Matthew 6

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

UBS⁴	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Teaching About Almsgiving	Do Good to Please God	Teachings in Practical Piety	Teaching About Charity	Almsgiving in Secret
6:1	6:1-4	6:1	6:1	6:1-4
6:2-4		6:2-4	6:2-4
Teaching About Prayer	The Model Prayer		Teaching About Prayer	Prayer in Secret
6:5-15	6:5-15	6:5-6	6:5-6	6:5-6
				How to Pray The Lord’s Prayer
		6:7-8	6:7-13	6:7-15
(9b-13)	(9b-13)	6:9-15 (9b-13)	(9b-13)	(9-13)
			6:14-15
Teaching About Fasting	Fasting to be Seen Only by God		Teaching About Fasting	Fasting in Secret
6:16-18	6:16-18	6:16-18	6:16-18	6:16-18
Treasures in Heaven	Lay Up Treasures in Heaven		Riches in Heaven	True Treasures
6:19-21	6:19-21	6:19-21	6:19-21	6:19-21
The Light of the Body	The Lamp of the Body		The Light of the Body	The Eye, the Lamp of the Body
6:22-23	6:22-23	6:22-23	6:22-23	6:22-23
God and Mammon	You Cannot Serve God and Riches		God and Possessions	God and Money
6:24	6:24	6:24	6:24	6:24
Care and Anxiety	Do Not Worry			Trust in Providence
6:25-34	6:25-34	6:25-33	6:25-27	6:25-34
			6:28-34
		6:34

READING CYCLE THREE (see
“Bible
Interpretation Seminar”)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which
means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the
light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not
relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare
your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is
the key to following the original author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every
paragraph has one and only one subject.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO VERSES 1-8 AND 16-18

Matthew 5 describes the characteristics of God’s new people and God’s view of true
righteousness. Matthew 6 relates to the Jews’traditional view of what constituted
righteousness (i.e., almsgiving, prayer, fasting).
These are not so much specific rules, but an attitude check for believers. For a true
definition of righteousness, see Matt 5:20, 48. This can only be ours as a gift of God in
Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). However, our gratitude moves us toward Christlikeness.
The radical commitment that is required for disciples is clearly presented, not in
concrete rules but in spiritual principles.
There is both a positive and negative purpose of the Sermon on the Mount.
1. to show us the kind of life God has a right to expect His people to live, the
  pattern for a Spirit-filled life
2. to show man’s inability to keep God’s commandments
  It shows us our sinfulness, much like the Ten Commandments (cf. Gal. 3:15-29). No
  one can stand in its searchlight.
It is possible that Matt. 6:5, 6 address Jewish problems in prayer, while Matt. 6:7, 8
address pagan problems in prayer.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

÷MATTHEW 6:1-4

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:1-4
¹“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. ²So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

6:1
NASB, NRSV	”Beware of practicing”
NKJV	”take heed that you do not do”
TEV	”Be careful not to perform”
NJB, REB	”Be careful not to parade”
NET	”Be careful not to display”

“Beware” is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE. This is literally
“think constantly.” God looks at the heart (motive) before the hand (action)!

▣ “your righteousness” This passage deals with three aspects of first century
Jewish religious practices which were thought to make one right with YHWH:

almsgiving (Matt. 6:2-4)
prayer (Matt. 6:5-15)
fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)

Beware of religious exhibitionism (cf. Matt. 5:20). Many things can be
good or evil depending on our attitude, motive, and purpose!

“Righteousness” stood for almsgiving in Jesus’ day (Peshitta). Almsgiving
was a weekly Jewish system of free will offerings to help the poor and needy of the synagogue.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ALMSGIVING

▣ “before men” There are some things that believers should do “before men.”

let your light shine, Matt. 5:16
confess Christ, Matt. 10:32

▣ “to be noticed by them” The English term “theatrical” is derived from this Greek word
(theamai), which meant “to behold attentively.” The term “hypocrites” in Matt. 6:2 also has a
theatrical etymology. The Pharisees were play-acting religion (cf. Matt. 5:20).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HYPOCRITES

▣ “reward” This term is found in Matt. 6:1,2,5,16 and means “to receive a full payment”
(cf. Phil. 4:18). The Bible teaches rewards, but on the basis of believers’ attitudes, not their actions
alone (i.e., Matt. 7:21-23). A similar phrase in Matt. 6:2 was an idiom for “a signed and received receipt.”

SPECIAL TOPIC: DEGREES OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT

▣ “your father” See

SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHERHOOD OF GOD

6:2 “give to the poor” Almsgiving was a means of helping the poor on a weekly basis. The
rabbis even thought of it as having saving qualities (cf. Tobit 12:8-9; Ecclesiasticus 3:30; 29:11-12).

▣ “do not sound a trumpet before you” This has often been interpreted as alluding to the thirteen
metal, trumpet-shaped receptacles in the temple where money was placed (cf. Luke 21:2). Each container had
a different designated purpose. However, no clear historical evidence has been found in Jewish literature
for these receptacles. Therefore, it is probably a figure of speech of someone calling attention to their
religious acts.

▣ “hypocrites” See

SPECIAL TOPIC: HYPOCRITES

▣
NASB	”that they may be honored by men”
NKJV, Peshitta	”that they may have glory from men”
NRSV	”so that they may be praised by others”
TEV	”so that people will praise them”
NJB	”to win human admiration”

God looks at the heart (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Pro. 21:2; Luke 16:15; John. 12:43; Acts 1:24; 15:8;
Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23).

▣
NASB, Peshitta	”Truly, I say to you”
NKJV	”Assuredly, I say to you”
NRSV, REB	”Truly, I tell you”
TEV	”remember this”
JB	”I tell you solemnly”
NJB	”In truth I tell you”

Literally “amen, amen” (cf. Matt. 6:2, 5, 16), this was used exclusively by Jesus to introduce
significant statements. The OT root of “amen” is faithfulness, loyalty, or dependability. This had the
connotation of, “I am making a faithful statement, listen clearly.”

SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN

▣ “they have their reward in full” This word “reward” found in the Egyptian papyri
(see James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, p. 413) denoted
a wage or earnings. This word occurs in Matt. 5:12,46; 6:1,2,5,16.

6:3 This was an idiom for secrecy. It was not meant to be taken literally. It was a reaction to and
guard against religious exhibitionism.

6:4 “your Father who sees what is done in secret” The significance of private personal faith is found
in the believer’s personal trust in God. Believers show their personal relationship to God in unobserved
activity more than any other way (cf. Matt. 6:6, 18). Attitude, not secrecy, is the key (cf. Matt. 5:16).
Often monetary stewardship can be a great witness, e.g., J. C. Penney and R. G. Letourneau.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN

▣ “will reward you” The Greek term “openly” is found in the NKJV in Matt. 6:4,6, and 18. The
early Greek uncial manuscripts K, L, & W, and the Greek text used by Chrysostom add “openly” here
and in Matt. 6:6 and 18. This word does not occur in the major ancient Greek manuscripts
א, B, D, Z; nor the Greek texts used by Origen, Cyprian, Jerome,
or Augustine. The UBS⁴ gives the shorter text a “B” rating (almost certain).

÷MATTHEW 6:5-15

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:5-15
⁵“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. ⁷And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. ⁹Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
¹⁴For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

6:5 “for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues” The common posture for Jewish prayer was standing
with arms and face lifted to heaven with the eyes open. The issue is not the position of the body, but the
exhibitionist attitude of the heart.

▣ “and on the street corners” The Jews in Jerusalem during Jesus’ time prayed at three specific
times during the day. Two of these times were 9 AM and 3 PM when
certain sacrifices (the continual) were being offered in the temple; to these times they added high noon. Some
self-righteous leaders would arrange to find themselves in public, crowded places at these set times, so that
all could see their piety.

▣ “so that they may be seen by men” This is literally “to shine before men.” Believers are
admonished to let their lights shine before people, but the purpose is that God, not themselves, be glorified
(cf. Matt. 6:2; 5:16 and John. 12:43; Phil 2:15).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HYPOCRITES

▣ “Truly” See
SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN.

6:6
NASB	”go into your inner room”
NKJV, NRSV, NET	”go into your room”
TEV	”go to your room”
NJB	”go to your private room”
Peshitta	”enter into your inner chamber”
REB	”go into a room by yourself”

This referred to a storeroom (cf. Luke 12:24). This was from a Greek term that etymologically
meant “to cut,” which implied a separate or partitioned room (cf. Matt. 24:26; Luke 12:3). This would have
been the only room with a door.

6:7
NASB	”meaningless repetition”
NKJV	”vain repetitions”
NRSV	”heap up empty phrases”
TEV	”a lot of meaningless words”
NJB, REB	”babble”
Peshitta	”repeat your words”
NET	”do not babble repititiously”

This word is used only here in the NT. Its meaning is uncertain. Notice the variety with
which English versions translate this term! Jesus and Paul repeated prayers (cf. Matt. 26:44; 2 Cor. 12:8).
Possibly the translation “meaningless phrases” is best. For possible biblical examples of the use of
liturgical prayers, see 1 Kgs. 8:26 and Acts 19:34. The issue is not the number of times a person repeats
a phrase (i.e., such as the Lord’s prayer), but the faithful/trusting/believing heart of the speaker.

6:8 “you” In context this EMPHATIC PRONOUN pronoun is in contrast
to two groups:

the pagans of Matt. 6:7
the legalistic Pharisees of Matt. 6:5

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO VERSES 9-15

This sample prayer was first entitled “The Lord’s Prayer” by Cyprian, A.D. 250. However,
the prayer was for Jesus’ disciples; the title, “The Model Prayer,” is a better characterization.
The Model Prayer is made up of seven phrases. The first three relate to God. The last
four relate to a person’s need.
This prayer was possibly Jesus’ reapplication of the Ten Commandments to His day. The
Beatitudes also possibly relate to the Ten Commandments (Decalog). Matthew depicted
Jesus as the second Moses. Paul used the same type of OT analogy by referring to Jesus
as the second Adam (cf. Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15; Phil. 2:6-11).
The Model Prayer is stated in IMPERATIVES. They are examples of
ENTREATY IMPERATIVES OF REQUEST We do not command God.
Luke’s version is much shorter. It is found in Luke 11:2-4 and not in the Sermon on the Plain,
Luke 6, which is the parallel to Matthew 5-7. The textually-controversial doxology of
Matt. 6:13b is also missing from Luke’s version.

6:9
NASB, NRSV	”Pray, then, in this way”
NKJV, Peshitta	”in this manner, therefore, pray”
TEV, REB	”This, then, is how you should pray”
NJB	”So you should pray like this”
REB	”This is how you should pray”

“Pray” is a PRESENT IMPERATIVE which is a lifestyle command
that denotes continuous, habitual action. This prayer was meant to be an example, not necessarily a set form.
The scope and attitude of the prayer are far more important than the specific words. This can be illustrated
by the fact that Luke’s version in Matt. 11:2-4 is different. Jesus may have taught this prayer often but
in slightly different forms.

▣ “our” This prayer is for the gathered community, as well as private prayer. We are a family
with one Abba, Father! In light of this, Matt. 6:14-15 make much more sense.

▣ “Father” Father does not refer to sexual generation or chronological sequence, but the
intimate personal relationships within a Jewish home. The OT background is Deut. 32:6, Ps. 103:13,
Isa. 63:16, Mal. 2:10, and 3:17. This concept of God as Father was not a major theme in the OT nor
in the rabbinical writings. It is astonishing that believers can call YHWH “Father” (cf. Rom. 8:15)
through their faith relationship with Jesus!

SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHERHOOD OF GOD

6:9-10 “hallowed. . .come. . .done” These are all AORIST IMPERATIVES. Also
these IMPERATIVES are all placed first in the Greek sentence for emphasis. The placement,
the tense, and the mood all speak of urgency and
emphasis. This is how believers should reverence God. The phrase “on earth as it is in heaven” refers to
all three of these VERBS.

▣ “Hallowed” This term is from the root “holy” (cf. Heb. 10:29) and meant “honored,” “respected,”
or “held in high esteem.” The VERB comes first in the Greek sentence for emphasis.
This VERB is found in the Synoptic Gospels only four times (cf. Matt. 6:9; 23:17,19;
Luke 11:2).

6:9 “name” This stood for the character and personality of God (cf. Ezek. 36:22; Joel 2:32). His
name is to be made known in this fallen world by the obedience of His children (cf. Isa. 29:23).

SPECIAL TOPIC: “THE NAME” OF YHWH

6:10 “Your kingdom come” God was invoked in His capacity as King. This was a prayer for God’s
control of earth as He has of heaven. God’s kingdom was expressed in the NT as both

present reality (cf. Matt. 4:17; 12:28; Luke 17:21)
a future consummation (cf. Matt. 6:10; 13:2ff.; Luke 11:2; John. 18:36)

This statement expresses the paradox of God’s rule which will be consummated
with the Second Coming, but present now in the lives of true disciples.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD

6:11 “Give us” As the first three petitions dealt with how believers are to respect God, the
next four deal with how they want God to treat them.

▣ “this day” God wants His children to live by faith in Him daily. One OT
example was that the manna was given daily (cf. Exod. 16:13-21). In the Middle East bread is
baked early every day and either eaten or dried hard by nightfall. Today’s bread will not do
for tomorrow.

▣ “daily” This was a rare Greek word. It was used

in the Egyptian papyri of a master giving a slave enough food to accomplish an assigned task
possibly a Greek idiom “for necessary food for today” (“bread of our necessity”)
the Tyndale Commentary on Matthew has “Give us the necessary strength so that life’s trials do
not become for us occasions of spiritual temptations,” p. 74.
Tertullian translated it “daily.”

The word was used in the NT only here and in the parallel in Luke 11:3.

▣ “bread” Several possibilities of how “bread” should be understood.

literal bread
the Lord’s Supper (cf. Acts 2:46)
the Word of God, the Bible (cf. Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4)
the Living Word, Jesus (cf. John 6:41,48,51,55)
the Messianic banquet (cf. Luke 14:15)

Option one fits the context best. However, metaphorically it represented God’s provision for
all of life’s needs.

6:12
NASB, NRSV, NJB, Peshitta, REB	”have forgiven”
NKJV, TEV	”forgive”

There is a Greek manuscript variation at this point related to the TENSE
of the second use of the VERB, “forgive.” The AORIST is found in
MSS א*, B, Z, the Vulgate, and Peshitta. All other Greek MSS
and ancient versions have the PRESENT.

The term meant “to send away” or “to wipe away,” both of which express OT
imagery relating to forgiveness.

SPECIAL TOPIC: FORGIVENESS IN THE OT

▣ “debts” The parallel in Luke 11:4 has “sins.” First century Judaism used “debts”
(opheilēmata) as an idiom for “sins” (hamartias). In Matt. 6:14-15 another term is
used, “trespasses” (paraptōmata). All of these refer to rebellion against God. Sin puts
us in rebellion against the God of righteousness and holiness. There is a price to be paid for rebellion!

▣ “as we also have forgiven our debtors” This is an AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE.
As God forgives believers they are able to forgive others (cf. Matt. 18:35)! One sign of our personal
relationship with God through Christ is that we begin to emulate His actions.

6:13
NASB. NKJV	”do not lead us into temptation”
NRSV	”do not bring us to the time of trial”
TEV	”do not bring us to hard testing”
NJB, REB	”do not put us to the test”
Peshitta	”do not let us enter into temptation”

This is a NEGATIVE AORIST ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE. This
grammatical construction meant “do not ever begin an action.” There has been much discussion about this
verse as compared with James 1:13, concerning God’s agency in testing. There is a play on the connotation
of two Greek words translated “test” or “try.” The one here and in James 1:13 has the connotation of
testing for the purpose of destroying [peirasmo]; the other has a connotation of testing for the
purpose of strengthening [dokimazo]. God does not test believers so as to destroy, but to strengthen.

Possibly this referred to the intense governmental and legal trials of that day (cf. Matt. 26:41;
Mark 13:8). C. C. Torrey in The Four Gospels, pp. 12, 143. translates it as “keep us from failing
under trial” (cf. Luke 22:40).

SPECIAL TOPIC: GREEK TERMS FOR “TESTING” AND THEIR CONNOTATIONS

▣
NASB, Peshitta	”from evil”
NKJV, NRSV, JB, REB	”from the evil one”
TEV, NJB	”from the Evil One”

It is impossible grammatically to determine whether this term was
MASCULINE or NEUTER. This same form referred
to Satan in Matt. 5:37, 13:38, and John. 17:15. This same ambiguous form appears in Matt. 5:37; 6:13;
13:19,38; John. 17:15; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John. 2:13,14; 3:12; 5:18-19.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSONAL EVIL

▣ The Doxology of Matt. 6:13b is not found in

the parallel of Luke 11:2-4
the ancient Greek uncial manuscripts א, B, D
the commentaries of Origen, Cyprian, Jerome, or Augustine

There are several forms of this doxology in the different Greek manuscripts of Matthew. It probably
was added from 1 Chr. 29:11-13 as the Lord’s prayer began to be used in liturgical ways by the early Church.
It was not original. Roman Catholic liturgy omits it because it is not in the Vulgate. A. T. Robertson
commented on this text in his Word Pictures in the New Testament, “The Doxology is placed in the
margin of the Revised Version. It is wanting in the oldest and best Greek manuscripts. The earliest forms
vary much, some shorter, some longer than the one in the Authorized Version. The use of a doxology arose
when this prayer began to be used as a liturgy to be recited or to be chanted in public worship. It was
not an original part of the Model Prayer as given by Jesus,” p. 55. The UBS⁴ rates the omission
as “A” (certain).

6:14-15 Matthew 6:14-15 is the conclusion to the Model Prayer. It does not assert that our actions earn
our salvation, but they should give evidence of our salvation (two THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCES).
They are not the basis, but the results (cf. Matt. 5:7; 18:35; Mark 11:25; Luke 6:36-37; James 2:13; 5:9). As we pray this
prayer, “our Father,” we must live out this familial truth in our dealings with covenant brothers.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHRISTIANITY IS CORPORATE

6:14 “transgressions” This is literally “to fall to one side.” This meant, as
do most of the words for sin in Hebrew and in Greek, a deviation from a standard, which is
the character of God. It implied a conscious act of crossing a set boundary.

÷MATTHEW 6:16-18

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:16-18
¹⁶Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face ¹⁸so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

6:16-18 These are additional examples of religious exhibitionism.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HYPOCRITES

6:16 “fast” There was only one fast specifically mentioned in the OT, the Day of Atonement
(cf. Leviticus 16), which was observed in the seventh month. The Jewish leaders appointed additional
fast days to remember specific times of stress in Israel’s national history (cf. Zech. 7:3-5; 8:19).

In addition, the rabbis increased the times of fasting to twice a week, on Monday and
Thursday (Luke 18:12); Thursday because that was the day when they said Moses went up on Mt. Sinai and
Monday because that was the day when he came down. They used these fasts as a means to flaunt their spirituality.

SPECIAL TOPIC: FASTING

SPECIAL TOPIC: FEASTS OF ISRAEL, I. E. 2.

▣ “gloomy face” This term occurs only here and Luke 24:17.

▣ “Truly” See
SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN.

6:17 This is the same truth as Mat. 6:6. The context is religious exhibitionism. Our spiritual lives
are to be seen primarily by God! We seek His approval, not the approval of men.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own
interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are
priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this
section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

Why did Jesus choose these three areas of abuse (almsgiving, prayer, and fasting) to condemn?
What areas do we use in our day in the same way?
Why is one’s attitude more important than one’s actions?

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO VERSES 19-24

The truths of this section are repeated in the Gospel of Luke, but in different settings.
1. humans must store up treasure in heaven (Luke 12:33-34)
2. the eye is the lamp of the body (Luke 11:34-36)
3. humans cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13)
4. God’s provision for nature serves as an example of God’s provision for people (Luke 12:22-31)
  
  Jesus repeated His teachings for different groups and used the same analogies in different settings.
Jesus used nature to teach about God:
1. all things belong to God
2. humans are more important than things or animals
This section must be understood not in literal terms, but in contrasts. Earthly possessions are not evil,
but the misplaced priority of material things can be evil (cf. 1 Tim. 6:10). Mankind’s undue anxiety about
the normal needs of life shows a lack of faith in the care and provision of God (cf. Phil. 4:6). Trust is
the key issue.
This section of Scripture can be broken into three related contexts:
1. Matt. 6:19-21
2. Matt. 6:22-24
3. Matt. 6:25-34

This is similar to what the rabbis call “pearls on a string,” which meant several
unrelated subjects are dealt with in close proximity.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

÷MATTHEW 6:19-23

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:19-23
¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; ²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²²The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

6:19 “do not store up” This is literally “stop treasuring up treasures.” This same word play is also found
in Matt. 6:20. This is a PRESENT IMPERATIVE with a NEGATIVE PARTICLE,
which usually means to stop an act that is already in progress. The desire of fallen humanity
is to try to provide, by means of their own resources, all that is needed for a happy life. The grammatical
construction here shows that this is also a temptation for redeemed humanity. True happiness and success
are found only in dependence on God and contentment in what He has provided (cf. Ecclesiastes 1-2; 2:24-25;
3:12,22; 5:18; 8:15; 9:7-9; Phil. 4:11-12).

▣ “treasures” In the ancient world wealth emanated from three sources:

clothing
food stuffs
precious metals or jewels

Each of these items may either be destroyed or stolen. Moths will attack clothing. Rust is from the
root “to eat” or metaphorically “eat away” or “corrode” and was used of vermin eating food. Stealing referred
to robbery of precious metals, jewels, or the other two items. Basically this means that all of our worldly
possessions are vulnerable. If one’s happiness depends on possessions, one could lose them at any moment.
The false concept that contentment and happiness are found in physical things is stated in Luke 12:15.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH

▣ “destroy” The term meant “disfigure” (Matt. 6:16), “to cause to disappear” (cf. Matt. 6:20,
Acts 13:41; James 4:14).

▣ “thieves break in and steal” The term “break in” literally was “dig through.” Many homes of
this period had mud walls. In the Greek language, the word for “robber” was from the compound term “mud
digger.”

6:20 “but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE,
essentially referring to spiritual attitudes and actions. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 beautifully expresses the same
concept. God Himself protects our heavenly treasure (cf. 1 Pet. 1:4-5).

The VERB in this verse is from the same root as
the NOUN (COGNATE ACCUSATIVE). Literally this word
play would have been “treasure up for yourselves treasure in heaven.” How believers live affects their eternity.

SPECIAL TOPIC: DEGREES OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT

6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” It is significant that
the PLURAL PRONOUN pronoun which has been used in the previous verses now changes to
the SINGULAR. This section teaches the transitoriness of earthly things and the
eternality of spiritual things. It also emphasizes that where one puts one’s interest, resources, and
energy truly reveals one’s priorities. The heart (a Hebrew idiom) is the center of the person. It expresses
the totality of one’s self.

6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body” The background of this statement was the Jewish concept of the
eye being the window of the soul. What one allows into his thought-life determines who he is. Thought produces
desire, desire produces action, action reveals the person.

6:22-23 These two verses are obviously antithetical. The antithesis was expressed in the terms: “good”
versus “bad”; “singular” versus “double”; “generous” versus “stingy”; or “healthy” versus “diseased.” The eye
was used because of the singleness that healthy vision provides versus the double or blurred vision which
disease causes.

These verses contain three CONDITIONAL SENTENCES (” ifs”). The
first two are THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL which speak of probable action. There are
those who clearly see spiritual truths and there are those who are spiritually blind.

The last “if” is a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which
characterizes the blind who think they see!

SPECIAL TOPIC: GENEROUS/SINCERE (haplotēs)

÷MATTHEW 6:24

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:24
²⁴“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

6:24 “No one can serve two masters” This puts the world in stark reality. This is the reduction of true
life to one simple choice. Humans are not really free. They serve one of two masters (cf. 1 John. 2:15-17).

▣ “he will hate the one and love the other, or” These are in a parallel relationship. The Hebrew
terms “hate” and “love” were idioms of comparison (cf. Gen. 29:30, 31, 33; Mal. 1:2-3; Matt. 21:15; Luke 14:26;
John. 12:25, and Rom. 9:13). It does not refer to hate in the traditional sense, but one’s priority.

▣
NASB, NRSV	”You cannot serve God and wealth”
NKJV, Peshitta	”You cannot serve God and mammon”
TEV, REB, NET	”You cannot serve both God and money”
NJB	”You cannot be the slave both of God and of money”

The term “wealth” was from the Hebrew root “to store up” or “to entrust.” It was used originally
to denote a person putting his trust in another by investing money with him. It came to mean “that in which one
trusted.” It seems to emphasize the object on which one bases his security. A. T. Robertson asserted that this
term was used by the Syrians for the name of a money god. Although this has been denied by more recent scholarship,
it would seem to be a logical analogy. William Barclay, in his Daily Study Bible, on Matthew, vol. 1 p. 252,
asserts that in the ancient Mediterranean world mammon came to be spelled with a capital “M,” a way to designate
deity.

Money itself is not the problem, but the priority of money (cf. 1 Tim. 6:10). The tragedy of money
is that we never have enough and soon it possesses us instead of us possessing it. The more we have, the more we
are worried about losing it, and thereby, we are consumed with protecting it.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH

÷MATTHEW 6:25-33

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:25-33
²⁵“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor do they reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’or ‘What will we drink?’or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’³²For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

6:25 “For this reason I say to you” This shows the logical connection with Matt. 6:19-24.

▣ “do not be worried about your life'” This is another PRESENT IMPERATIVE
with a NEGATIVE PARTICLE, which meant to stop an act that is already in progress.
For a parallel passage, see Phil. 4:6. Matthew 6:25 states a general principle in light of the previous verses.
The KJV translation, “take no thought for,” is unfortunate because it implies, in our day, that any planning
about the future is inappropriate. This is surely not the case (cf. 1 Tim. 5:8). The key thought is “worry”
(cf. Matt. 6:25, 27, 28, 31, and 34).

▣ “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing” Physical life is important but it is
not ultimate. This world is simply the training ground for a fuller and more intimate fellowship with God. The
biblical truth is that God does care for His children and that He will provide for their basic needs.

6:26,28 “the birds of the air. . .the lilies of the field” The translation “wild birds” and “wild flowers”
is appropriate because the text does not specify a particular kind of bird or flower but simply common ones.
Because the setting was the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps Jesus pointed to a flock of wild birds or to the wild
flowers nearby. This was a rabbinical hermeneutical argument from the lesser to the greater.

6:26 “Are you not worth much more than they” This is a rabbinical-type comparison of the lesser to
the greater. The Bible is clear that God created and loves animals. But animals cannot fellowship with God
as humans made in His image can. Be careful of making the lives of animals more valuable than the lives of
humans. Animals were given for food and service after the Fall. They are not eternal, humans are! Evangelism
is more important than “animal rights”! Most of the animal life which was created has gone out of existence.
Some groups care more for animals than people! What a warped worldview. Animal rights groups care more for
insects than unborn humans!

Just one more word, cruelty to animals says a lot about an uncaring, unfeeling person. God
created animals with pain sensors just like us. Animals were part of the original creation of Genesis 1 and
will be part of the new creation (cf. Isa. 11:6-9).

SPECIAL TOPIC: RABBINICAL HERMENEUTICS

6:27
NASB	”can add a single hour to his life”
NKJV, Peshitta	”can add one cubit to his stature”
NRSV	”add a single hour to your span of life”
TEV	”live a bit longer”
NJB	”add a single cubit to his span of life”
REB	”add a single day to your life”

This is literally the Hebrew term “cubit.” Cubit referred to the length between a man’s
elbow and his longest finger. It was an OT measurement used in construction and was normally about eighteen
inches. However, there was a royal cubit used in the Temple which measured twenty-one inches (see
SPECIAL TOPIC: CUBIT).

In the New Testament it was used either for height or time: of height in Luke 19:3
(also LXX of Ezek. 13:18) and of time in John. 9:21,23 and Heb. 11:11. Because it is ridiculous for a
person to be able to physically grow over a foot taller, it is either

imagery for aging
an oriental overstatement (hyperbole)

6:30 “But if God” This is a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE, which is
assumed to be true from the perspective of the speaker or for his literary purposes. God does provide for
His creation.

▣ “which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace” A common use for dry grass
was to start the fire in small ovens used for baking bread. This was imagery for the transience of life,
not an eschatological judgment (cf. Ps. 90:5-6; 103:15; Isa. 40:6-8; 1 Pet. 1:24-25). Believers are worth
much more than beautiful wild grasses.

▣ “You of little faith” This phrase occurs several times in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. Matt. 8:26;
14:31; 16:8). Jesus’ teaching was designed to increase believers’ faith.

6:31 “Do not worry then” This is a NEGATIVE AORIST SUBJUNCTIVE, which meant
“do not begin worrying” (cf. Phil. 4:6). An unhealthy emphasis on how one will provide for his basic needs
shows a lack of trust in the God who has promised to provide for believers.

6:32
NASB	”For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things”
NKJV	”For after all these things the Gentiles seek”
NRSV	”For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things”
TEV	”These are the things the pagans are always concerned about”
NJB	”It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things”
Peshitta	”for worldly people seek after all these things”

One of the characteristics of fallen mankind is their insatiable desire for things. God
knows believers need the things of this world to live. He will provide their needs, not always their wants.

6:33
NASB, NKJV, Peshitta	”But seek first His kindgom and His righteousness”
NRSV	”But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness”
TEV	”Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God”
NJB	”Set your heart on his kingdom first, and on God’s saving justice”

This is a PRESENT IMPERATIVE which speaks of a habitual command. The
truth is that God must be the priority in believers’ lives. The phrase “His righteousness” was used here in an
ethical sense, not in a legal (forensic) sense as in Paul’s writings. This ethical sense can be seen in
Matt. 5:6,10,20, 6:1, Deut. 6:25, Isa. 1:27-28, and Dan. 4:27. This is not a
call to works righteousness; rather, it suggests that once one knows Him, his life will be characterized by
good works (cf. Eph. 2:10). Positional, imputed righteousness should be reflected in Christlike living.

The phrase “His Kingdom” was the concept of God’s current reign in human hearts that
will one day be consummated over all the earth (cf. Matt. 6:10). It was the central focus of Jesus’ preaching.
This kingdom ethic must be the highest priority. The early Greek manuscripts (א
and B) do not have the GENITIVE PHRASE “of God” (cf. NRSV and TEV).

The term “first” is used by Jesus several times to illustrate the radical newness of the
“new age” of the Spirit, which He inaugurated.

Matt. 5:24, be reconciled to your brother before worship
Matt. 6:33, seek the kingdom of God before personal needs/desires
Matt. 7:5, before judging others evaluate your own faults
Matt. 23:26, clean the whole life, inner and outer

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD

SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS

▣ “and all these things will be added to you” This referred to the
physical and normal needs of life. God will not leave believers stranded. This is a general principle, which
cannot always answer the specific questions of why this individual or that individual suffers loss or is in
need. Sometimes God will provide a time of need in order for believers to trust Him, turn to Him, or to
improve their character. This statement is much like the book of Proverbs in the sense that it states
general principles. They are not meant to explain every individual, particular occurrence.

÷MATTHEW 6:34

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 6:34
³⁴So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

6:34 This verse breaks the train of thought. The Christian life is a daily walk in a fallen world. Bad
things that happen to the unbelieving person often happen to the believing person. This does not mean that
God does not care. It simply means that believers are caught in a fallen world system. Do not let the
problems of life trick you into thinking God does not care. See Hannah Whithall Smith, The Christian’s
Secret of a Happy Life.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are
responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You,
the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this
section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

How does Matt. 6:19-34 relate to the overall presentation of the Sermon on the Mount?
Were the people who were listening to Jesus storing up riches on earth? How does this
relate to our modern emphasis on savings accounts, insurance, or planning for retirement?
How does one store up riches in heaven? What do these heavenly riches comprise?
Explain the spiritual truths of Matt. 6:22-24 in your own words and from your own experience.
Is money evil?
Is worry a sin (Matt. 6:31)?
Does Matt. 6:33 teach works righteousness?
Explain why Christians suffer.

New Testament Studies

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