Mat 6:1-4 | KingComments | STEP | This chapter is no longer about the Christian principle in contrast to the law as in Matthew 5, but about our Father with Whom we have to do in secret. The expression “your Father” is used here more than ten times. The disciples are brought into a personal connection with the Father. He understands us, sees everything that happens in and around us, listens to us and gives us advice. Everything shows that He has the deepest concern for us. The previous chapter deals with the nature of righteousness. This chapter is about doing righteousness. With this, the Lord points out the great danger that we will do righteousness before the eyes of men in order to obtain their appreciation and recognition. That is nothing but hypocrisy. The Lord goes into three forms of righteousness which are easily practiced in order to garner the glory of men. He speaks of doing righteousness in the forms of giving ( ), prayer ( ) and fasting ( ). In outward display these forms can impress people, but not God. God seeks inward truth. We receive the reward that the Father pays out in the kingdom of peace. We lose that when we do things before the eyes of people. Giving is about our attitude towards our fellow human beings, prayer is about our attitude toward God, and fasting is about ourselves. It is as by grace that teaches us that we “live sensibly, righteously and godly” ( ). ‘Sensibly’ is about our inner attitude, we are “righteous” towards our fellowmen and we show “godliness” towards God.

‏ Matthew 6:1-4

Righteousness

This chapter is no longer about the Christian principle in contrast to the law as in Matthew 5, but about our Father with Whom we have to do in secret. The expression “your Father” is used here more than ten times. The disciples are brought into a personal connection with the Father. He understands us, sees everything that happens in and around us, listens to us and gives us advice. Everything shows that He has the deepest concern for us.

The previous chapter deals with the nature of righteousness. This chapter is about doing righteousness. With this, the Lord points out the great danger that we will do righteousness before the eyes of men in order to obtain their appreciation and recognition. That is nothing but hypocrisy.

The Lord goes into three forms of righteousness which are easily practiced in order to garner the glory of men. He speaks of doing righteousness in the forms of giving (Mt 6:2-4), prayer (Mt 6:5-15) and fasting (Mt 6:16-18). In outward display these forms can impress people, but not God. God seeks inward truth. We receive the reward that the Father pays out in the kingdom of peace. We lose that when we do things before the eyes of people.

Giving is about our attitude towards our fellow human beings, prayer is about our attitude toward God, and fasting is about ourselves. It is as by grace that teaches us that we “live sensibly, righteously and godly” (Tit 2:12). ‘Sensibly’ is about our inner attitude, we are “righteous” towards our fellowmen and we show “godliness” towards God.

Giving

The Lord time and again uses the words “I say to you” also in this chapter. He speaks with authority and does not teach them as their scribes.

The Pharisees esteem their generosity highly. They do this in the synagogues, where they teach, and also in public. The Lord calls them “hypocrites”. These people have no eye for God. They are only concerned about the approval and praise of their fellow human beings. Well, they receive it and therewith they get their reward at the same time. They no longer need to expect deferred or future reward.

After the Lord has pointed out the wrong form of giving, He shows what the right way is. With giving the point is that it happens before the Father’s eye. Even though no one knows about it, the Father sees it, appreciates it and will reward it.

Nor should the left hand know what the right hand is doing. That means that we should not give in order to give ourselves a good feeling about it. We won’t tell others, but we are proud of ourselves for giving something. Everything must be done to and before the eye of the Father and not before that of people, not even before our own eye. What happens without people knowing it, will be openly rewarded in the future day.