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In this lesson:
The Sermon on the Mount continues. How to be charitable (6:1-4). Jesus teaches "The Lord's Prayer" (6:9-13). Study Tip: Understanding the Bible can be a challenge, so it helps to study more than one translation. As you read, scroll back and forth between the "King James Version" and the "New Living Translation" below. Also, check the margin notes in blue and click on the links for further context. |
The Sermon on the Mount.
By an unknown artist. |
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The King James Bible
The King James Bible
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Matthew 6:1-18
Charity, prayer, fasting, treasure 1 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. 2 Therefore 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. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 5 And 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. 6 But 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. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 Moreover 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. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That 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. |
Margin notes:
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men." (6:1) - Giving alms means donating money, time, or services to people in need. Be careful not to perform your good deeds just to be admired. 'When thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet." (6:2) - Don't call attention to yourself when doing a charitable deed. What should you do? Read verses 6:3-4 and Romans 12:8 to find out. "Verily." (6:2) - "Truly." "They have their reward." (6:2) - Their reward is the fleeting praise from others. "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, and pray to thy Father." (6:6) - "When you pray, go to your room (or private place) and shut the door. Then pray to your (heavenly) Father." "Use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do." (6:7) - "Don't use meaningless repetitions, like the pagans do." "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." (6:8) - Jesus is telling us that God knows our needs. He will reinforce this teaching in Matthew 6:32. "Our Father which art in heaven..." (6:9-13) - This is known as "The Lord's prayer." Jesus gave it as a model for believers to follow when praying. See "Question Two" below. "Hallowed be thy name." (6:9) - Treat God's name as holy. "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (6:10) - This brief petition shows humility and submission to God. "Thy kingdom come." (6:10) - God's kingdom will come on earth ("as it is in heaven") when Christ returns and destroys sin. "Give us this day our daily bread." (6:11) - This shows our dependence on God. "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (6:12) - "Forgive our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us" (Matthew 18:33-35; Luke 11:4). "Lead us not into temptation." (6:13) - These five simple words convey the Christian desire to avoid the temptation to sin. But remember, even though God allows us to face trials (Luke 22:31-32), He is not the one who tempts us (James 1:13). "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (6:14) - Jesus repeats this teaching in Mark 11:25. "A sad countenance." (6:16) - "A sad expression." |
You will also find Jesus teaching us how to pray in Luke 11:1-13.
New Living Translation
Matthew 6:1-18
Teaching about Giving to the Needy
1 "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
2 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do-blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
3 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
8 Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don't let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Teaching about Giving to the Needy
1 "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
2 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do-blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
3 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
8 Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don't let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Key verses from this passage
"Therefore 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." (6:2)
"But 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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." (6:6-7)
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (6:14)
"Therefore 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." (6:2)
"But 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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." (6:6-7)
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (6:14)
Today's Questions:
1. Should we let others see our good deeds? (6:1)
2. Why are some prayers wrong? (6:7)
3. Why fast? (6:16)
"The best way to know God's will is to say, "I will" to God." (The Philippine Star)
1. Should we let others see our good deeds? (6:1)
2. Why are some prayers wrong? (6:7)
3. Why fast? (6:16)
"The best way to know God's will is to say, "I will" to God." (The Philippine Star)
Answers: (Do you agree?)
1. It depends on the motive. Performing charitable works to impress our fellow man undermines the good deed. People who perform good deeds to receive the approval of men (6:2) have received the only reward they should expect. On the other hand, if a believer, acting as a role model, performs a charitable act to show the loving nature of Christianity to others, good things can come. Remember, our good works cannot earn salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is a gift from God that leads Christians to want to perform charitable acts.
2. We give little of ourselves when our prayers are memorized passages mindlessly recited. An automatic prayer is meaningless. Prayers should be an opening up of the heart and an honest dialogue with God. The Lord's Prayer (6:9) is a simple model to follow. First, it praises God ("hallowed be thy name") and prays for His work on earth (6:10). Then it acknowledges our dependence on Him for our daily sustenance (6:11) and asks His help with our struggles (6:12-13).
3. Fasting was an annual Jewish obligation on the Day of Atonement. It was considered an act of humility. Christians are not obligated to fast, but many believe it increases their sensitivity to things of the spirit and helps them concentrate on prayer. They feel that fasting helps focus the mind on spiritual matters. If you choose to fast, it is recommended you do it on a quiet day at home and pray while recording your feelings and thoughts in a journal.
Advice from Jesus:
Don't use your acts of charity to gain favor (6:1-2).
When praying, acknowledge God's power over you and ask Him for your daily sustenance (6:11).
Ask God to forgive your sins (6:12) and spare you the temptation to sin again (6:13).
Finally, if you want God to forgive you, then forgive those who have wronged you (6:14-15).
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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen, published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur, published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham, published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Atlas of the Bible" edited by Joseph L. Gardner, published by Readers Digest, Pleasantville, New York; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The New Testament" Recovery Version published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The New Scofield Reference Bible" published by Oxford University Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2025 evolke
© 2025 evolke