Matthew 6: 1-13
Matthew 6:1 Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Jesus demands that we have control of our minds and pay strict attention to one’s self in behavior when you are engaged in the act of charity. The act of giving should be done in simplicity, liberally and cheerfully.
Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide unto your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.
Romans 12:8 Or he that exhorts, on exhortation: he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; he that rules, with diligence; he that shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purpose in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.
Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
Zacchaeus did his giving in private before the Lord and the Lord made His reward open
Each good deed is to be rewarded if done with the right motive.
Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 6:2 Therefore when you doest your alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Do not behave as the Hypocrites whom are merely actors giving to be seen as an actor on the stage of life.
Job 27:8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God takes away his soul?
In the manner, Jesus is saying that those who give to be seen have their instant reward of being seen. It carries no weight with God.
Matthew 6:3 But when you doest alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth:
This is an idiom (a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from the individual words) of true humility. Do that which is right and don’t even let the other side of yourself know. Do it simple for doing what is right or good.
Matthew 6:4 That your alms may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret himself shall reward you openly.
God who sees in private or rather who sees the good intentions rewards the private good in an open manner. Thus not only will the deed doer be rewarded of God but will also be received well of men.
Luke 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
The power of prayer is given – speak to God, for he controls all that we need and desire.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.
Enter into your secret chamber where you can be with God alone.
Consider the fullness of giving which is doing the work of God.
Matthew 10:38 And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it. 40 He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me. 41 He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Matthew 6:7 But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not you therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? … 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. 33 But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name.
First time God is called father. Jesus is establishing the relationship we have with God. It is a Father child relationship.
Next, He proclaims the recognition of God as God who is in Heaven; and the adoration of God.
God is first and foremost Holy.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
The prayer of believers is that the Kingdom of God will be established on earth
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
God’s Will
John 4:34 Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me.
Ephesians 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Luke 12:16 And he spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those things be, which you have provided?
Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
God has set a measure the measure by which we shall be measure. And, we are the measurers.
1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
God would not lead us into evil. Jesus is saying – ask God to not allow evil to overcome you in your living.
Psalm 91:10 There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. 12 They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
God is the Kingdom, Power and Glory
Job 38:1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and answer you me. 4 Where was you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if you know? or who has stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
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