, it was done for the purpose of glorifying God, as when David went on to say to Jehovah: “And yet, who am I and who are my people, that we should retain power to make voluntary offerings like this? For everything is from you and out of your own hand we have given to you.” Or it may have been done to stir others to do likewise, as when Paul recounted his course of action and the hardships he endured as a Christian minister, missionary and apostle, enabling him to say: “Become imitators of me, even as I am of Christ.”—1 Chron. 29:3, 4, 13, 14; 1 Cor. 11:1; 2 Cor. 6:3-10; 11:12-33.

Truly the Great Teacher, the Son of God, had keen understanding of human nature. He well knew that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?” With the aid of God’s Word and holy spirit or active force Jesus Christ was able to understand the heart of man.—Jer. 17:9, AS.

Blind Man Helps Others to See

LACK of sight is no insurmountable barrier to Gene Cauthron, who, although blind, is an active minister of Jehovah’s witnesses. Working with the Hollenbeck unit of the Los Angeles (California) congregation, Cauthron has become efficient in the handling of Bible discussions as well as preaching from door to door.

This all became possible when another minister of Jehovah’s witnesses called on him back in 1953 and assisted him in gaining an accurate knowledge of the Bible. A short while later this minister supplied him with a Braille Bible and other literature in Braille. Thus Gene Cauthron started on the road of a vocation that has permitted him to become a help to those who, even though possessing normal vision, could not fully understand the Bible and its many truths.

With much effort and determination, Gene has also been able to deliver one-hour Bible lectures on special Bible topics. This is remarkable, considering the fact that all research must be done in Braille. Yet the audience never feels uneasy because of his visual blindness. They experience a feeling of assuredness in all that he says, because all statements are amply supported with Bible proof.

Gene also shares in instructing individuals who are interested in gaining accurate Bible knowledge in the privacy of their own homes. He is currently assisting a family of three in gaining comfort and knowledge from studying the Bible.

Gene experiences much joy in this very important profession of preaching. He now feels that he is contributing something to the everlasting welfare of his fellow man. He regularly engages in the house-to-house ministry and has devised ways of keeping a house-to-house record and delivering oral sermons right at the doors.

In addition to adequately caring for his ministerial duties he supports himself by working as an assembler for a plumbing firm. At the age of thirty-three, Gene finds himself happy in doing his utmost in praising the Almighty God Jehovah, and helping others to see with the eyes of understanding.