V1-8
In this passage, Jesus encouraged his followers to do their good deeds privately and not for the world to see. Once again, he showed that our inner motives matter as much as our outward acts.
The Greek word for hypocrite in verse 2 is ὑποκριταὶ (hupokritai), from the noun ὑποκριτής (hupokrités), which means the giver of an answer or response, an actor, a hypocrite, a stage-player, dissembler, pretender, a moral or religious counterfeit.
when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do (v2)
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus showed his disciples that sin begins in the heart. Lust is like adultery; anger is like murder.
In chapter 6, Jesus taught his disciples that even their good deeds should be done with the right motives.
God looks at the heart. We should not be hypocrites or actors who pretend to have faith to impress others.
do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (v3)
In this passage, Jesus encouraged his followers to do their good deeds privately and not for the world to see. Once again, our inner motives matter as much as our outward acts.
when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans (v7)
The value of prayer is not in how many words we use. Prayer is a conversation with God, not a way to impress him or other people.
your Father knows what you need (v8)
At the heart of prayer is our relationship with Father God. Our communication with God should flow out of a loving relationship with him that is built on trust. We do not need to manipulate, con or impress God into doing things for us. He is our Father, and he knows what we need.
God loves us as his children. He wants to speak to us because he wants a relationship with us. We do not need to impress him to get his attention.
V9-13
This passage contains the most famous prayer in the Bible. It is called the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus gave it to his disciples to teach them how to pray.
The Greek word for pray in verse 5 is προσεύχησθε (proseuchēsthe) from the verb προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai), which means to pray, pray for, offer prayer.
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, so it should be something we take seriously.
People still learn The Lord’s Prayer at school, a little like they learn to recite poetry. This practice has made it memorable, but I do not believe Jesus intended it to be repetitive and boring. I think he designed it to be our model for prayer and not a series of words we mindlessly repeat.
Our Father in heaven (v9)
Jesus starts by telling us to whom we should pray. We pray to our Father in Heaven.
He is our Father. That means he has a close relationship with us. A child may climb onto the knees of their father and talk with him. They can have a personal, intimate conversation.
On the other hand, Jesus refers to him as our Father in Heaven. He is not a human, ordinary father, but he is God in Heaven, who is infinitely more powerful, and therefore more able to answer our requests than our earthly fathers ever could do.
hallowed be your name (v9)
This line in the prayer is an expression of worship. Hallowed means God’s name is holy and set apart. We declare this truth to remind ourselves that God is so much bigger than us, our circumstances, and even our whole world.
Jesus encourages us to start our time of prayer by focusing on our intimate relationship with God, as well as his awe-inspiring nature.
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (v10)
Often I come to God in prayer with my own agenda. I forget to ask God what He wants to do in my life and the wider world.
Let’s not focus so much on telling God our worries that we miss what God wants to say to us.
Give us today our daily bread (v11)
We can ask God to give us what we need. Of course, what we want is not necessarily what we need. God won’t always let us have everything we ask for; He wants what’s best for us, so he doesn’t answer every prayer we pray with a yes.
forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (v12)
As part of prayer, we say sorry to God for the wrong things that we have done. We ask for forgiveness, but we also have to forgive other people. Prayer can be a costly exercise.
We can ask God for help to forgive those people who have outstanding debts against us.
God is our Father. If we want a real relationship with Him, we have to take on board his concerns, not just our own. I find this challenging.
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (v13)
It is good to pray against temptation and evil, to recognise that we are in a battle. We live in a spiritual world as well as a physical world. We need our physical needs met, but we also need protection from the spiritual battles around us.
Do not wait until you are in trouble. Pray for God’s strength ahead of time.
V14-15
In these verses, Jesus said to his disciples that they must forgive other people who have sinned against them if they want God to forgive them for their sins.
The Greek word for forgive in verse 14 is ἀφῆτε (aphēte) from the verb ἀφίημι (aphiémi), which means to send away, to let go, release, permit to depart, remit, forgive, to give up, yield, resign, pardon, to leave, depart from, desert, forsake, to leave behind.
forgive other people (v14)
When we ask God to forgive us, we are required to forgive other people.
The pain caused by other people’s sins can feel like a ball and chain around our neck. When we forgive them, we choose to cut that chain and leave behind everything they have inflicted upon us. We leave it in the past and give up our pain to God for him to heal.
We release the person who sinned against us, just like God released us. We leave them to God’s mercy or judgment, and we walk away free.
your heavenly Father will also forgive you (v14)
God calls us to forgive other people in the same way he forgave us. It should be no surprise that forgiveness costs us a great deal. It cost God everything to forgive us: Jesus had to sacrifice his own life.
When I need to forgive someone, I find it helpful to focus on the crucifixion. Jesus took all the hurt and brutality I deserve. He understands what it means to pay the price of forgiveness.
After Jesus had suffered for a while, he received his life back again. He also had the joy of seeing others receive eternal life. Father God repaid him for his loss, and he will do the same for us when we forgive others.
V16-18
Jesus told his disciples not to show off about their acts of fasting. Once again, he made it clear that God does not want us to do spiritual things to look good to other people. What matters most is our relationship with our Father God.
The Greek word for fast in verse 16 is νηστεύητε (nēsteuēte) from the verb νηστεύω (nésteuó), which means to fast, abstain from food.
when you fast (v16)
Jesus seemed to think that fasting was part of ordinary life. I think most of us (including myself) are more interested in feasting than fasting. We would rather indulge ourselves than discipline ourselves. Jesus believed we should practice both.
Not all of us are medically able to fast from food. Can you think of other things from which you can fast?
they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting (v16)
It is always inner attitudes that count with God. If you fast and then show off about it, you will gain no other reward.
Joel 2:12-13 says, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments.”
V19-24
In this passage, Jesus told his disciples to focus their lives on gaining treasure in Heaven and not gaining wealth on Earth.
The Greek word for store up in verse 19 is θησαυρίζετε (thēsaurizete) from the verb θησαυρίζω (thésaurizó), which means to lay up, store up, treasure up, save, to heap up, accumulate, to reserve, to keep in store.
where moths and vermin destroy (v19)
If we store up treasure in this world, we will waste a lot of energy trying to preserve it from decay or protect it from thieves.
Possessions (such as houses) need a lot of maintenance. Eventually, everything we buy wears out. So if we centre our lives around material things, we will always be fighting against the process of decay.
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (v20)
If we believe God is stingy, and we fear God will not provide for our needs, then we will always try to keep hold of what we have for ourselves.
When we understand that God is a generous and loving Father, we can be generous with what we have.
No one can serve two masters (V24)
Do you consult God first when you make decisions about your life or business? Do you make choices primarily based on how much money you can make? Are you willing to sacrifice financial profit to be obedient to God?
We can become addicted to money or the things money can buy. It is important to remember that we cannot serve both God and money. We must make God our only master.
V25-34
In this passage, Jesus taught his disciples not to worry but instead to trust that God cared for them and would provide for them.
The Greek word for anxious in verse 25 is μεριμνᾶτε (merimnate) from the verb μεριμνάω (merimnaó), which means to be anxious, to care for, to expend careful thought, to concern one’s self, to have the thoughts occupied with, to feel an interest.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (v25)
It is God who provides food and clothing for all creation, so we can trust that he will provide for us. However, we may have to simplify our wish list and resist the urge to buy things for their status rather than their usefulness.
Our first desire should be to seek after God’s kingdom, not to keep up with the living standards of those around us.
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (v33)
Your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. If you put God first and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern, he will keep his promise to provide what you need.
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