6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
6:2 Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
6:4 That thine alms may be in secret:
and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
alms- GK=eleemosune, mercy, charity.
Such acts of kindness, directed toward others, are the natural outflow of right religion. cp. Jam 1:27
Right religious acts must flow from -
right motivation: to serve God, not men. (cp. Col 3:23,24)
Not to be seen of men (ie., to receive honor from them), v.1,2
but rather, before God (to honor Him, though no one else may see). v.3,4
These themes continue in the following discussions about right prayer, and right fasting.
not... as the hypocrites do- GK=hupokrites, stage actor, pretender.
They act out a religious role for the applause of men. They pretend right relationship to God.
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]:
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;
and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
thy closet- GK=tameion, a storeroom, an inner chamber, a secret room.
ie., Any place where the door to the world is closed, but the door to the Lord is opened. Rev 3:20
Right prayer is not for show before men, but for the secret place with God. Psa 34:15
thy Father- right prayer requires right relationship with God.
who is in secret- an OT name of God is El Olam, the God of Eternity, from whom nothing is hidden.
Time has hidden the hearts of our ancestors from us. But God knows them.
Time may shroud the secret longings of my own heart. But that which is ordained of God is sure.
cp. Abraham's understanding of 'El Olam', who gave back to him what he committed to Him. Gen 21:33
Right prayer confides its hopes and fears to God, and rests its confidence upon Him.
who sees in secret- another OT name of God is El Roi (Gen 16:13) -
the God who sees, knows, and provides accordingly.
6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them:
for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
vain repetitions- GK=battologeo, stammering words, babbling.
The power of prayer is not in many words... not in fancy words... not in magic words...
not in enthusiastic words. cp. 1Kin 18:27-29
your Father knoweth- The power of prayer is in the One to whom we pray.
Elijah's prayer was 'effectual fervent' (GK=energeo, powerful, effective) because he 'prayed earnestly' (lit., 'prayed prayer'; or, 'offered prayer in the place of prayer'). He met God in the secret place. He aligned his will with the will of God. cp. Jam 5:16,17 ''Prayer is not the conquering of God's reluctance to answer, but laying hold of His willingness to act in His way.'' [source unknown] cp. Mat 7:7-11
6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Drawing on what He had just said about prayer, Jesus provided a sample prayer as a framework to teach His disciples the elements of prayer. cp. Luk 11:1-4
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.
6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
A possible outline of this prayer:
Adoration of His Person-
Our Father- only God's children can address Him in this way. (Joh 1:12; 14:6)
who art- He ''is'' - the eternally existing One. cp. Psa 90:2
in heaven- He is above us, and beyond His creation. Isa 55:8,9
hallowed- ie., Holy, set apart, other than us.
thy Name- according to Hebrew usage, God's Name was not just a title, but the expression of His essential nature. The various names of God in Scripture describe His character to us (eg., El Olam, El Roi... ). To adore Him, we must get to know Him. We must spend time in His Word, the Bible, where He reveals Himself to us.
Alignment with His Purposes-
Thy kingdom come-
- - Personal submission to Him as King (absolute ruler).
- - Personal desire that everyone and everything will be obedient to Him
- - Personal expectation that He will establish His Kingdom as He has promised in scripture.
Thy will be done-
- - Personal submission of my will and desires to His will and desires. Some erroneously teach that 'what you say is what you get' in prayer. (eg., Benny Hinn: ''never... go to the Lord and say 'If it be thy will'... Don't allow such faith destroying words to be spoken from your mouth. When you pray 'If it be thy will Lord', faith will be destroyed. Doubt will billow up... ''). In stark contrast, Jesus taught us to pray 'Thy will be done'. We do not know what we should ask for (Rom 8:26). Your Father knows what you need (v.8). (Like the six year old child whose father denies his request for a rifle, we must understand that our Father knows what is best for us.) cp. 1Joh 5:14
Acknowledgment of our Dependency upon Him-
give us this day- God has eternal life in Himself. His creatures receive life as He allows. Psa 104:27-29
our daily {ie., our allotted portion of} bread-
- - provision of what is needed for physical life (not riches stored up for the future).
- - provision of what is needed for spiritual life. cp. Joh 6:35,47-51
- - provision for true satisfaction in life. cp. Joh 4:34
Agreement (confession) of our Tendency to Sin-
forgive us our debts- cp. 1Joh 1:8,9
To 'confess' our sins is to 'say the same thing' about them that God says.
What God calls sin, I must recognize as sin, requiring forgiveness and cleansing.
as we forgive our debtors-
God's forgiveness of my sin is not a reward for my ability to forgive others.
Rather, God's forgiveness of my sin is motivation for me to forgive others.
Because I am forgiven, I can afford to forgive others.
cp. 1Joh 4:19-21; 5:1; Eph 4:32 (also see v.14,15)
lead us not into temptation- cp. Jam 1:13-15 (cf. Mat 4:1)
He will not lead me into sin, but my natural tendency is to turn toward what dishonors Him.
I need the Shepherd to 'lead me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake'. Psa 23:3
deliver us from evil {ie., the evil one}-
Satan seeks to destroy us (1Pet 5:8). I am no match for him.
I continually need the Shepherd's protection. I need to be near Him.
The word 'deliver' (GK=rhoumai) means 'to rescue'. cp. this word in Mat 27:43; 2Cor 1:8-10; Col 1:13; 2Pet 2:7,9
Assurance of His Ability to Answer my prayer-
for thine is the Kingdom- He is God.
and the power- There is no authority above Him.
and the glory- There is no one else like Him.
forever- He does not change, and cannot fail.
Amen- 'so be it'- I commit my case to Him.
6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
A man's ability (or inability) to forgive shows-
-- evidence as to whether he has been born again. 1Joh 3:10
6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:
for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret:
and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
when ye fast- To 'fast' is to abstain from food for a period of time.
A person may fast as an expression of his heart's burden in prayer before God, when what is sought seems more essential than physical nourishment. (cp. 2Sam 12:16,21; Neh 1:4; Dan 9:3; Psa 35:13; Acts 10:30) God knows the weight of the sincere heart's secret agonies.
But when fasting is merely a religious show before men, it has no value. cp. Luk 18:11,12; Isa 58:3-7
In the second half of ch. 6, Jesus distinguishes between two economic systems:
6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
{cp. Prov 23:4,5; Eccl 5:10-15; Jam 5:1-3}
6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
{cp. Rev 2:9}
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
'lay... up' (GK=thesaurizo) and 'treasure' (GK=thesaurus) are forms of the same word.
We might read it: 'Do not place in treasurey upon earth your treasures.'
At question are both -
- - the treasurey (the place of safekeeping) - Is it truly secure? cp. 1Tim 6:6-11
- - the treasure (the object of safekeeping) - Does it have true value? 1Tim 6:17-19; 2Cor 4:18
6:22 The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!
6:24 No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon {ie., money, earthly treasure}.
the eye...- The eye seeks for what the heart values (v.21).
the eye... single- GK=haplous, single, simple. cp. 2Cor 11:3; Eph 6:5; Col 3:22
Are you focused on things of lasting value? Col 3:1-6
the eye... evil- GK=poneros, wicked, bad, defective.
Are your eyes deceiving you concerning true value? 1Joh 2:15-17
6:25 Therefore I say unto you,
Take no thought {ie., be not anxious} for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;
nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
6:26 Behold the fowls of the air:
for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
6:27 Which of you by taking thought {ie., by being anxious} can add one cubit unto his stature? {ie., eighteen inches to his height}
6:28 And why take ye thought {ie., why are you anxious} for raiment?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
6:29 And yet I say unto you,
That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,
[shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith?
6:31 Therefore take no thought {ie., be not anxious}, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
6:34 Take therefore no thought {ie., be not anxious} for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought {ie., will take care} for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil {ie., trouble, adversity} thereof.
ie., because true treasure is in knowing God, and because His kingdom is the only secure economy...
A. Put your faith in Him- Do not be pre-occupied with your earthly needs.
take... thought- GK=merimnao, to be anxious, to have care for (the word is used 6x in v.25-34).
cp. 'be careful', 'care' in Php 4:6,7; Luk 8:14; 21:34; 1Pet 5:7
God feeds the birds and clothes the lillies-
Jesus is not saying that we should not work for our living. (cp. 2Thes 3:10-12)
But, that even in the struggles of our earthly life, we can live free of anxiety,
because our Father knows our needs (cp. v.8), and He is the ultimate provider. (cp. Psa 37:25-34)
B. Put your priorities in order-
'Seek... first...'- ie., as of greater importance than your earthly needs-