Matthew 6
Matthew 6:1-18 – “so that they may be honored by men”
| When you give … | When you pray … | Whenever you fast … |
|---|---|---|
| so that they may be honored by men | so that they may be honored by men | so that they may be honored by men |
| they have their reward in full | they have their reward in full | they have their reward in full |
| giving will be in secret | close your door and pray | your fasting will not be noticed by men |
| your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you | your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you | your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you |
- Compare Matthew 5:13-16. The motive is important here – glorifying God versus being noticed by men.
- Don’t show off, but serve God sincerely and discretely, maintaining focus on God and His reward.
- Matthew 6:16-18 – See Leviticus 16:29; Acts 13:2-3. Fasting is mentioned under the New Covenant, but not commanded. In those days, they spent a large portion of time preparing food. Taking that time instead to pray or worship would be a considerable change in time usage for them.
Matthew 6:19-24 – “You cannot serve God and wealth”
- Matthew 6:19-20 – This is a not-but statement. It is not a sin to have a bank account. But it is more important to concentrate on spiritual things. See Matthew 5:11-12. Don’t worry too much about this life. See also Hebrews 10:34.
Matthew 6:25-34 – “Do not worry.”
- Jesus is not negating the many other passages about work ethic, but God doesn’t want us to be overly concerned about this life. See Luke 12:16-21.