Letter 143

From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium To: Peter Date: ~410 AD Context: Isidore explains Matthew 6:1 on almsgiving, distinguishing three kinds of givers and clarifying that public almsgiving is not itself condemned. On the text: "Do not practice your almsgiving before others" [Matthew 6:1]. I marvel at your — I will call it — dutiful confusion. I do not think you have fallen into such folly as to suppose that those who give alms openly are worse than those who give nothing at all. Let me tell you what I actually think. The truly merciful person is the one who does good without parading the suffering of those he helps — who benefits others without making their misfortune into a spectacle. If someone gives for the thing itself — for the love of goodness — his reward is greater than the one who gives for the reward. If he gives for the reward, that is still acceptable — he is not condemned. But if he gives for the applause, he has already received what he was after. The audience is his reward in full. The distinction is not between public and private giving. It is between giving from love and giving from vanity.

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