61 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven . 2 "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets , so that they may be honored by men . Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full . 3 "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing , 4 so that your giving will be in secret ; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 "When you pray , you are not to be like the hypocrites ; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men . Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full . 6 "But you, when you pray , go into your inner room , close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret , and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 "And when you are praying , do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words . 8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 " Pray , then , in this way : 'Our Father who is in heaven , Hallowed be Your name . 10 ' Your kingdom come . Your will be done , On earth as it is in heaven . 11 ' Give us this day our daily bread . 12 'And forgive us our debts , as we also have forgiven our debtors . 13 'And do not lead us into temptation , but deliver us from evil . [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever . Amen .'] 14 " For if you forgive others for their transgressions , your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive others , then your Father will not forgive your transgressions .
16 " Whenever you fast , do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting . Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full . 17 "But you, when you fast , anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men , but by your Father who is in secret ; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 6:1-18
Commentary on Matthew 6:1-4
(Read Matthew 6:1-4)
Our Lord next warned against hypocrisy and outward show in religious duties. What we do, must be done from an inward principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be praised of men. In these verses we are cautioned against hypocrisy in giving alms. Take heed of it. It is a subtle sin; and vain-glory creeps into what we do, before we are aware. But the duty is not the less necessary and excellent for being abused by hypocrites to serve their pride. The doom Christ passes, at first may seem a promise, but it is their reward; not the reward God promises to those who do good, but the reward hypocrites promise themselves, and a poor reward it is; they did it to be seen of men, and they are seen of men. When we take least notice of our good deeds ourselves, God takes most notice of them. He will reward thee; not as a master who gives his servant what he earns, and no more, but as a Father who gives abundantly to his son that serves him.
Commentary on Matthew 6:5-8
(Read Matthew 6:5-8)
It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to so poor a thing as the praise of men, it is just that it should be all our reward. Yet there is not a secret, sudden breathing after God, but he observes it. It is called a reward, but it is of grace, not of debt; what merit can there be in begging? If he does not give his people what they ask, it is because he knows they do not need it, and that it is not for their good. So far is God from being wrought upon by the length or words of our prayers, that the most powerful intercessions are those which are made with groanings that cannot be uttered. Let us well study what is shown of the frame of mind in which our prayers should be offered, and learn daily from Christ how to pray.
Commentary on Matthew 6:9-15
(Read Matthew 6:9-15)
Christ saw it needful to show his disciples what must commonly be the matter and method of their prayer. Not that we are tied up to the use of this only, or of this always; yet, without doubt, it is very good to use it. It has much in a little; and it is used acceptably no further than it is used with understanding, and without being needlessly repeated. The petitions are six; the first three relate more expressly to God and his honour, the last three to our own concerns, both temporal and spiritual. This prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and that all other things shall be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom, and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this present life. Every word here has a lesson in it. We ask for bread; that teaches us sobriety and temperance: and we ask only for bread; not for what we do not need. We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not ask for the bread of others, nor the bread of deceit, Proverbs 31:27, but the bread honestly gotten. We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divine Providence. We beg of God to give it us; not sell it us, nor lend it us, but give it. The greatest of men must be beholden to the mercy of God for their daily bread. We pray, Give it to us. This teaches us a compassion for the poor. Also that we ought to pray with our families. We pray that God would give it us this day; which teaches us to renew the desires of our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies are renewed. As the day comes we must pray to our heavenly Father, and reckon we could as well go a day without food, as without prayer. We are taught to hate and dread sin while we hope for mercy, to distrust ourselves, to rely on the providence and grace of God to keep us from it, to be prepared to resist the tempter, and not to become tempters of others. Here is a promise, If you forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those who desire to find mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren. Christ came into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but one to another.
Commentary on Matthew 6:16-18
(Read Matthew 6:16-18)
Religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, but it is not so much a duty itself, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Fasting is the humbling of the soul, Psalm 35:13; that is the inside of the duty; let that, therefore, be thy principal care, and as to the outside of it, covet not to let it be seen. God sees in secret, and will reward openly.