Chapter Text
Giving to the Needy
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly .
The Lord's Prayer
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly .
7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting
16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly .
Treasures in Heaven
19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Do Not Worry
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take 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.
Summary
Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount, teaching about charitable giving, prayer, and fasting, urging that these be done in sincerity before God rather than for human recognition. He gives the model prayer known as the Lord's Prayer.
He instructs His followers to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, to keep a clear spiritual eye, and to serve God rather than mammon. He calls them to trust the Father's provision and to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.
Meaning
The central principle of this chapter is the contrast between outward religion performed for human approval and genuine devotion offered to God in secret. The Father who sees in secret will reward openly, establishing that divine approval is infinitely more valuable than human praise.
The Lord's Prayer provides a framework for communion with God that begins with reverence, continues with dependence, and concludes with surrender. The command to seek first the kingdom liberates believers from the anxiety that dominates those who live for material security.
Background
The religious practices Jesus addressed, namely almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, were the three pillars of Jewish piety in the first century. The Pharisees were known for performing these acts publicly to enhance their reputation.
The word mammon is an Aramaic term for wealth or material possessions. Jesus personifies it as a rival master, making clear that devotion cannot be divided between God and worldly gain.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-4Giving in Secret
- vv. 5-8Praying Without Pretense
- vv. 9-15The Lord's Prayer
- vv. 16-18Fasting Unto the Father
- vv. 19-24Treasures and Two Masters
- vv. 25-34Trust Over Anxiety
Key Verses
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”— 6:9
The opening of the Lord's Prayer, the most universally recited prayer in Christendom and the model Jesus gave for all prayer.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”— 6:21
A piercing diagnostic of the human heart, revealing that our affections inevitably follow our investments — one of the most quoted sayings of Jesus on stewardship.
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”— 6:24
A foundational text on the exclusive claim of God upon the believer, naming mammon (wealth) as a rival deity that demands undivided allegiance.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”— 6:33
The summary verse of Jesus' teaching on anxiety and provision, ordering the believer's priorities and promising God's faithful care.
People & Places
People
- Jesus — The teacher delivering the Sermon on the Mount, instructing His disciples on righteous living.
- Solomon — Israel's king renowned for his glory and wealth, invoked as a contrast to the lilies of the field.
Places
- Synagogues — Jewish gathering places for worship and instruction, where hypocrites are described as praying for show.
Devotional
Jesus reframes the spiritual life from performance to intimacy. Giving, praying, and fasting are not stages for human applause but quiet conversations with a Father who sees in secret. The reward He offers is Himself.
Anxiety, too, is gently dismantled. The birds are fed, the lilies clothed, and you are worth more than these. When the kingdom moves to first place, the lesser things fall into proper order. Today, practice one hidden act of devotion, and let tomorrow keep its own troubles.
Literary Style
Wisdom discourse within the Sermon on the Mount, marked by antithetical parallelism (hypocrites versus disciples), a liturgical centerpiece (the Lord's Prayer), vivid nature imagery (birds, lilies, grass), and rhetorical questions that drive home Jesus' call to single-hearted devotion.