Philanthropy
And yes, he expected us to do the very activities about which he warned. James, in fact, later lists these activities among the marks of "true religion." So Jesus told his followers to do just that: to give, to pray, to fast. And to cement the expectation, Jesus taught about "when" they give, "when" they pray, and "when" they fast. It was not a question of "if" they would, but rather it was instruction for "when" they would.
I think his warning was put gently. I also think it was simple: "be careful to check your motives." He did not bar public giving, praying, and fasting. In fact, in some cases, those very activities are described in the New Testament as perfectly appropriate in public and corporate settings.
But I also admit that it's easy to read his lips to say that we should only give, pray, or fast in our closet. (I confess that I don't do as much of that as I should!) But I think what he's really saying is this -- continually check your motives. Don't "practice righteousness" in front of people to gain personal attention and affirmation.
So "when you give" and "when you pray" and "when you fast," stop and think. He advises us to check our motives. Am I doing this for myself or for others? If I'm doing it for myself, whatever acclaim I get personally is my reward. But if I'm doing it for someone else, well now, that is when we are acting as our Father in Heaven. And one day, he promises, we will be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect.
How does this apply to "corporate" (i.e., business) philanthropy like KPMG's involvement in RBI? Is it okay for a company to build its brand and goodwill on account of its commitment to its communities?
Well, I think we're back to motive analysis. If we're in it -- corporately or individually -- for what we get out of it, then our reward just is what it is -- for us and fleeting. But if we're in it for others -- for our community, for those in need -- then our ultimate reward may be more eternal than we can now see.
Is it wrong for our brand to be built through our good works and community involvement? Perhaps not wrong, but clearly temporal. Goodwill is an amortizable asset precisely because it is not eternal. Far better for us all -- even corporately -- to check our motives as we give, serve, pray, and fast.
When Jesus as Judge separates the sheep and the goats, he separates nations -- groups of people, it seems. I think we are asked to be individually responsible and corporately responsible. I'm glad I'm a part of a business that is growing more and more sensitive to our corporate responsibilities to our communities.