Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 6 Mean?

Matthew 6 is the second of three chapters containing Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This passage is one of the few chapters entirely composed of the words of Christ. A primary theme of Jesus’ teaching so far is how God the Father cares about the hearts of His people, not just their outward actions. Thoughts and attitudes can be sins, just as much as words and deeds. Here, Jesus expands on this, pointing out that even “good deeds” must be motivated by sincerity in order to be truly righteous. Putting on the appearance of piety in order to earn the praise of others is not pleasing to God.

Christ explains these ideas using several examples. First, He says not to sound a trumpet when you give to the needy. Apparently, in that era, some timed their giving in synagogues and streets to coincide with temple trumpet blasts. This ensured crowds would “catch” them giving and praise them for their generosity. Jesus calls such people hypocrites who have received all the reward they will get. Rather, Jesus tells the crowd to be so quiet about charity that one hand doesn’t even notice the other hand giving over the money! His point is that charity ought to bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16), not to the giver. God the Father will notice and reward those who give in humility and sincerity (Matthew 6:1–4).

Next, Jesus warns not to be hypocrites in prayer. He is likely calling up images of well-known religious leaders who prayed loudly in public to be seen and heard by everyone. Jesus tells His listeners to pray behind closed doors where nobody else can hear; they should trust their Father to hear and reward them. As before, His point is not to denounce all forms of public prayer. Instead, Jesus is speaking about motivation: legitimate prayer is not a performance in front of other people. Those who pray in order to impress others are not pleasing God (Matthew 6:5–6).

In the same vein, Jesus adds that it’s wrong to pray like the pagans in their idol worship: mindlessly repeating empty phrases over and over. Using babble, mindless chants, or robotic repetition doesn’t mean God is more likely to hear or agree. It just means the one praying is using empty words instead of sincerely talking to God. The words, themselves, are not magical spells that have to be “just right,” either (Romans 8:26). Sincere prayer means trusting that God knows what you need and speaking accordingly (Matthew 6:7–8).

Jesus gives a simple model of prayer for His people to follow. This has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer, though it’s not literally something Jesus, Himself, is praying. This is His outline, taught to believers, explaining the right attitudes and components of prayer. That begins by addressing God as Father, declaring His holiness, and asking Him to accomplish His plans on earth. Then Jesus models requests for daily food, forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from temptation and evil. He adds an appeal for forgiveness from God as well as a declaration, to God, that we have forgiven other people (Matthew 6:9–13).

Christ then underscores how forgiveness ought to be reflected in the life of a born-again believer. This is easy to misinterpret when taken out of context. His meaning, here, is that those who have been forgiven by God are expected to appreciate such forgiveness. That should inspire an attitude of forgiveness towards other people—something Jesus will expand on in later parables (Matthew 18:23–35). In this moment, He is noting that unforgiveness suggests someone who hasn’t experienced forgiveness, themselves (Matthew 6:14–15).

After modeling prayer, Jesus returns to calling out the hypocrites who perform religious acts in order to be approved of by others. When they fast, they don’t groom themselves and they walk around looking gloomy all day so everyone will know how spiritual they’re being. That’s all the reward they’ll get. Instead, Jesus says, do your fasting for God and not to be seen by others. Wash your face. Don’t tell everyone. God will know, and He will reward you (Matthew 6:16–18).

Jesus then turns to the issue of money and the hearts of His listeners. Faithful believers ought not stockpile money and possessions on earth. Material things, including money, are temporary and hard to hang on to. His point is not that wealth is evil, itself. What’s dangerous is prioritizing material things over godliness. What’s better is to stockpile “treasures” in heaven; this means making right choices out of sincere devotion to God. However a person invests their treasure—including time, money, and emotion—is the real priority of their heart (Matthew 6:19–21).

Those who live for money will live as blind people in inner moral darkness. You must choose, Jesus says. God and money are two different masters. You can’t serve both. If you try, you’ll end up resenting one and loving the other (Matthew 6:22–24).

Finally, Jesus speaks to those with little or no money. He tells them not to live in anxiety over the basic needs of life, even if they don’t know how they will pay for food and clothing. God the Father feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, and His people are far more valuable than that. Worry accomplishes nothing. Believers should make it the point of life to pursue God’s kingdom and His righteousness. We can concern ourselves with that, trusting Him to provide all we truly need. Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow. Trust God for today’s troubles (Matthew 6:25–34).

Chapter Context
Chapter 5 began Matthew’s telling of the Sermon on the Mount. In that passage, Jesus pointed out that thoughts and attitudes are part of righteousness, just as much as actions. In Chapter 6, He explains how good deeds are only righteous when done out of sincere devotion to God, rather than for other people’s approval. He also provides a model for prayer. Jesus explains how excessive worry, such as over money, interferes with faith in God. Knowing that God loves us should lead believers to trust Him, not to be anxious. Chapter 6 is one of the few chapters of the New Testament entirely composed of the words of Christ. In chapter 7 Jesus will introduce additional themes such as appropriate judgment, trust in God, and treatment of others.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

So far in this Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Jesus has taught that righteousness includes a person’s heart—their thoughts and attitudes—as much as by their outward actions. Here, He begins to show that our inner person, including our motivations, is actually more important than actions. His message is not that what we do is unimportant, but that improper motives turn otherwise good deeds into selfishness.

One great temptation of living under the Law and the Prophets, at this moment in Israel’s history, was serving spiritual pride instead of serving God with pure devotion. This is still a challenge for many believers; the approval of other people is extremely tempting. Jesus warns His audience not to expect any heavenly reward, for even the most profound acts, if the motive behind those acts was simply to be seen by others (Matthew 6:2).

This statement in no way contradicts Jesus’ recent command to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works…” (Matthew 5:16), since Jesus is speaking of two different motivations. Good works ought to be visible and public if and when that publicity primarily serves to “…give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Doing good such that others believe God is good is righteous. Doing good such that others think we are good is arrogance.

The Father does indeed reward His people in heaven for “practicing righteousness” in the ways Jesus is teaching. He does not reward behavior done to gain the praise and admiration of others.

Verse 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Jesus has shown that the Father in heaven gives rewards to His people for practicing righteousness in truly righteous ways (Matthew 5:3–12). He warned, though, that doing good deeds so that the world will admire you is unrighteous; there is no heavenly reward when we do the “right thing” for the “wrong reason.” Selfish motivation poisons charity into serving spiritual pride. Rather, we ought to serve God out of a pure heart. Public acts of good are part of God’s will (Matthew 5:16), but only when they bring glory to God. What Jesus condemns here is motivation—acting “in order to” gain worldly praise.

Jesus uses the example of giving to the needy. He has in mind putting money in the alms box in the synagogue or giving to those in the street who were begging. Modern readers should note that Jesus says “when” you give to the needy, not “if.” The expectation was that Jesus’ disciples would prioritize caring for the needy, a concept carried through into the Christian church (James 1:27; Galatians 2:10).

It’s unclear what is meant by the sounding of trumpets, though trumpets were used in some aspects of Jewish worship. Perhaps some givers had deliberately timed their giving with the trumpets in order to be “caught” giving to the needy and praised by others for their generosity. They may have made a spectacle of their lavish gifts, drawing attention to their donation.

That temporary, eternally meaningless praise is all the reward such givers will get. Since they care so much about the admiration of other people, God will let that stand as their prize.

Verse 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Jesus has been clear: those who do otherwise good things with wrong motives should not expect any reward from God (Matthew 6:1–2). This follows His earlier teachings, from chapter 5, which explained that attitudes can be just as sinful as actions. In fact, as this passage shows, selfish motivations can even take the “good” out of “good deeds.” His current example is giving to the needy in order to be praised for spirituality and generosity. Jesus called people with such motivation hypocrites.

Here, He gives the correct model for Christian giving to meet the needs of others: secrecy for the sake of authentic integrity. Once again using hyperbole—meaning “exaggerating for effect”—Jesus tells His audience not even to let their left hand know what their right hand is doing when giving to the needy. This emphasizes the level to which Christians need to avoid letting worldly praise motivate their actions. It also suggests that we can be just as motivated by egotism, meaning praise from ourselves to ourselves, as by the admiration of other people.

As in the prior verse, Jesus says “when” and not “if” you give to the needy. Disciples of Jesus should expect themselves to give in order to meet the needs of those who are truly lacking.

Verse 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

In this passage, Jesus has expanded on chapter five’s main idea: that inner thoughts and attitudes are part of how God judges our righteousness. Using the example of giving to charity, He explained that selfish motivation means no heavenly reward. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is not righteous, it’s egotism.

Although Jesus is teaching a negative principle in this passage, He is revealing an exciting truth: God sees His people, even what they do in secret, for a positive purpose. He wants to give rewards to believers. Christians should expect that God will reward righteous behavior if done with the right motives.

Jesus has shown that this requires intentionality and strategy. When it comes to giving to the needy, for instance, Jesus commands secrecy instead of drawing excessive attention. The purpose of this command is to avoid the trap of turning generosity into a performance. Believers should give in order to help others, and to glorify God—not to earn praise or approval from people. Since human hearts are so devious, and it is so easy to fall into that kind of hypocrisy, Jesus’ simple solution is this: Don’t let anyone see what you are doing.

This doesn’t conflict with Christ’s recent teaching about letting good works shine out like light in the world (Matthew 5:16). These are compatible, mutually balancing statements. It’s good for the world to see Christians acting in love, when those acts demonstrate the love of God. Those acts are not good when the Christian acts “in order to” be praised by other people.

Verse 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Jesus is warning His listeners not to be hypocrites when it comes to doing good (Matthew 6:1–4). He has in mind Israel’s religious leaders (Matthew 5:20). He has already shown that their emphasis on outward actions and not inner attitudes leads to a false spirituality. The righteousness God desires starts in the heart. Thoughts and attitudes are as much a part of righteousness as words and deeds; this was a major theme of chapter 5. Doing good in ways that cause people to praise God is a good thing (Matthew 5:16). What’s not good is giving with a motive of earning worldly praise (Matthew 6:1). If necessary, Jesus says to hide your giving, so nobody knows but you. Then you can be sure that your only motive is pure devotion to God (Matthew 6:2–4).

Keeping with the same theme, Jesus applies the idea of motivation to public prayer. Those looking to announce their own spirituality loved to pray out loud and loudly both on the street and in the synagogue. While this might not be as common in the modern era, it is still possible to pray with an inappropriate concern for how we look or sound to other people.

As with selfishly motivated charity, Jesus says those who pray “for show” have received all the reward they’re going to get. The Father will not honor acts of spiritual pride disguised as acts of righteousness. Even in prayer, one cannot “do good” for the wrong reasons.

Verse 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

To some of Jesus’ listeners, His teaching to do righteous things in secret may have sounded radical. In highly religious and even legalistic communities, it’s easy to think that the point of religious activity is to be seen by others. Societies that stress honor versus shame put a high priority on appearing acceptable to your family members, neighbors, and church community. Jesus turns this upside down and warns that if the opinion of other people is the only motive, God will not reward such actions. Instead, Jesus commands His followers to give to the needy as secretly as possible to avoid even the possibility of mixed motives (Matthew 6:1–4).

For the same reasons, Jesus has said that regular prayer to the Father should be done in secret, behind closed doors (Matthew 6:5). The Father will still hear and reward you, and He is the only audience that matters.

This command should not be read as forbidding any kind of public praying in church or anywhere else. It is good for Christian behavior to shine like a light in the world (Matthew 5:16). What Jesus condemns, here, is for those praying in public—including church services and other events—to be aware of their motives. If they cannot pray publicly without feeling as if they are “performing” for other listeners, it is better to pray silently or in a private setting, instead.

Context Summary
Matthew 6:1–6 contains Jesus’ warning that there is no righteousness is doing the right thing for the wrong reason. This flows from His teaching in chapter 5, which focused on the idea that thoughts and attitudes are as much part of righteousness as are behaviors. Those who do good things, motivated only by the approval of other people, will not be rewarded by God. Hypocrites arrange for everyone to notice their charity, as well as their prayers, because they’re mostly concerned with worldly approval. True worshippers give quietly and pray alone behind closed doors; God the Father knows, and He rewards them.

Verse 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

It’s not just Christians who pray. Most religions include something akin to prayer, whether that means communicating with a deity, spirits, ancestors, or angels. Others involve meditations or chants which are inwardly focused. Most Gentiles in the first century participated in pagan idol worship; this involved repetitive chanting of words and phrases. Some thought they would be heard and receive their requests for repeating their prayer an excessive number of times in a row.

It’s possible some Jewish people in Jesus’ era had taken on those superstitions and prayed in repetitive, mechanical ways. Even today, there is temptation to simply repeat words and call it “prayer.” Or, to insist on using only certain phrases, languages, or approved expressions when communicating with God. This does not mean all repeated words or pre-written prayers are wrong. It means that words, in and of themselves, are not the point of prayer (Romans 8:26). If we’re not sincerely communicating with God, from our hearts, then we’re not praying, in a godly sense. This is in keeping with Jesus’ teaching that motives matter as much as actions (Matthew 5:20; 6:1).

The Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus will soon present as a model (Matthew 6:9–13), is often misused, in an example of what Jesus is warning about. Praying those exact words is not wrong—at all—but that arrangement has no special power. Prayer is not a magical incantation. The words we pray should be expressions of our hearts, not mechanical echoes.

Jesus will specifically point out (Matthew 6:8) that God doesn’t give points for mindless repetition. He doesn’t need to hear our words repeated over and over to understand the message. He gets it the first time.

Verse 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Jesus has turned to the topic of prayer in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). In the prior chapter, He emphasized that inner thoughts are as much a part of righteousness as outward actions (Matthew 5:20). He even applied that to good deeds—noting that selfish motivations undo the point of good works (Matthew 6:1). Recently, He continued that theme with comments about prayer. Christians are not meant to pray with the intent to impress others. That makes you a hypocrite, and you will receive no reward from God for that (Matthew 6:5–6). Nor does God approve the pattern of the pagans who mindlessly repeat words and phrases over and over, thinking that will make them more likely to be heard (Matthew 6:7).

God does not need, want, or ask for mindlessly repeated prayers. We don’t need to use just the right words for Him to understand (Romans 8:26). What we do need is to communicate in sincerity and humility. God knows what we need before we even ask. We can speak to Him simply and openly, and He will hear, understand, and respond (Hebrews 4:15–16).

To clarify these teachings even further, Jesus will offer a model prayer in the following verses (Matthew 6:9–13).

Verse 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.

This passage contains Matthew’s version of what is known worldwide as the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus has recently been telling His listeners how not to pray. They shouldn’t pray in order to impress other people or mindlessly fill the air with words in hopes of impressing God (Matthew 6:5–8).

What Jesus has just said (Matthew 6:7) makes it clear He did not mean these words to become a mantra, a chant, or the only words anyone ever prays to God. Many people have found reciting the Lord’s Prayer to be meaningful both individually and together in churches—which is fine when understood correctly. Christ primarily means this sample prayer as an example of how to talk to God in a meaningful and effective way.

He begins by demonstrating that believers should address God as “Our Father in heaven.” Jesus came, in part, to make it possible for mankind to be in relationship with God the Father through faith. To resist a relationship with God the Father, even in prayer, is to resist Jesus’ will for His followers. This reference to God as “Father” also separates Christian prayer from many other faiths: to begin a prayer with the equivalent of “Our Father in heaven” is unthinkable for non-Christians.

The second phrase in Christ’s model prayer expresses praise for something true about God: that His name is “hallowed,” which can also be translated as “Your name is holy.” Names are highly significant in Scriptures and the “name of God” brings with it unlimited power and purity. Proclaiming to God that His name is holy is to acknowledge His absolute greatness.

Verse 10 Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus is teaching His followers how to pray to the Father by modeling a prayer for them (Matthew 6:9–13). This has become known the world over as the Lord’s Prayer. Even many unbelievers are familiar with this prayer and find it comforting or meaningful to recite in times of crisis. While there’s nothing wrong with that, necessarily, Jesus primarily meant these words as a blueprint. This passage is not a magic spell, or a mandatory chant: it’s something on which Christians can model their own prayers (Matthew 6:5–8).

Christ now models the importance of submission to God’s will, and speaking to Him in a way which acknowledges it. Praying for what God wants to happen is to accept that His plan is right and good for everyone. Jesus implies that this includes all possible times and places. He is praying for the coming of God’s kingdom and the fulfillment of His will, in all places and all times. To pray this in sincerity is to ask God for the very thing Jesus was going to accomplish: bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth at some point in the future.

Verse 11 Give us this day our daily bread,

This part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2) presents a model prayer. Jesus is using this as an example, to counter the faulty prayer methods He has just discussed (Matthew 6:5–8). He opened His prayer with the focus on God the Father and His holy name. The first request was for God’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as in heaven (Matthew 6:9–10).

Only after submitting His prayer to the will of God does Jesus introduce the first request. Some commentators in history have suggested that the “bread” mentioned here is supposed to mean the spiritual food of the Word of God. Most interpreters insist Jesus is, in fact, referring to physical food. Where “bread” is a shorthand, here, would be in reference to a person’s most basic and important needs.

In the modern era, many people—especially in the west—resist eating bread in order to be healthy or lose weight. Focusing too much on wheat, loaves, and such makes it difficult to grasp the dependence expressed by this prayer. This is especially true for those who have never had to wonder if they would be able to feed themselves, or their families on the following day. Many in the world, unfortunately, face that very challenge. Most of Jesus listeners, even if they weren’t desperately poor, knew what it was like to face uncertainty in their basic needs.

Ancient laborers, including many Jewish people, were paid daily in exchange for their efforts. They often earned just enough to cover basic survival for the following day. Being sick or otherwise missing a day’s wages meant genuine danger for them and those dependent on them.

Jesus did not instruct His followers to pray for a one-time permanent solution to their daily needs. He did not tell believers to ask for enough money to forever guarantee they could feed their families for days or weeks or years. The point Jesus makes here is to pray in dependence on the Father; to ask Him to meet the needs of each day. In doing so, He destroyed any idea that believers should be mostly self-reliant, checking in with God only when faced with a critical need. Instead, Jesus showed clearly that every child of God must be God-reliant for every need on every day.

In fact, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, we are reliant on God for all things at all time. Every good gift we receive comes from Him and not from ourselves (James 1:17). The prayer for our daily bread is the humble expression that we understand that to be true.

This concept of “daily bread” provides important context when Jesus speaks about anxiety later in this chapter (Matthew 6:25–26). Parents often teach children the difference between “needs” and “wants.” It’s good to note the difference between survival and luxury. At the same time, dependence on God means realizing that what we “need” relates directly to His will, and His plans (Matthew 6:10). What we truly “need” is defined according to the purposes God has for us in that moment, as difficult as that can be to accept.

Verse 12 and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Jesus’ model prayer for His disciples—often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer—now comes to the second of three requests. This plea uses terminology that literally implies debt, but is used as a reference to wrongdoings. The forgiveness we’re taught to pray for, here, implies something mutual. It suggests that being forgiven and forgiving others are closely tied together in our own spiritual lives.

This reference to sin and forgiveness, in fact, is one reason some commenters dislike calling this passage the “Lord’s Prayer.” Strictly speaking, these are Jesus’ instructions on how to pray (Matthew 6:9), not something He was actually praying, Himself. More importantly, as one who was tempted but without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), the request made in the verse is one Jesus would never have prayed. What we call this passage doesn’t really matter; however, it’s worth remembering that the “Lord’s Prayer” is the Lord’s model for our prayers, not a prayer the Lord prayed.

The Greek word translated in the ESV as “debts” is opheilēmata, which most literally means a person’s “dues” or “obligations.” In practice, this refers to sins or “transgressions.” This phrasing would have been especially meaningful to Matthew, who at one point was a tax collector (Matthew 9:9) who made a living by coercing people to pay what they owed the Roman Empire.

This statement is meant both as both a request and a declaration. It asks God to forgive the one praying, and states the one praying has forgiven those who wronged them. Jesus is instructing believers to pray for forgiveness (1 John 1:9–10). He is also declaring the necessity of extending forgiveness to other people. Both are critical needs for every person: to be forgiven of sin by God and to follow God’s example by forgiving others.

Jesus came to earth to make it possible for those who trust in Him to be fully forgiven by God for their sins once and for all (John 3:16–17). He will do this by paying the price for sin, giving His life as the final blood sacrifice and then defeating death through His resurrection (Philippians 2:8). Confronted with such a sacrifice, God’s expects born-again believers—who have received the unfathomable gift of forgiveness—will turn and forgive all who sin against them. This idea is important enough for Jesus to re-emphasize after this model prayer is complete (Matthew 6:14–15).

Verse 13 And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.

This verse concludes Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ model prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). Though this is often referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer,” this passage is not something Jesus Himself prayed (Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 6:12). This is a pattern meant to be used by His disciples and followers. His intent is not that we always repeat those exact words, but that we apply those lessons in our prayers.

This is the third request for the wellbeing of the one who is praying. The Greek word peirasmon is translated as “temptation” here, and is the same term used of Jesus’ experience with Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1). This can refer to being enticed towards sin, or to being tested in a trial. In either case, the phrase is better understood as “lead us away from temptation or testing.” James 1:13 makes it clear that God never entices anyone to sin. God obviously has the power, though, to lead His people away from tempting circumstances, including temptation to sin that might come from enduring hard circumstances. We should ask God to do that for us, knowing that even when we’re tempted, He always provides us a means to avoid sin (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Eventually, though, temptations usually come. God may choose to allow hard circumstances. In that case, Jesus adds a balance to this request, “but deliver us from evil.” This phrase could mean, “deliver us from the temptations of the evil one.” Matthew has described Jesus’ temptations from the evil one, the devil, in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). Jesus resisted each temptation by quoting Scripture and finally sending the devil away. He now instructs His followers to ask God the Father for deliverance from the temptations of the evil one, as well.

Verse 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

Jesus has concluded a model prayer to God the Father (Matthew 6:9–13). Famously referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, this is meant as an example—not a mantra—for His disciples and followers. Here, Jesus returns to a key point in that prayer. As part of the way believers are to pray, Jesus mentioned asking God to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). That can be understood fairly easily. It means asking God for forgiveness, as well as declaring our forgiveness of those who have wronged us.

What Christ teaches here is that forgiveness is conditional, but only in a very specific sense. If you forgive the sins of others against you, Jesus says your heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you don’t forgive, you won’t be forgiven (Matthew 6:15). Of all the instructions Jesus gives in the Sermon on the Mount, this is among the most challenging. It is also extremely easy to misunderstand, if not considered carefully. Taken with no other context, Jesus seems to be saying we earn God’s forgiveness after we forgive the sins of others against us, and we lose forgiveness when we refuse to forgive others. Difficult or not, Jesus is speaking with the authority of God, and He always means what He says. We should never dismiss Jesus’ teaching because it is hard to understand or to reconcile with other teachings. We should also not leap to conclusions which don’t make sense of His other words.

In His other messages, Jesus repeatedly emphasized that God is displeased by those who refuse to forgive others despite being forgiven for much greater wrongs by God (Matthew 18:23–35). There is a clear sense in Christian teaching that unforgiving attitudes are inherently sinful. At the same time, Jesus is speaking before His own death as the final sacrifice for human sin. His blood, His loss of life, is the payment for sin, including the sin of unforgiveness (John 3:16–17). God takes Jesus’ death as payment for the sins of those who trust in Christ and gives to them credit for Jesus’ sinless life. None of us will be accepted into eternity by God based on our ability to forgive others (Titus 3:5), but on the basis of Jesus’ perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Paul describes it this way in Colossians 2:13–14, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses…God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Taken together with the rest of the Bible, we see that salvation—forgiveness from God—is based on faith, and it is permanent (Romans 3:20; John 10:28). However, there are signs and “symptoms” one would expect to see in a person who is truly born again (James 2:14–17; John 14:15; 1 John 4:19–21). It makes sense that appreciating all God has forgiven in us ought to make us willing to forgive what others might have done to us (Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32). Forgiveness towards others is a common-sense, expected indicator of someone who’s been saved.

Verse 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This is the counterpoint to Jesus’ positive statement in the previous verse (Matthew 6:14). He makes this two-part remark to emphasize part of His model prayer for His disciples (Matthew 6:9–13). The key phrase being underlined is “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). While the combination of these statements is easily misunderstood, they must be considered in the full context of Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus said in the previous verse that those who forgive others for their sins—meaning wrongs done to us by others—will be forgiven by their heavenly Father. Now He adds the reverse; in logic, this is referred to as the contrapositive. His claim here is that those who refuse to forgive others will not be forgiven for their own sins by God.

Two aspects of this verse are difficult to process. First, human nature struggles to conceive of forgiving those who have hurt us. Human beings can do truly depraved, horrible things to each other. Some atrocities are difficult to describe, or to think about, let alone forgiving someone who has done them. All the same, Jesus insists we understand how much God has forgiven us for. A parable He gives later (Matthew 18:21–35) explains that we have all sinned against God, and by comparison, our sin against God is far more than any person can sin against another.

Read carelessly, this teaching is also difficult to square with the idea that God’s grace is a free gift, one in no way dependent on a person’s works. Yet that is the persistent teaching of both the four Gospels and the New Testament (John 3:16–18; Titus 3:5). Jesus’ death pays for our sin and His perfect righteousness becomes our own through faith (Romans 3:21–26). Jesus does not mean that forgiving others is a condition for salvation, but that forgiveness is the expected condition of those who have been saved.

Does this mean those who refuse to forgive others can still be saved? Ultimately, that is the wrong question. God’s intent is for all true Christians—those who have been born again, who have been forgiven by the death of Jesus for their offenses against God—to turn and freely forgive anyone who has wronged them (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). In other words, this verse speaks to evidence of salvation, not a requirement for salvation itself (James 2:14–17; John 14:15; 1 John 4:19–21). Unforgiveness is inherently contradictory to godliness.

Verse 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Jesus has already taught His disciples not to call attention to themselves in public when they give to the needy (Matthew 6:3–4) and when they pray (Matthew 6:6). He has called attention-seekers hypocrites who act out worship God for the praise of other people (Matthew 6:2).

Now He begins to apply the same basic lesson to fasting. Fasting involves abstaining from food and other activities in order to focus on worship, confession, or specific prayers to God (Matthew 4:1–2). Fasting was a regular part of worship for faithful Israelites. The law required fasting once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27–32), though other seasons of fasting had been added to the Jewish calendar over time. In addition, individuals might fast in order to indicate repentance before God or to bring special requests to Him in times of great need.

The Old Testament commands to fast can be translated with the words “afflict yourself” (Numbers 29:7). In Jesus’ era, it seems some religious leaders made a point to do this very publicly. The group known as the Pharisees had a reputation as the most strictly religious people in Israel. They were intensely proud of that status. Scholars suggest the Pharisees fasted two days every week. Jesus says in this verse they disfigured their faces in some way and looked “gloomy” to make sure that everyone who saw them knew they were fasting.

This quest for publicity worked. People saw them, understood they were fasting yet again, and gave them credit for being highly devout. Jesus says here that human approval is the only reward attention-seekers will receive for their fasting. Since their effort was not about God, God will not respond or reward them for it. God said the same to their ancestors about fasting with no real heart change (Zechariah 7:5–6; Matthew 5:120; 6:16–18).

Context Summary
Matthew 6:7–16 follows Jesus’ instruction about praying behind closed doors; He now teaches how to pray. Christ denounces the use of mindless repetition or meaningless jargon. God doesn’t need filler words, and He doesn’t need us to repeat ourselves in order to be heard. Jesus then models a simple, authentic prayer, now famously referred to as the Lord’s Prayer. It is addressed to God the Father and begins by declaring His holiness and asking for His will to be accomplished on earth. This model prayer also makes personal requests for daily food, forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from temptation and evil. Jesus then underscores part of that prayer by saying those who want God’s forgiveness must forgive others.

Verse 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Jesus has again called out some of Israel’s religious leaders as hypocrites. Many of their religious practices are merely performances to earn the praise of other people (Matthew 6:1–5). This time, the worship practice is fasting: abstaining from something, usually food, in order to focus on worship, prayer, or confession to God. To make sure everyone knows they are fasting, these men would walk around looking “gloomy” and twisting up their faces in some way. Since all they care about is the praise of others, that is all their fasting will get for them (Matthew 6:16).

Jesus is not condemning fasting. It was commanded in the law of Moses (Leviticus 23:27–32). His earliest disciples and followers were primarily observant Jewish people. Christ assumes they will participate in the worshipful practice of fasting. Many Christians continue to practice fasting as part of genuine worship, confession, and making requests of God.

What Christ is condemning is fasting that’s insincere. In chapter 5, Jesus gave many examples which showed that inner thoughts and attitudes could be sins, as much as words and actions. Here, he continues to show that even good actions cannot be truly righteous unless they come from pure motives. Jesus said it matters how we worship, however.

So, when a believer chooses to fast, they should do it without announcing it. That doesn’t mean no one, at all, can know. It simply means Christians shouldn’t advertise their fast. The Pharisees apparently skipped their normal grooming on days when they would fast. They didn’t wash their faces or put the normal oil on their heads. They were making a show out of their fast, so other people would see how much they were suffering.

Jesus tells His followers not to put on those artificial signs—to not deliberately call attention to their fasting. Fasting should not be motivated by the praise of other people.

Verse 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This statement is very similar to comments Jesus made about charity (Matthew 6:4) and prayer (Matthew 6:6). Jesus promised that God the Father sees what His people do in secret. This was not a threat or a warning. His point was that God notices when His faithful people meet the needs of others, or pray or, as stated now, participate in fasting. God is watching and sees when His people honor Him in their hearts even if nobody else ever knows it. Since He is the only One we should seek to please, He is the only One who needs to know.

Jesus goes even further: Not only does God see; He rewards such behavior. Jesus emphasizes over and over in His teaching that God truly cares more about the hearts and motivations of His people than their outward actions. This is a major theme of the Sermon on the Mount, and especially the teachings given in chapter 5.

It’s hard to estimate how this teaching must have affected the original audience. These people had lived their entire lives under a performance-driven religious system where all that mattered was outward actions. Image, reputation, honor and shame were all that mattered. That’s not how the law given by God was supposed to work (Matthew 5:17), but that was how it had come to be practiced. Jesus is correcting the teaching and practice of Israel’s religious leaders (Matthew 5:20).

Context Summary
Matthew 6:16–18 returns to Jesus’ previous point about not doing right things for the wrong reasons. Those who practice fasting for the approval of others are hypocrites. They make sure everyone sees their gloomy, unwashed faces on their fasting days. Jesus tells His followers to wash their faces and groom themselves when they fast. There is no reason to advertise a fast to other people. God will know, and He will reward them.

Verse 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2) continues here. Jesus is emphasizing what it means to lead a righteous life on earth. Those hearing Him for the first time may have been surprised how different His message sounded, compared to Israel’s religious leaders. Most religious leaders in that era focused entirely on words and actions—on outward behaviors. Jesus has been teaching that what God cares about most, and what ultimately determines righteousness, are the motivations of a sincere heart. What we do and why we do it both factor into God’s approval (Matthew 6:1–2; 5–6; 16–17).

Now Jesus turns to focus on money and possessions. He tells His followers not to stockpile material goods in this life. He will soon clarify why this is such a dangerous practice (Matthew 6:24). He begins here by saying that money and possessions are not dependable. They are easily lost. Clothing and other fabric can be eaten by moths. Metal objects rust. Thieves skillfully identify the wealthy and break into homes to steal their goods. Disaster and chaos can take every material possession we have in an instant.

In short, material possessions are temporary. Jesus points out that no one can possibly build up enough wealth to guarantee—without any risk—that they’ll have their needs met forever. More importantly as a common English expression goes, “you can’t take it with you” (Luke 12:19–20).

As with prior teachings, Jesus’ meaning here is about the hearts and motivations of God’s people. This does not mean Christians should never have any money, or own property, or that they cannot have a bank account. Paul will teach clearly that believers must provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8) and wisdom demands some planning for even our temporary future on earth (Proverbs 6:6–8). Wealth is like any other blessing from God (1 Timothy 4:4) and can be used according to His purposes.

What is dangerous is becoming dependent on worldly wealth—crossing the line into greed or materialism. Those heart questions are the issues Jesus will challenge in the following verses.

Verse 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Christ commanded His disciples and followers not to mindlessly stockpile material possessions (Matthew 6:19). Worldly goods can easily be lost to thieves and natural forces. Every treasure—here meaning money and objects—that can be stockpiled on earth is temporary. Having it comes with no guarantee of keeping it; it’s not eternally reliable.

Now Jesus tells His followers to focus instead on stockpiling treasures in heaven. These rewards are eternal. They cannot be lost to moths, rust, thieves, or anything else. In financial terminology, they are a far better investment. Christ’s meaning here is not that believers ought to have no possessions, or money, at all. The main theme of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), so far, has been the priority of motivations. Our hearts and our sincerity towards God matter most of all, so having wealth is not a problem until we start to prioritize it over godliness.

How did Jesus mean for His followers to store up rewards for themselves in heaven? He has spoken a few times in this Sermon on the Mount of acts God will reward. These have included being persecuted for Jesus’ sake (Matthew 5:11–12); giving to the needy in secret (Matthew 6:4), praying in secret (Matthew 6:6) and fasting without calling attention to oneself (Matthew 6:18). In short, God rewards His people when they lead lives of sincere devotion and worship to Him.

Rewards from God are more than just experiencing His favor in a moment of this life. Jesus has in mind something other than being allowed into heaven, since salvation cannot be earned by “eternal treasures” (Titus 3:5; Romans 3:28; John 6:28–29). So, what are they? Scripture does not give us an explicit understanding. We know that there “are” rewards, but Scripture doesn’t provide any meaningful explanation of what they are. Jesus likely meant His audience to presume that any eternal gift from God would be worth the investment of righteous living on earth.

Verse 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

A person’s priorities are reflected by two sets of records: checkbooks and appointment books. In other words, where a person spends their money and their time is proof of what they truly value. Saying “this is important to me” is hypocrisy if not backed up with the way our lives are lived.

This well-known verse goes to the heart of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). Most people in Jesus’ audience grew up believing what mattered most to God was performance: action, behavior, and words. The Pharisees were thought to be the most spiritual because they closely followed behaviors tied to rules, regulations, and traditions. What Christ has been teaching is that God cares most about what His people are thinking and feeling. Righteous actions matter but are truly righteous only when accompanied by a devoted heart (Matthew 6:1–2, 5–6, 16–17).

Jesus has also applied this perspective to money. He has taught not to stockpile riches and possessions on earth. Those are temporary and easily lost. Instead, He has said, stockpile rewards in eternity by your true, inner devotion to God (Matthew 6:19–20). His point is not that Christians cannot have wealth, or they should not own anything. Rather, He means that we can only have one ultimate priority (Matthew 6:24), which should be God.

Attitudes toward wealth matter because our hearts are owned by whatever we consider our “treasure.” That proves to be the real foundation of our thoughts, affection, and hopes. If we focus time, energy, and effort on building wealth for ourselves on earth, that wealth is what our hearts will focus on. If we focus on building rewards from God in heaven, our hearts will focus on the experience of enjoying that “treasure” forever. Rather than being motivated by temporary wealth, we’ll emphasize honoring God and His will.

Verse 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,

Jesus has just commanded His listeners to stop stockpiling treasure on earth. Instead, they should invest in building treasure in heaven. This is done by making right choices out of sincere devotion to God. He said that human hearts are found wherever a person’s true treasure is (Matthew 6:19–21). His point is not that money is evil, or that Christians are obligated to poverty. Rather, it means that the priority of a believer’s life ought to be honoring God, and serving Him, rather than accumulating temporary wealth (Matthew 6:24).

This and Matthew 6:23 will illustrate this point. Jesus calls the eye the lamp of the body. This is true physically, of course; all the light by which we see the world is perceived by using our eyes. Healthy eyes capture all the available light, giving that person a clear understanding of the world around them. Symbolically, functioning eyes allow the mind and body to be “full of light.”

The mind and thoughts—our awareness of the outside world—depends on the light being perceived by the eyes. In the following verse, Jesus notes that the reverse is also true. Faulty eyes don’t perceive and transmit light, effectively cloaking the inner and outer world in darkness for that person.

Scripture often uses light as a metaphor for truth, goodness, and understanding (Proverbs 4:18–19; Matthew 4:16; 5:13; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6). Jesus’ point here is about perception. Focusing hope and aspirations on temporary, earthly treasure indicates greed or lack of faith in God to provide. This spiritual flaw is to the heart what a cataract or injury is to the eye. It effectively creates darkness, on the inside, by failing to perceive and transmit “light.” Blocking the light of spiritual truth leads to inner darkness filled with moral corruption. It is like being blind.

On the contrary, focusing on sincere devotion to God and right living is like having clear, healthy eyes: it allows the light of God’s righteousness into a person’s heart.

Verse 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

In this part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Jesus is using sight and blindness—light and darkness—as a metaphor to illustrate his teaching on stockpiling treasure in heaven. In keeping with the theme of chapter 5, this involves making right choices out of sincere devotion to God. In this specific teaching, He has warned against storing up treasure on earth, rather than treasure in heaven. Unhealthy reliance on worldly wealth reflects greed; God, not the world, ultimately provides what we need (Matthew 6:19–21).

Jesus has just noted that the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22). A healthy eye perceives light and transmits that information to the body. In a poetic sense, a functioning eye floods the body with light. Light allows a person to see and operate in the world according to what is true (Proverbs 4:18–19; Matthew 4:16; 5:13; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

Here, He adds the counterpoint to His metaphor. An eye that is bad—one that is blind or injured—lets no light into the body. This is true both spiritually and physically. The inner part of the person remains cloaked in darkness, and it is a powerful darkness.

What makes the “spiritual” eye blind or unhealthy? In the context of Jesus’ metaphor, serving money instead of serving God causes a person’s spiritual eyes to be blind. That wrong priority is like a cataract that blocks light—it’s a spiritual flaw that interferes with truth. This results in inner darkness. Serving God by making right choices and storing up “treasure” or rewards in heaven is like having a good eye, flooding a person’s inner world with the light of God’s righteousness.

Verse 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

“But I want both.” This is a common reaction when we’re faced with a choice between two desirable things. It’s also a natural response to this teaching from Jesus on money (Matthew 6:19–23), part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). Those committed to the Lord desire to store up treasure, or rewards in heaven. They desire to serve Him by making right choices out of sincere devotion. God-fearing people can also desire to build wealth in this world, to feel financially secure, to accumulate possessions and experiences that please them. This is human nature.

Jesus does not say here that it is wrong to want both service to God and material wealth. What He does say, in crystal-clear terms, is one cannot place ultimate priority on both at the same time. At some moments in life, one must choose which is more important. Christ’s calling forces those who would follow Him into such choices.

Scripture puts this in the context of servanthood. It doesn’t work for a servant to be co-owned by two independent masters—this is why such a thing isn’t practiced. The servant can only prioritize one or the other. They might be “loyal,” in a sense, to both. But separate masters will command the servant in different, competing directions. As a result, the servant will naturally grow to hate or despise one of the two, while growing to love and be devoted to the other.

Jesus is casting human beings as slaves either to God or money. He uses the Greek word mammōna, which comes from the Aramaic word for wealth. Those who surrender themselves to following Jesus become servants of God for life (Romans 6:17–18). Those who prioritize building wealth for themselves on earth surrender themselves as slaves to materialism. As slaves depend on their masters to provide everything that is needed, those devoted to money or to God also depend on their respective masters to provide for them. The demands of those two masters will always compete.

So, Jesus concludes, a person cannot serve both God and money. This does not mean that someone who serves God whole-heartedly will not have money or possessions. Jesus is not suggesting that Christians must be poor, or destitute, or flee from any kind of luxury. It doesn’t mean that being a Christian is incompatible with being “rich.” What He means is that a person sincerely serving God will not organize their lives around acquisition of wealth. Money, for a righteous person, is just another tool given by God to be used for His purposes.

Similarly, this does not mean someone who lives for money can never acknowledge or honor God, in any way. However, there can only be one “most important” thing in any person’s life. The materialistic person who honors God only does so in the margins or for false motives. They live out their days in the moral darkness Jesus described in the previous verses.

Context Summary
Matthew 6:19–24 contains Jesus’ perspective on money and its place in the hearts of God’s people. This flows directly from His teaching that inner thoughts and motivations are part of righteousness. God, and His will, are what matter, not the opinions of other people. Here, Jesus tells the crowds not to stockpile temporary treasure on earth. Rather, they should be working towards godly goals—”storing up” rewards in heaven with choices driven by sincere devotion to God. Where we place our treasure indicates the real priority of our hearts. Those who live for worldly wealth live in inner darkness. Only one thing can be truly primary in a person’s life. Each person must choose whether to serve God, or their own selfish interests.

Verse 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

As most of the modern world would define it, most of the people hearing Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount were “poor.” Most people in that era lived from day to day. For some, what they earned each day was all they had to live on for the next day. When Jesus instructed these people to pray for “daily bread,” it resonated with their life experience (Matthew 6:11). They might have struggled more with Jesus’ teaching in the previous verses: not to obsess over wealth, but to focus on godly and eternal rewards (Matthew 6:19–24).

Surely, those who are poor can hardly be guilty of stockpiling treasures on earth—they aren’t even sure where tomorrow’s bread will be coming from. However, in this passage, Jesus shows that even those who have little wealth can become preoccupied with material things. Even the very poorest people can serve money instead of God (Matthew 6:24). To the poor, Jesus applies this by reminding them not the be anxious about the money they don’t have.

He commands His followers not to worry about their lives, including what they will eat or drink or wear. People of the ancient world often wore the same one or two sets of clothes until they fell into rags. A large part of each day would be focused on obtaining, preparing, or earning money for food. Jesus points out that life is about more than what we eat and what we wear—God has purposes for us beyond those temporary details.

Jesus is not telling His followers to quit their jobs. He is not telling them to simply sit idly and wait for God to supernaturally provide. Nor is He suggesting it’s wrong to earn money to provide for their families. He is not telling His followers they should not wisely save for future needs. In keeping with the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is commanding His listeners to take control of what is going on in their minds and hearts. The word translated “worry” or “be anxious” here is merimnate. This can mean to care for or think about something. In this context, it means to obsess or agonize. Jesus’ point here is not that we should be careless, but that we should not be fearful.

In a meaningful sense, living in constant worry about money is a way of “serving” money instead of serving God. Living in fear Jesus says, is not the point of real life. He will clarify this in the following verses.

Verse 26 ESVLook at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Jesus has commanded His followers not to store up wealth for themselves on earth, but to instead store up “treasure” in heaven by living righteously out of sincere devotion to God (Matthew 6:19–24). To those who might be tempted towards greed or materialism, this is a sobering warning. Recently, Jesus has applied that same idea to those who are in no immediate danger of stockpiling wealth: the poor. Those who do not know where the money for food, drink, and clothing will come from can still be overly concerned about material things.

Christ says that believers ought not live in anxiety about these basic needs of life. Life is about more than just food and clothing—there is meaning and purpose even if you do not have these things. To live in worry about the money we don’t have is living under the control of money, rather than the control of God. Living to serve God includes trusting Him to provide what is needed without living in fear and anxiety.

Now Jesus turns to nature as an example of this. Birds, He says, do not plant or harvest or store crops in barns. They have no organized system for providing for themselves beyond the moment they’re in. Still, they eat, Jesus says, because God the Father feeds them. That is the work of God.

Jesus asks His listeners a pointed question: Are you not more valuable than birds? The implied answer is of course God’s children are more valuable to God the Father than birds. If God feeds the birds, He will also feed those who are of greater worth than birds. Instead of living in anxiety about these basic needs, then, Jesus urges His followers to trust God the Father to provide what is needed in the right amounts and at the right time.

Careful reading of this passage gives important context. Jesus has been careful to point out that God’s plans, and God’s will, are not always identical to our preferences (Matthew 5:3–12). God will provide all that we “need” in order to obey His will. At times that might not include what we sometimes think of as “needs.” The fact that life—true life (John 10:10; 14:6)—is more than these earthly things is a crucial part of understanding this analogy.

Verse 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Jesus is teaching about money’s place in the hearts and minds of God’s people. To live for the purpose of building wealth on earth for oneself, He has said, is like living with bad eyes. It creates moral darkness inside a person. Instead, God’s people should live in light by serving Him, not money (Matthew 6:19–24). Next, Jesus commanded His followers to reject anxiety about money, even if they don’t know what they will eat or wear. Worrying about money when you don’t have any still amounts to serving money instead of God. Those who serve God trust God to provide all they truly need. Worry is evidence of faulty faith (Matthew 6:25–26).

Here Jesus points out another problem with anxiety, fear, and worry: they’re useless. They don’t work. They don’t help. Those emotions are powerless, so far as those actual needs are concerned. Anxiety is a natural human response—especially when you’re wondering how to feed your family. Still, it’s a brute fact that worry, in and of itself, can’t add a single hour to anyone’s life. Worry is ineffective.

Of course, many will protest that anxiety is not like a hat: it’s not simply something we can remove. God knows this, and understands how difficult it is to put trust in God when times are difficult. In fact, this is why these reminders are in Scripture. If being a born-again believer made all our fears and doubts disappear, there would be no reason for God to remind us not to worry! Jesus will continue in this passage to show why it is essential for God’s people to make an effort to shed worry.

Verse 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

The Sermon on the Mount has included Jesus’ teaching about money (Matthew 6:19–24). That has led Him to the subject of worry. Money and worry often go together. Despite what most of us imagine, even the very rich often feel anxiety over money. It’s not hard to understand why those who struggle to pay for food or clothing are prone to worry about money.

Clothing is a basic human need, just as food is. In most places in the modern world, even those that culture thinks of as “poor” rarely have serious concerns about where to obtain clothes or food. However, that was an ongoing challenge for those living in poverty in Jesus’ day. It remains so for people living in many parts of the world today. It’s natural to expect someone in that position to experience anxiety. It’s something we tend to sympathize with, and even to approve of.

Jesus, though, does not sound overly sympathetic here. He continues to suggest that worrying about money—to dwell on fear and anxiety over material things—is a form of serving money instead of God. It’s possible to prioritize money over God, even if we don’t have any money! Jesus asks, rhetorically, why we would be anxious about clothing. He points once more to nature to illustrate what He means.

Lilies don’t do anything, in comparison to how human beings obtain food and shelter. Lilies of the field stand rooted in place and grow without doing any work or spinning any clothes for themselves. Still, as Jesus will say in the following verse, they are dressed in great beauty. They are clothed exactly as God the Father wants them to be.

Careful observers will note that lilies can also be damaged or destroyed in an instant (Matthew 6:30). It may sound as if Jesus is belittling the needs of desperately impoverished people. Rather, He is urging them towards deeper trust in God. As Jesus stated in the prior verse, worry and fear are of no use (Matthew 6:27). His purpose is to encourage believers to trust in God—to actively work at shedding anxiety—so their hearts and minds can be at rest.

Verse 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

This continues a thought begun in the previous verse (Matthew 6:28). Jesus asked His followers why they would worry about clothing. He’s not talking about trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends, though that does apply, in a sense. Nor is He suggesting that clothes aren’t important. So far as His immediate audience was concerned, many legitimately did not know where they would get their next set of clothes.

Jesus, though, has been showing that worry accomplishes nothing (Matthew 6:27). Those who serve God can trust Him to provide; excessive fear over material things is a form of serving money, not the Lord. Christ points to the lilies of the field as an example (Matthew 6:28). They literally don’t do anything to provide for themselves, Jesus says. They don’t work. They don’t spin cloth to make clothes. Now He finishes the thought by saying they are arrayed in a beauty that is greater even than King Solomon.

Jesus’ Jewish listeners would have known well the stories of Solomon’s great and extravagant wealth from Israel’s glory days (2 Chronicles 9:3–4). Not only was Solomon clothed in the best finery in the world, his kingdom flowed with gold and silver. He lived in great luxury. Still, Jesus insists, the splendor of the lilies’ beauty surpasses even Solomon’s, though they do nothing to put it on.

Jesus brings the point home in the following verse: God can and will provide what is “needed.” That might not always be what we “want” (Matthew 5:3–12), but it is enough for us to accomplish His will.

Verse 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Jesus is teaching even the poorest among His listeners that worrying about money and serving God do not go together. For one thing, worry is ineffective. It doesn’t fix anything (Matthew 6:27). More than that, though, is that God’s children can trust their Father in heaven to provide what they need. He asked in the previous verses why they worry about what they will wear (Matthew 6:28–29); it’s likely some in His original audience literally did not know where the money would come from to replace their tattered garments. He asked them to think about lilies, clothed in splendor despite doing nothing equivalent to human work.

Now He brings the point of that illustration home. God cares much more deeply about His children than He does about birds (Matthew 6:26) or about flowers. The wild lilies are considered only “grass” here. They spring up, bloom in splendor, and quickly die before being raked up and burned. If God provides “clothing” for them, Jesus says, don’t you think He will clothe you? Christ has already pointed out that God’s blessing does not always mean worldly comfort (Matthew 5:3–12), so His provision can sometimes involve lacking things we think of as “needs.”

Jesus ends by addressing those who worry as “you of little faith.” That might sound harsh to us; it’s important to remember that Jesus is speaking to people He loves, seeking to free them of the burden of fear. Their trust in God should provide peace of mind. That’s a strong contrast to those who rely on material wealth to provide what they need.

Verse 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

If worry was ever a good option, it would be when the circumstances of our lives are at their worst. Isn’t it time to start worrying if you don’t know where your next meal or clothing is coming from? If not then, when?

That’s part of Jesus’ point in this passage. If that is not a good time to be fearful (Matthew 6:25), it means there is never a good time to be fearful. For the people who call God Father, worry is never the appropriate response to life. Human nature tempts us to fear, and to have anxiety, but it’s not how God wants us to feel. As unrealistic as that sounds to many of us, that’s the level of confidence He wants His disciples and listeners to have in their Father in heaven. It’s a matter of trusting both God’s ability and His willingness to provide for us.

Jesus has taught that God is both able and willing. We know God can provide because He feeds birds and dresses flowers. We know God is willing, Jesus has said, because His children are far more valuable to Him than birds and flowers (Matthew 6:26–29). Will we trust Him with the most basic, bottom-line questions of life?

It’s important to notice two things about Jesus’ teaching here. First, He is not promising His followers that God will provide lavish lifestyles on this side of heaven—He only says God will meet their needs. That “need” is always in the context of God’s will for our lives, which is not always easy (Matthew 5:3–12). God will give us what we need to honor His plans, which might not be what we “need” to be comfortable or secure. Dependence on God’s provision involves a radical re-imagining of what “needs” are. As the late Rich Mullins put it in his song Hard: “…He will watch over you and He will watch over me, so we can dress like flowers and eat like birds.”

Second, Jesus is not telling His followers to stop working or planning or spending wisely. His teaching here does not mean we should sit wherever we are and wait for the world to feed us. God often provides work and wisdom to meet our needs. What believers should not do is obsess over wealth, either by stockpiling it or living in fear over poverty. God is a Father who feeds and clothes His children exactly as they truly “need” to be.

Verse 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Jesus has given a blunt command to all who call God their heavenly Father: Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry, even about the most basic needs of life, like food, drink, and clothing. Why? Because God will provide for you. He is able, and you are highly valuable to Him (Matthew 6:25–31). He knows what we really need to accomplish His purposes, even when that’s not ideal according to our preferences (Matthew 5:3–12).

The crowd following Jesus was overwhelming made up of Israelites. The Jewish people understood themselves to be the people of God. Jesus now shows how their lives should be different from those of the Gentiles. The modern English word “Gentile” simply means those who are not Jewish. When Jesus uses the word, in the context of His era, He is often referring to those modern people would call pagans: worshippers of idols and foreign gods. He says such people organize their entire lives around getting food, drink, and clothing. Those with an ungodly approach are constantly trying to bargain or compete with the world around them. They’re obsessed with stockpiling wealth and keeping terrible things from happening to them. Idol worshippers are continually trying to get the “gods” to be pleased with them.

Jesus tells His Jewish listeners that should not be how they think about God, who is their heavenly Father. Like all good fathers, God knows and takes responsibility to meet the needs of His children. They don’t have to live in constant worry that God may not show up in their moment of need. God wants His people to serve Him out of sincerity and devotion—we don’t need to convince or remind Him of anything.

Verse 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

This is one of the key verses in all of Jesus’ teaching, commonly used in quotes, artwork, and Bible memorization. Like any other lesson from Christ, it must be understood in the context of the verses that come before it. Too often, Jesus’ words here have been ripped out of that context and used to suggest that God will supply endless material blessings if His children seek Him first. That is not, at all, the meaning of this sentence.

The context of “these things” are the basic needs of life: food and clothing. Jesus has commanded His readers not to live in continually worry about how they will obtain those, even if they don’t know where the next meal is coming from. He wants them to trust the heavenly Father to provide what is needed for His children because He values them so greatly (Matthew 6:25–32). Instead of living in constant and fruitless worry, Jesus gives His followers a different outlet for their energy: pursue God’s kingdom, trust His righteousness, and leave it to Him to take care of the basic needs of our lives.

The call to “seek first” God’s kingdom and righteousness connects to the other teachings Jesus has given in this Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:1–2, 5–6, 16–17). Motives matter, and only by sincerely putting God first can we pursue righteousness. Followers of Christ should prioritize living according to the principles He has been teaching (Matthew 6:24; John 14:15). Jesus’ earliest message was the same as that of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

To seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness means to live in that ongoing repentance from sin, and to lead the kind of sincere, from-the-heart, devoted-to-God lifestyles Jesus has been describing. In response, God will make provision for whatever it is we truly “need” in order to accomplish His will.

Verse 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Those struggling with addiction, while in recovery, often cling to a set of guiding statements as they work to stay sober. A common mantra used in those situations is “one day at a time.” There’s no value in that person worrying about whether they will fall to temptation tomorrow. Their addiction must be fought today. Tomorrow’s fight will happen tomorrow. In overcoming addiction effectively, such people are taught to focus on winning today’s battles.

This is compatible with the principles found in this command from Jesus. He tells His followers not to worry about tomorrow. As He has already said, worry doesn’t fix anything. Anxiety over things we cannot control, or out of our reach, makes no sense (Matthew 6:27). God loves us and already knows not only what He wants to accomplish, but what we need to make that happen (Matthew 6:33).

Jesus says, in short, that born-again believers ought to let tomorrow worry about itself. He’s not saying Christians cannot or should not make wise plans. Nor is He saying believers ought to literally ignore anything but the most immediate questions. His context here is about the emotions of fear and anxiety. Those who trust in God shouldn’t allow wallow in useless worry over the future. Tomorrow’s fight will happen tomorrow. The battle to trust God is always happening in the current moment. Today has plenty of trouble with which we need to trust God. Jesus commands His followers to focus on trust for God in a moment-by-moment way. We shouldn’t try to solve all our problems, for all time, all at once. Let God provide what is needed day by day.

Matthew 6:25–34 concludes this part of the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus’ teaching about anxiety. Even to the very poor, Jesus says not to worry about food or clothes. God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies beautifully, and His children are far more valuable than birds. Anxious emotions can’t add even an hour to a person’s life. Instead, Jesus tells His followers to trust God to provide what they truly need. The context of what we ”need,” however, is the will of God—which might look very different from what we would prefer (Matthew 5:3–12).

Chapter Summary
The Sermon on the Mount continues in chapter 6, which is entirely composed of the words of Christ. Jesus teaches that God rewards deeds motivated by sincere devotion to Him, not by approval from other people. He teaches a simple and authentic model prayer. Christ warns against stockpiling money and possessions on earth. Instead, believers should make choices that store up treasure in heaven. A person’s top priority can either be God, or money, but cannot be both. Along with that, Jesus says believers should fight against anxiety about daily needs. The heavenly Father knows what we need. All we need to do is pursue His kingdom and righteousness; He will take care of our needs, one day at a time.