St Mary in the Mountains

St Mary in the Mountains, Virginia City, Nevada.

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as hypocrites … that they may have glory from men (Matthew 6:1, 2).

Chiseled into the side of a mountain over a mile high (1.87 km) in the northern deserts of the State of Nevada is Virginia City. One hundred fifty years ago, it was the richest city on earth. Within the mountainside was discovered the largest silver and gold deposits in the world at the time, worth over 10 billion dollars today!

Irish immigrants, welcomed in Nevada, rushed to make their fortunes in the boom town. At the center of town they built St Mary in the Mountains Church. The first structure blew down in a storm in 1860, the second was burned by a fire which raged through the city in 1875. The third building was dedicated the following year at a cost of 1.5 million dollars, half of which was paid for by one individual!

Sunday morning in Virginia City was the time, and St Mary’s was the place, to show off your wealth. Each pew in the building was leased to congregants for yearly use, and the more expensive pews were toward the front. Only the owner of that pew was allowed to sit in it for the year. Each pew contained a bracket for the donor to place his business card on Sunday. This allowed donors to publicly boast in what they gave while “humbly” shaming those who gave less … or gave nothing at all. Putting their names and donations in public was pure pride and manipulation.

One day Jesus sat with His disciples in the glorious temple in Jerusalem. They watched and listened as each person entered and dropped their gold and silver coins in the large copper collection boxes. The sound of the giving must have been incredible, for the Bible says that many who were rich put in much (Mark 12:41).

Yet Jesus taught that our giving and doing should be without boasting, fanfare, or public recognition. He said that God the Father doesn’t acknowledge such giving, for it is done to be noticed and praised by others. Jesus called it hypocrisy.

Stealing Glory

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them (Matthew 6:1).

Lois had studied piano at the Chicago Conservatory and become a concert pianist; yet she refused to play the piano at church. She was worried about people praising her. She suffered from the sin of pride.

We cannot stop people from praising us, but we can redirect their praise to whom it belongs. If there be anything good in you or coming from you, it is God who is doing it.

Lois could have used her talents for God’s glory and then pointed the praise back to the Lord at work in her. Instead, she was a thief of His rightful glory.

Without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Doing Good or Doing Grace

She’s known as the “Mother Teresa” of her town. She collects clothes for the naked. She’s spearheaded a city-wide Christmas food drive for the hungry. She collects materials the poor can use to earn a living. She also provides a mighty stern look to those who might think of crossing her.

Much of her later years in life have been devoted to doing “good.”

At this point, I was impressed … and a bit fearful of receiving that stern look I’d seen her give others.

In my brief time with her, she bragged long about all of her good-deed doing. Her face then twisted in disgust as she described someone she’d helped and then that person didn’t help her when she needed it.

She does “good” for others, but she then tallies her deeds like an accountant, keeping track of what she thinks others now owe her. Her good deeds are an appearance of goodness, but really a prideful means of personal gain. They are good deeds without any hint of grace. The sad things about it is that she doesn’t see her own motive in being a do-gooder.

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1).

PS: By the time we were done, I got her stern look and a tongue-lashing too.