Matthew 6

This chapter is the central portion of the Sermon on the Mount, which spans chapters 5–7 of Matthew. Following chapter 5, which speaks of a righteousness exceeding that of the law, this chapter addresses the proper attitude in practicing piety and gives teaching on wealth and anxiety.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 establish the principle that righteousness is not to be practiced in order to be seen by others, and teach that almsgiving should be done in secret, so that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.
• Verses 5–8 teach that one should not pray in the streets like the hypocrites, nor use vain repetitions like the heathen, but should pray in one's closet.
• Verses 9–15 introduce the Lord's Prayer with the words "After this manner therefore pray ye." The passage then links forgiving others with being forgiven by God.
• Verses 16–18 instruct that when fasting, one should not put on a sad countenance but should anoint the head and wash the face.
• Verses 19–24 call for laying up treasures in heaven and compare the eye to the light of the body. They teach that no one can serve both God and mammon.
• Verses 25–34 point to the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field, teaching that one should not be anxious about food and clothing but should seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.

Key Verses

• Matthew 6:9 "Our Father which art in heaven" — the opening of the Lord's Prayer, the most widely recited prayer in the church.
• Matthew 6:24 "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" — a verse that portrays wealth (Greek mamōnas, "mammon") as a master set in opposition to God.
• Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" — the conclusion of the teaching on anxiety.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ — the one delivering this sermon.
• The hypocrites — the Korean Bible's term, from oesik (外飾), means "adorning the outside." It refers to those who perform pious acts in order to be seen by others.
• Gentiles — portrayed as those who think they will be heard for their much speaking and who seek only what they will eat and wear.
• Solomon — mentioned as an example of glory against which the beauty of the wildflowers is measured.
• Synagogues — places where the hypocrites make a show of their almsgiving and prayer.

Points for Reflection

• The doxology in verse 13 ("For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory…") is absent from some ancient manuscripts. For this reason, the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version enclose this portion in parentheses. In Protestant worship the doxology is recited together with the rest of the prayer. In the Catholic Mass, the doxology is said separately after the Lord's Prayer, following an intervening prayer by the priest.
• The same prayer appears in a shorter form in Luke 11:2–4.
• The word rendered "evil" in verse 13 can be read in Greek either as "evil" or as "the evil one," so translations and interpretations differ.
• Interpretations of verses 14–15 vary. Some understand forgiving others as a condition for receiving God's forgiveness, while others see it as a sign evident in those who have been forgiven.

In the Korean Church

• Verses 9–13 are the text of the Lord's Prayer, which is recited along with the Apostles' Creed in worship services and various gatherings. Meetings without a benediction, such as cell group worship, often close with the Lord's Prayer.
• The word "closet" in verse 6 is commonly used to refer to private, solitary prayer.
• Verse 33 is frequently quoted in sermons, and gospel songs that use this verse as their lyrics are widely sung.