Matthew6

Jesus instructs his followers on righteous living, emphasizing that acts of piety such as giving alms, praying, and fasting should be done in secret, not for human display, to receive reward from God. He provides the Lord's Prayer as a model for sincere communion and warns against accumulating earthly treasures. The chapter concludes with an exhortation to trust God for daily needs, rather than worrying, by seeking His kingdom first.

Warnings Against Hypocrisy

"Be careful not to parade your acts of tzedakah in front of people in order to be seen by them! If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

So, when you do tzedakah, don't announce it with trumpets to win people's praise, like the hypocrites in the synagogues and on the streets. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already!

But you, when you do tzedakah, don't even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

Then your tzedakah will be in secret; and your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you.

Righteousness in Prayer

"When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners, so that people can see them. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already!

But you, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

"And when you pray, don't babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot.

Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

The Model Prayer (The Lord's Prayer)

You, therefore, pray like this: `Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy.

May your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us the food we need today.

Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.

And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. For kingship, power and glory are yours forever. Amen.'

For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours.

Righteousness in Fasting

"Now when you fast, don't go around looking miserable, like the hypocrites. They make sour faces so that people will know they are fasting. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already!

But you, when you fast, wash your face and groom yourself,

so that no one will know you are fasting -- except your Father, who is with you in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

"Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal.

Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal.

For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.

`The eye is the lamp of the body.' So if you have a `good eye' [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light;

but if you have an `evil eye' [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can't be a slave to both God and money.

Trusting God and Avoiding Anxiety

"Therefore, I tell you, don't wor y about your life -- what you will eat or drink; or about your body -- what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they are?

Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?

"And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread,

yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these.

If this is how God clothes grass in the field -- which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven -- won't he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!

"So don't be anxious, asking, `What will we eat?,' `What will we drink?' or `How will we be clothed?'

For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.

But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Don't wor y about tomorrow -- tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!

Study Notes for Matthew 6

Verse 1

This verse introduces the overarching theme of the chapter: righteous deeds (alms, prayer, fasting) must be motivated by devotion to God, not by the desire for human approval. Seeking human praise is its own, immediate reward, precluding God's eternal reward.

Verse 2

Hypocrites (Gk. *hypokrites*) literally means 'stage actors.' Jesus uses this term for those whose religious performance is external and insincere. Sounding a trumpet is likely a metaphorical reference to drawing public attention to one's charity.

Verse 4

God, who sees the innermost intentions and actions done in secret, will openly reward the genuine devotion of His followers. This contrasts with the temporary, superficial reward of human praise.

Verse 6

The 'closet' or inner room emphasizes the importance of privacy and sincerity in communion with God. Jesus teaches that true intimacy requires moving beyond public performance.

Verse 7

Vain repetitions (Gk. *battalogeō*) refers to meaningless babbling or reliance on the quantity of words, a practice associated with pagan attempts to manipulate or coerce their deities. True prayer is based on relationship, not repetition.

Verse 9

Jesus presents this as the *manner* of prayer, providing a pattern that prioritizes God's glory and kingdom before petitioning for personal needs.

Verse 11

Daily bread (Gk. *epiousios*) is a unique word often interpreted as 'necessary for existence' or 'for the coming day.' It emphasizes dependence on God for immediate, ongoing provision.

Verse 12

Debts is synonymous with sins or trespasses, reflecting the Jewish prayer tradition. The structure links our spiritual need for forgiveness directly to our willingness to extend forgiveness to others.

Verse 13

The concluding doxology ('For thine is the kingdom...') is absent from the oldest manuscripts but reflects early liturgical usage, likely adopted from common Jewish benedictions.

Verse 14

Jesus emphasizes the conditional nature of forgiveness, immediately expanding upon verse 12. A refusal to forgive others indicates a heart that has not truly grasped the depth of God's grace.

Verse 16

Fasting was a traditional spiritual discipline, often done publicly. Jesus condemns the practice of exaggerating signs of distress (disfiguring the face) to broadcast one’s piety.

Verse 19

Jesus transitions from external practices to internal priorities. Material possessions are inherently insecure, symbolized by moth (destroying clothing) and rust (destroying metals).

Verse 20

Treasures in heaven refer to eternal rewards and spiritual investments made through righteous living and generosity, which are permanent and untouchable by earthly decay or theft.

Verse 22

The eye is used metaphorically as the lamp or window of the body, representing one’s inner disposition or focus. A 'single' (Gk. *haplous*) eye is healthy, clear, and undivided in its devotion.

Verse 24

Mammon is an Aramaic term personifying wealth or material possessions. Jesus asserts that wealth, if pursued as a primary goal, inevitably becomes a rival master to God, demanding total allegiance.

Verse 25

The KJV phrase 'take no thought' is better translated as 'do not be anxious' or 'do not worry.' Jesus is addressing destructive, consuming anxiety about basic physical needs, not responsible planning.

Verse 26

Jesus uses creation (the birds) as evidence of God's meticulous, active providence. If God sustains creatures of lesser value, He will certainly provide for His human children.

Verse 30

O ye of little faith (Gk. *oligopistos*) is a characteristic term used by Matthew to gently rebuke the disciples when they express doubt regarding God's power or provision.

Verse 33

This verse provides the central command and solution to anxiety: prioritize seeking God's active reign (*kingdom*) and living according to His moral standard (*righteousness*). When priorities are right, material needs will be supplied.

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Matthew6

Warnings Against Hypocrisy

Righteousness in Prayer

The Model Prayer (The Lord's Prayer)

Righteousness in Fasting

Treasures in Heaven

Trusting God and Avoiding Anxiety

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