There is a saying that goes, “Don't bite the hand that feeds you.” In other words, when someone is providing important things for you, don't criticize them.
But to follow such a rule all of the time is not a good idea. This is why the Bible warns that a gift will blind the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous (Deuteronomy 16:19). And even though bread is important, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. - Matthew 4:4
And bread is not the only gift which may compromise Christian judgment.
Jesus gave a famous rebuke which began, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” This is best known to be from Matthew 23:13-33; but in Luke 11:37-54 we find the setting – a Pharisee had invited Him (Jesus) to dinner! Jesus did not hold back the rebuke the Pharisee needed just because He was given dinner.
Now, it is good to be grateful to those who have been kind to us; but their gifts should not silence us. Have you ever felt this kind of struggle within yourself? That you could not show someone their bad behavior because they had been nice to you? People need to be shown when they have done wrong, so they can do better next time, and not hurt anyone else. A real friend will show them. Proverbs 27:6
Yet it is also true that some give gifts on purpose, in order to cover up something they have done wrong – maybe even a crime. We call this bribery, and this also can be a crime.
We all make mistakes, and fall short of the best behavior. We need wisdom for when we should confront a wrong, and for when to realize that what we've seen is very small, and unhurtful – and we should be quiet.
But when we know something to be truly hurtful, we must not let previous gifts stop us from taking a stand. It is God's hand that really feeds us, and it is Him that we serve.
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