The objective of this lesson: to illustrate from scripture that motives can have both good and bad consequences.
Often people reason, "If the objective [or goal] is reached, what difference does it make why something is done?" As examples, consider some 'ouch' situations.
America is a very 'results' oriented society. It is easy to conclude in this society that if the desired results are achieved, the means of achieving them is unimportant--and motives are especially unimportant. However, motives are quite important to God!
Example one: You want to clean out your closets or buy new furniture for a room. However, you do not wish to be wasteful. Yet, neither do you want to have a yard sale. So you decide to give the things you do not want to a local organization who will distribute your unwanted things to people in need. Will the organization be helped? Certainly! Will people in need profit from your gift? Certainly! Will you clean out the closets or get rid of the furniture without having a yard sale? Certainly! Was your motive a desire to eliminate unwanted things or helping those in need?
Many of your students never may have considered motives in regard to these two illustrations. The illustrations represent two fairly common experiences in our society. Do be aware that there is more than one ethical consideration in both illustrations. Do not act as if there is only one consideration. Likely some of your students will react emotionally to one or both illustrations. If the reaction is primarily an emotional one, do a lot of listening and understanding. Do not emotionally react to them in response. Emotional reactions typically precede evaluation. Decisions/conclusions are not wisely made until a person is well into the evaluation stage. Remember, your objective is to make people think. Do not fear emotional reactions if they happen.
Example two: The year is coming to an end. December is almost over. For tax purposes, you truly need to make a charitable contribution. Within the last two weeks of the year you properly make a charitable donation in the amount your taxes require. Did the charitable organization benefit? Surely! Did the people helped by the charitable organization benefit? Surely! Was your desire to produce a needed tax credit fulfilled? Surely! Was your motive the production of a tax write off or the desire to help people in need?
Certainly the two examples used involve other ethical considerations. A person can want both to eliminate unwanted things and help those in need. A person surely can wait to the end of the year to maximize his or her gift to a charity by also receiving tax consideration. However, if a person wishes to claim his or her righteousness exists because he or she does primarily those acts which benefit his or her purposes, ethically he or she may need to examine his or her motives. Is that not why Jesus told such persons they had "received your reward" in Matthew 6:1-18? Doing something for you is not the same as doing something for God. However, we need to be careful not to judge others' motives! Unless the giver tells us, we likely do not know the 'whys'. The challenge lies in looking at ourselves rather than looking at others.
In both examples there is more than one ethical consideration involved. These are examples of ways that a person can "prove" or "demonstrate" his or her righteousness, of declaring, "I am a good person." These examples can be practical examples in today's world in which a Christian should take Matthew 6:1-18 as a warning. We, too, can perform good acts for motives other than serving or depending on God.
In today's texts, we will note bad motives can produce bad acts. Such motives can provoke divine opposition. 'Why' we do something is important to us and to God.
These passages illustrate the power of motives in both good and bad ways.
Philippians 1:12-18. This is one of Paul's 'prison epistles' meaning it was a letter he wrote to Christians while he was imprisoned. The Christians at Philippi knew Paul was in prison, knew his harsh circumstances, and knew he had enemies seeking to capitalize on his awkward circumstances.
Do a little research on the undesirable experiences of being in jail/prison in the first century Roman world. Discuss how easy it could have been for Paul to allow himself to feel sorry for himself. People often react to injustice with self pity. Also discuss how good friends would be distressed to learn someone special to them was imprisoned unjustly.
Incredibly, though Paul was in danger, he sought to encourage and comfort the Philippian Christians! Rather than focusing them on his undesirable circumstances, he called their attention to the good being accomplished. Paul existed to spread the gospel [the 'good news' about God's acts in Jesus' death and resurrection]. His imprisonment actually helped achieve his goal! His imprisonment caused Jesus Christ to be discussed in places Jesus Christ otherwise would not be mentioned! Because of Paul's imprisonment, people discussed Jesus that previously never heard of Jesus.
Discuss what would be involved in this fact: Paul thought of other Christians rather than his own difficulty and danger. Rather than dwelling on his own undesirable conditions, Paul focused the Philippian Christians on the way Jesus Christ benefited from his situation. Discuss the challenge of having Paul's perspective.
Some spoke of Jesus because they were motivated by love for Paul and Jesus Christ. Some, motivated by envy, wanted to stir up confrontation. The later had bad motives and evil desires. They wanted to increase Paul's anxiety and suffering. However, Paul did not care what motivated them. He found joy in the fact that people talked about Jesus.
Discuss the fact that both good motives and bad motives used the same situation. Note that Paul did not care what motivated people as long as Jesus Christ was discussed. Talk about Paul's attitude toward Christ.
In Paul's lifetime, many never had heard the words 'Jesus Christ'. Paul was happy that in prominent circles people made the 'unknown Jesus' the 'known Jesus.' Awareness advanced among the unaware! To Paul, that was wonderful! God used bad motives in an evil situation to make more people aware of Jesus Christ! With that result, Paul said his suffering was insignificant!
In a time that had little advertising or mass media as we know and use today, "getting the word out" was a challenging need. Paul said that having people know and discuss Jesus Christ was more important than his suffering. Discuss the level of commitment such an attitude would require today. Is such commitment needed? How does this illustrate that a person who became a Christian literally redirected his or her life?
James 2:1-4. James wrote to Christians who practiced favoritism. To these Christians, some interested people were more desirable than other interested people. The contrast James gave was between a man wearing fine clothes with a gold ring and a man obviously poorly dressed in dirty clothes. The well dressed man was given a prominent place to sit and the poor man was given an undesirable place to sit [the situation is likely in a home where Christians gathered].
Discuss from James' example how this would be an act of favoritism. Can such favoritism occur in the church today? Present examples of how such favoritism can occur among us today. What is the bond between motives and such favoritism?
James said to make such distinctions based on the wealth of the person was to show favoritism by becoming judges with evil motives [reasoning]. James continued to explain why such actions were offensive to God.
Discuss the link between such favoritism and becoming judges. In such situations, what is the motive of one who judges on God's behalf?
James 4:1-4. James addressed why the Christians to whom he wrote experienced conflicts among themselves. Those to whom he wrote passionately pursued their physical desires. Their pursuit of desires was so passionate James used the words "lust" and "murder" to describe their determined commitment. He used these words to describe the intensity of their envy, fighting, and quarreling. As was typical of many in their time, they viewed religion as avenue [means] for obtaining their desires. "Win the gods' favor, and achieve your desires."
What is a motive of someone who wishes to "use God?" Give examples of using God [making 'trial' of God--Matthew 4:6, 7 and Deuteronomy 6:16. Distinguish between the motives of the person who seeks to use God and the person who depends on God. Is there a distinction to be seen in the actions of the one who seeks to use God and the one who seeks to depend on God?
James said the reason they did not get what they requested was found in the fact they had wrong motives. They were interested in their desires, not God's purposes. He said those Christians were guilty of adultery against God. In a profound way, they were unfaithful in their commitment to God. Obtaining their desires courted the physical interests of this existence, but it ignored God's interest. They forgot or were ignorant of the fact that interests of ungodly forces opposed God's interest. They pursued and asked of God in order to invest in their own pleasures, not in God's concerns for people. Their pursued objectives made them God's enemies.
Focus on the reason they did not receive their requests when they asked God for help. Discuss how they failed to understand or meet the commitment of the man or woman who belongs to God. Here is a clear illustration of motives that are focused on self and motives that are focused on God's purposes. The primary difference in the two sets of motives is to be found in the person's commitment to God when repentance occurred.
For Thought and Discussion
If the objective [or goal] is reached, what difference does it make why something is done? This is a form of "the end justifies the means."
The point: bad motives can produce bad acts and even divine opposition. [Only when godly people refuse to react to bad motives can they be used for good purposes in evil circumstances.]
He sought to encourage and comfort the distressed, concerned Philippian Christians.
Jesus Christ was being discussed in places by people who otherwise would not even know about the life of Jesus or his resurrection.
He wrote about the practice of favoritism among Christians. [He addressed the fact that such favoritism arose from ungodly motives.]
He said they had the wrong motive in making their request. They were dedicated to seeking personal pleasure rather than seeking to fulfill God's purposes.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 12