Matthew 6: Sermon on the Mount (Pt.2) Spiritual activities & trusting God

• Part 1 v.1-18: Spirituality before God
  • v.1-4 Give to the Needy – in secret
  • v.5-18 Keep your spirituality simple and hidden
• Part 2: v.19-34 Trusting God for Provisions
  • v.19-24 Treasures in Heaven
  • v.25- 34 Do Not Worry, Trust God

[Preliminary Note: We are now in the second chapter of this first block of three chapters of pure teaching from Jesus. Whereas chapter 5 was about aspects of righteous living, all about responding to others, the first half of this chapter is about performing spiritual activities which should not be done for pride or show reasons, while the second half is about trusting God for our physical wellbeing]

Part 1: v.1-18 Spirituality before God

v.1-4 Give to the Needy – in secret

v.1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

• Being righteous is NOT for self-glory

v.2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

• When giving don’t do that for self-glory

v.3,4 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

[Note: Jesus teaches, don’t try looking good to impress people with your GIVING – do your giving privately – keep it secret and God will reward you]

v.5-18 Keep your spirituality simple and hidden

i) The Practice of PRAYER

v.5  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

• When you pray don’t do it publicly for self-glory

v.6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

• Instead do it privately, just you and God

v.7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

• And don’t measure your prayer by the number of words

v.8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

[Note: Similarly, he teaches, when you PRAY don’t do it for show – instead talk to your Father in private – don’t just chatter on, words don’t impress Him – your father already knows your needs.]

ii) The so-called ‘Lord’s Prayer’

v.9 Address God as your Father

v.9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

v.10 pray for His kingdom and will on earth

v.10 your kingdom come, your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven.

v.11 acknowledge your daily needs

v.11 Give us today our daily bread.

v.12 ask for forgiveness

v.12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

v.12 ask Him to keep you from wrong doing

v.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

v.14 as you forgive, so you will be forgiven

v.14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

v.15 if you don’t forgive, it puts a question mark over your relationships with your Father

v.15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

iii) Fasting (with prayer)

v.16 if you do FAST, don’t do it to impress

v.16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

v.17,18 do it only for God

v.17,18 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

[Comment: For spirituality to be real it is not to be used to show off, but should be a genuine expression of the loving relationship you have alone with the Father.]

Part 2: v.19-34 Trusting God for Provisions

v.19-24 Treasures in Heaven

v.19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

• Don’t trust in storing up material wealth

v.20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

• Let your ‘wealth’ be how you bless others and heaven

v.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

[Note: Jesus progresses his teaching to security with God. Don’t store up earthly riches but instead seek to store up heavenly riches. Whichever you go for will reveal your heart.]

v.22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

• What you let yourself see determines in a measure what you’ll be like on the inside

v.23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

• If you keep looking at wrong things, it will harm you

v.24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

[Note:  Jesus focuses even more on inner realities. What you allow your eyes to see will determine your inner state for if you view evil, it will bring inner darkness. We have to decide our priorities:  God or material possessions, one or the other]

v.25- 34 Do not worry, trust God

v.25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

• Worrying about material possessions is not the key to life

v.26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

• Look to how God provides in Creation and be encouraged

v.27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

[Note: Continuing the theme of security with God, Jesus teaches, don’t focus on and worry about material things, life is more than that. Watch the birds who have no cares as God provides for them. Can worrying about these things help?

v.28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

• Don’t worry about keeping up with fashion, Creation tells a different story

v.29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

• Remember Solomon, not as great as the provision of Creation

v.30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

[Note: Developing this further, he teaches. so, for example, worry about being dressed, don’t! Not even affluent Solomon was dressed as well as the flowers, so if God clothes nature won’t He more clothe you?]

v.31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

• So don’t worry about all these things

v.32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

• It’s what unbelievers do, but you’re a child of God

v.33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

• Put His will first and let the rest all fall into place

v.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

[Note: So to summarize, don’t worry about your physical needs, that’s what unbelievers do, but Father knows your needs. So, seek His reign and His will and He’ll make sure you have the rest. Thus, don’t worry about tomorrow, just cope with today. This is what brings security with God.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: