Verses 1-4 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. 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. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
The Greek word translated as “alms” is “eleemosune” and it occurs 14 time in the New Testament. It means mercy, pity, charity, or a donation to the poor. For the believer of today it would be a tithe, an offering, a donation or any other work in which help is offered to those less fortunate. Apparently, the Jews of Jesus’ day liked to announce loudly their donations or good deeds so that they would receive the praises of men. Jesus instructed, yes commanded, His followers to give quietly and secretly so as to not receive the praises of men.
Application: It is a very good feeling to have others praise and applaud the giving of money, etc. However, the believer must be wary of receiving such praises as there is the danger of becoming proud and of losing sight of the work of the Kingdom of God. Receiving praise from God is all that a believer should strive for in this world.
The word hypocrite when use in Scripture means an actor or stage player, or a pretender. The synagogue members that displayed their alms were actors or pretenders that were giving, not from the heart to please the LORD, but from their minds in order to create praise and respect from others. Their alms-giving was planned and for a purpose other than obeying and pleasing the LORD. As a result, Jesus said that their only reward for such giving would be from men and not from God.
Verses 5-6 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 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.
When reading the spoken words of the LORD Jesus Christ it should become evident that everything He instructed His followers to do was and is contrary to everything that is done by people in the world. Be secret in giving. Be secret in praying. Don’t do religious things that will draw attention to you and take attention away from the LORD.
Application: Jesus’ instructions regarding secret prayer does not exclude oral prayer among believers when they are gathered together to praise and worship the LORD. Believers are to pray for each other and doing so with each other is not what is being discussed in the verses above. It is the hypocritical display of open prayer that is discouraged. Again, the condition of a person’s heart is what will result in appropriate prayer and Christ like behavior. Jesus usually sought a quiet time and place to pray, away from His disciples and the many people that followed Him in His travels.
Verses 7-8 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Jesus called those who use vain repetitions (repeating the same things over and over) heathens (alien to the worship of the true God, pagan). Catholics, Jews, and other religious groups claiming to be followers of God, who engage in vain repetitions are therefore being disobedient to the LORD.
Application: Prayer should be a heart felt conversation between the believer and the LORD. Repeating a phrase or sentence over and over again accomplishes nothing. Try talking to a friend or family member by repeating words over and over again and see what kind of a response is given.
Verses 9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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.
The verses above comprise what has come to be called the LORD’s Prayer. Jesus prayed a lot, and most of His prayers are not recorded in the four Gospel books. So the prayer above was given to instruct His disciples how to pray effectively. It was and is only an example and not meant to be repeated constantly in place of prayer that is from the heart of the believer. To do so will make this example become nothing more than vain repetition which is forbidden.
Verse 9: God is the spiritual Father of all believers. He abides or dwells in Heaven (the universe, the vaulted expanse of the sky) and His name is separate from all other names and things and above all other names and things. This verse establishes the glory and power and awesomeness of the one true God.
Verse 10: The believer should be praying for God’s spiritual kingdom (dominion, power, rule) to expand in this sinful world by praying for more converts and for the spreading of the Gospel message throughout the world. The believer should be looking for and praying for the return of Jesus bodily to this Earth to judge the righteous and the unrighteous and to usher in eternity and the end of Satan’s activities. The believer should be praying for and understanding what is God’s will so that participation in His plan for the individual believer’s life, for the Church, and for the souls not yet harvested can be accomplished. There is a heavenly pattern as seen in God’s dealing with the Hebrew people through the leadership of Moses and, just as Moses patterned the entire system of worship after that which was already in Heaven, so the entire system governing the Church and the nations of the Earth is already patterned in Heaven. It is God’s people that transfer that pattern to the things of the Earth through their obedience. When they do not, Satan’s plan grows and flourishes.
Verse 11: Asking God to meet the daily needs of the believer is important. It demonstrates faith in the providence of the LORD as opposed to faith in employment, the government, or some other man made institution or program. It is God who provides the necessary job and resultant salary to provide the physical necessities of life. It is God who provides the skills and abilities to function in that job. It is God who provides the bargain prices or sale items at the store just at the right time. It is God that provides the functioning car and home appliances. It is God that provides health and physical strength. It is God . . .
Verse 12: The Greek word for “debts” is “opheilema” and it means that which is owed or legally due. Jesus is instructing His followers to, when praying, remember to ask for forgiveness for any debts owed to God. Any violation of the commandments of God is a debt. A debtor is one who owes another, one who has not made amends to a person he/she has injured, and one who is basically a sinner. In return, Jesus expects the believer to forgive others of any debts that are owed. When someone sins against another person, a debt is incurred. Debts are more than financial in nature. It can be loaning something to a person and that person failing to return it or failing to return it in the same condition they received it. It can be hurtful words that are not followed by an apology. It can be false accusations that damage a reputation. Since the believer has been forgiven for sin through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, all believers have no other choice but to be Christlike and forgive other people who sin against them. Otherwise the believer, by failing to forgive others, is sinning against God.
Verse 13: The Greek word translated as “temptation” is “peirasmos” and it means a trial or proving. The Greek word translated as “evil” is “poneros” and it can mean wicked, wicked one, and evil things. It is generally thought that Jesus was referring to Satan in this verse. You decide.
Application: God does not bring evil upon people or things. God is righteous and His character is true and never changes. What God can do is remove what is referred to as “a hedge of protection”, His presence and His leading, from the believer or nonbeliever so that the spirits of darkness can then access and attack the person. God uses evil spirits to accomplish His will and His work in individuals, in churches and in the world. When a person repents of their sins, God reinstates that hedge of protection and becomes a fortress and a shield between the spirits of darkness and the person. That is why believers need the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit and the Word of God in their lives every day.
Verses 14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
These verses are a promise. Very simply, if the believer wants to be forgiven by God, the believer must be Christlike and forgive others. If the believer refuses to be Christlike and fails to forgive others, God will not forgive the believer either.
Application: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:7-10 The concept of sowing and reaping is seen here in that if a person plants or sows good seeds, they will get a good crop. If a person plants bad seeds, they will not get a good crop which, in days gone by before commercial farming and grocery stores, could mean starvation. So you get good things if you sow good things (forgiveness) and you get bad things if you sow bad things (unforgiveness). In the case of unforgiveness, if a person refuses to be Christlike and forgive others and therefore he/she is not forgiven by God, how can that person enter into Heaven should they die while holding onto that unforgiveness. Pretty serious don’t you think?
Verses 16-18 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. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 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.
Following the LORD Jesus Christ is not an act or a part in a play where the hypocrite or actor is not sincere about the part but just trying to make the onlooker believe what is not true. Carrying a large Bible under the arm and sitting in a church pew does not make a person a believer. The true believer is known by God and is known by others by their fruits, and sacrificial acts of worship are done privately unto the LORD. If a person pretends to be a believer engaged in some religious pursuit in order to receive applause from others, there is a problem with their heart attitude towards the things of the LORD and towards God Himself.
Verses 19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Greek word translated as “treasures” is “thesauros” and it means a coffer or receptacle in which valuables are kept, a treasury, a repository or a storehouse, or collected treasures. Since everything on the Earth passes away eventually, Jesus is saying that believers should spend their time and labor building up spiritual things and not building up earthly things that can be gone in an instance. It is nice to own a house, but it can burn in a fire or fall down in an earthquake in just a few minutes. Witnessing and saving the souls of sinners builds up the household of Christ. It is nice and not wrong to have large quantities of money stored away. But at death, that money cannot go to the grave and be of any use to the owner of the money. But that money spent on missions and on the things of the LORD will be rewarded by God in both this world and the next.
Verses 22-23 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 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!
The Greek word translated a “single” is “haplous” and it means single, simple sound or good fulfilling its office. Without eyes, a person cannot know what is around and in front of him/her or determine which way to turn or walk. Blindness results in stumbling or bumping into things, tripping, and even falling even with aids such as canes and service dogs. Without eyes, the world is in darkness. Eyes process the light through a lens and focus the light on the retina at the back of the eye which then translates the data to the brain, which then tells a person what they are seeing. Jesus is saying that the eye provides the light for interpretation of sight and in a metaphoric sense the eye represents the transmission and interpretation of goodness and wickedness to a person’s mind and then body which is controlled by the mind. Metaphorically, if a person sees simple, sound and good things, their whole being will be reflective of what they see and focus on. If a person only sees wicked and evil things, that person’s whole focus will be wicked and evil.
Application: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
“As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” John 9:5
A person has to “see the light” and understand who Christ Jesus is, repent of their sins and accept His governance of their life here on Earth, be obedient to His commandments, and be baptized. Then they will walk in the truth of the Gospel and in the truth of the Scripture and not stumble or bump into the things of this world, not trip, and not fall. They will follow the leading of Jesus because, through the power of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, they can see clearly both what is in this world and what is in the next.
Verses 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.
The Greek word translated as “mammon” is “mammonas”and it means treasure or riches. The key word to pay attention to in this verse is “serve”. Jesus is not saying that it is wrong to have assets or riches. Again, it is a problem with the heart attitude that Jesus is dealing with. The Greek word translated as “serve” is “douleuo” and it means to be a slave to or do service to, to obey, or submit to. When money and riches become an idol and control a person’s thoughts and actions so that they are a slave to them, that person is incapable of serving God. As long as God is preeminent in a person’s life, financial gain or riches will not rule and control his/her thoughts and actions. So it is not wrong to be wealthy as long as the wealth does not become a god in place of the one true God.
Verses 25-32 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought 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? 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? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Worry or anxiety is a killer of the body and of the soul. Worry or anxiety focuses a person’s attention on the physical world and takes attention away from the LORD and from the spiritual world. Long term anxiety can cause physical illnesses such as stomach problems, high blood pressure, sleeplessness, depression, weight gain, and more. Jesus is saying that if He takes care of the things of creation like the grass, the flowers and the birds, He will also take care of the people as well. So stop worrying.
Application: The words of Jesus should be a blessing to the believer as these words promise that God knows what is needed and that He will provide for His people, and so the believer can relax and trust God for His provision in this life. Notice that the promise is not for God to fulfill the believer’s wants, but to fulfill the believer’s needs. Now God also provides for the believer’s wants if they are both beneficial for the believer and if they are in God’s will for the believer. For example, a believer may want a bigger house, but if God thinks the believer’s present house is sufficient, then the bigger house may not materialize. God knows if a bigger house with bigger mortgage and insurance costs will be good for the believer and the believer’s family. He knows the future. But if the roof of the believer’s house needs repair or replacement, He will provide the funds and/or the labor for the project as it is necessary for the protection of the inhabitants and for the structure of the house.
Verses 33-34 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6)
What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? It means to put God and the things of God first in the entire 24 hours of each day. It means to give God priority. Watching a football playoff game on a Sunday instead of going to church and meeting with the people of God is not giving God the preeminence and putting the kingdom of God first, and it is disobeying the command to assemble together with believers. Not giving to the LORD a portion of income prior to allocating it for bills or pleasurable pursuits is not putting God first. Ignoring a neighbor’s need for help because it will take time or treasure is not putting God first and is not providing a witness of the love of Christ. The list is endless. Think about it.
Application: If God had not put the needs of His people first, He would not have sent Jesus to provide for the redemption of the sinner’s soul and eternal life in Heaven. Shouldn’t each believer return the favor and put Him first?