Matthew 6:1-18

The Sermon on the Mount continues in this chapter with Christ’s instruction, explaining the practical ways that their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. Remember in Matthew 5:20 Jesus taught, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” When Jesus made this statement to His disciples, they knew this was a serious issue, and they had better listen and understand what He wanted from them. They all knew that the Pharisees and scribes had a righteousness that was all external, just for show, but Jesus wanted His disciples to possess a righteousness that would be inspired from a change of heart.

In these first 18 verses, Jesus taught the disciples several practical ways to determine if their hearts had truly been changed. He taught them about giving, praying, fasting, and the heart motivations they needed, which would be the evidence of an inward righteousness. In verses 19-33, Jesus also explained the transformation that must take place in their thinking toward the material world around them. In chapter 7, Jesus instructed them concerning the heart attitudes necessary to maintain a loving personal relationship with God, and with people. If they simply followed these instructions and allowed their hearts to be transformed, it would keep them from the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. 

What was the overall message of these passages?  Vs. 1-18

The overall theme of this section of the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s warning concerning hypocrisy. The word hypocrite was used in the first century to describe an actor on the stage, or someone pretending to be someone else. This is what Jesus thought of the Pharisees. They were religious fakes that were play-acting for the acceptance of people, but Jesus was not fooled. The word hypocrite or hypocrites is specifically used four times from here to the end of the sermon, which clearly reveals the theme of this section of the sermon.

Concerning giving, Jesus said to His disciples, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  And when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matt. 6:1-4).

Then Jesus taught a very similar message concerning prayer. “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:5-8).

Then Jesus repeats the same basic message relating to fasting. “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:16-18). In these three passages of Scripture, we see Jesus instructing how we as believers are to give and do charitable deeds toward others, how we are to pray, and how we are to fast. Note that the central warning is to not be like the hypocrites.

So why did Jesus contrast His instruction with the hypocrites of His day? He was making it very clear that the Pharisees and scribes were only interested in the adulation of men, and not the honor of God. It was all an act with them; their service to God was not from the heart. This was a sad commentary, but it was the truth. In Matthew 23, Jesus devoted an entire sermon to the heart of the scribes and Pharisees, and how their motivations were so wrong, which then turned people away from the Lord. He called them hypocrites several times right to their face. Jesus was clear and direct. He believed they were religious phonies. Jesus did not want any of His disciples to follow their example, but rather to be sincere men and women of faith.

Why was keeping us from hypocrisy so important to Jesus, that He would spend all this time on this one subject? He knew how hypocrisy could easily destroy our faith, our relationships with people, and most importantly, would guarantee we would have no relationship with the Lord. Truth and sincerity are essential for anyone to have relationship with God, and is equally necessary for someone to mature in that relationship. Without truth and sincerity, you will turn from a real relationship with God, to religion. This is why Jesus wanted His disciples to think about one thing in all that they did. Were they doing their good deeds, just to be seen by men? Were they praying in front of others, to be acknowledged and praised by men? Were they fasting, so that others would think they were super spiritual, or were they doing all these things to be seen and acknowledged by God? Who are you doing your good deeds for? Jesus wants to also challenge each of our hearts. What are the motives deep within our hearts? You may think only you know the motives of your heart, but so does God. Jesus was encouraging His disciples to stop and examine themselves, so that they would not fall into hypocrisy.  

Define true hypocrisy!

To deal with this issue of hypocrisy you first must understand the actual definition of the word. Why? Because people misunderstand what true hypocrisy is. I remember talking to a lady after church one Sunday, who had just miserably failed in her own personal life. She said to me, “I’m such a hypocrite.” Then she said to me, “But, you know the whole church is filled with hypocrites.” I responded, “No, you’ve got a misunderstanding of hypocrisy.’ I then asked her, “Did you intend to do what you did?” She responded, “No, I was actually trying to do the opposite.” I replied, “Then this is not hypocrisy. Yes, you sinned, but you didn’t hypocritically try to tell everyone that you didn’t sin, or portray yourself as some perfect person. Just because you failed does not mean that you are a hypocrite.” Do you see my point? Just because you miss the mark, and failed to do something you want to do, does not make you hypocrite. If the whole church was filled with hypocrites, then none of us are truly Christians. Do you see how this woman’s definition of hypocrisy was a gross misunderstanding of this topic? Are there hypocrites within the church? Yes, absolutely! But, the most important question is, are you a hypocrite? That is the only question you have to answer. Who are you behind closed doors? What are your heart motives? Are you pretending to be something you are not? Or, do you regularly challenge your own motives before God when you are alone with Him?

What is an actual hypocrite?

The definition of an actual hypocrite is someone who acts one way at church, and then purposely and knowingly lives another way at work, or at home. A hypocrite is anyone who tells others how to act or live, yet they never intend to live that way themselves. That’s hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is when your beliefs do not change your work ethic, do not change your business practices, do not change your home life, and you intentionally live a double life. You say one thing to believers, and another to unbelievers. You use spiritual words at church and cuss like a sailor, or tell dirty jokes to the people at work. That’s hypocrisy! You are living a double life!

What is the opposite of hypocrisy?

The opposite of hypocrisy is sincerity and truth before God, and with others. Notice what the Scripture has to say about sincerity. Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:5, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” If you want to fulfill God's commands you need love, which requires a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. The Apostle Peter taught the same thing. In 1 Peter 1:22 he taught, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” You need sincere faith, and sincere love to truly follow Christ. That is why Jesus addressed hypocrisy in these three issues with His disciples.

If you don’t want your sincerity, truth, and love to be compromised, then you must reject hypocrisy. Why? Because hypocrisy is like leaven that can slowly infiltrate and ruin your sincere heart before God. Hypocrisy is illustrated as leaven in the Scripture. In Luke 12:1 Jesus said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Leaven is always used in Scripture as a corrupting influence of evil, hypocrisy, or of pride. Hypocrisy will ruin your love and faith in God, because it is a corrupting influence within the heart. Jesus described hypocrisy as leaven, because it slowly permeates all of you, just as leaven does when it is put into bread dough. This is why Paul said, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6). Therefore, this is why you must purge out the leaven of hypocrisy from your life, or it will slowly corrupt your heart. In John 5:44 Jesus explained how your faith could be destroyed, or you could be kept from faith altogether. He asked those who came to Him, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” If you are seeking the honor and approval of men, or to be seen by people instead of being seen by God, you will stumble in your faith. That is a fundamental key to your faith, and how to grow in your faith. Whose honor do you seek?

Have you ever wondered why these religious leaders that Jesus spoke to could move from a real relationship with the Lord into hypocrisy and religion? Why would anyone do that? The answer is simple. They allowed hypocrisy to spread like leaven within them, which corrupted their sincere and honest relationship with God. Every one of us must be concerned about this peril in our own walk with Christ. If you want real relationship and fellowship with God, and don’t want religion, then you must be sincere in all aspects of your relationship with Jesus.

What will keep you sincere and honest before God?

Jesus gave the same solution in all three of these aspects of your practical worship. When Jesus teaches the same thing three times it must be important. Why does He have to repeat Himself? So, we won’t miss the point. What did He say? In verse four, Jesus said, “That your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” The same thing is taught in verse six. “Pray to your Father who is in the secret place.” Also, in verse eighteen concerning prayer and fasting Jesus declared, “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” How do you stay sincere? Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord, which means to do it for His eyes only. Do what you do, say what you say, serve how you serve – and whatever you do, do it for the Lord. If you do not want to be a hypocrite, do it for Him, for His eyes only, for Him to know, and you will stay sincere. As soon as you start to think, I want them to see me do this, my friend, know that you are in trouble, and heading down the wrong path. Acting for His eyes only, is what will keep you doing the right thing, for the right reason. He will be pleased!

Notice also how Jesus made this point about doing things in secret, when He said, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” What did He mean? This is simple hyperbole. Jesus used hyperbole quite often in His teaching. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that is an obvious exaggeration to make a point. We all use hyperbole throughout our day. We might say, “Your suitcase weighs a ton.” Or, “I have had a million problems to deal with today.” These are obvious exaggerations to express a point you don’t want someone to miss. What Jesus was teaching us to do was, make sure you do your giving without thinking about who is observing; do it without any display for others to see. Don’t let the person on your left know what you are doing with your right hand. Whatever you do, as much as is possible, do it in secret, or in a secretive way, so you won’t draw attention to you. This is why churches pass a bag and not a plate for offerings, because this allows no one to see what others are giving. The same thing is true for churches who just use an offering box, and don’t even pass an offering bag.

God sees in secret!

Remember, Jesus said that God sees in secret. He sees what in secret? He sees everything that is done in secret. He sees your heart, your thoughts, and your motives for all the things that you do. He sees and tests your heart. Jeremiah 17:9-10 declares, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart.” Who can know your heart? God says, I do. He knows everything about me. The incredible thing is He knows everything about me, and He still loves me. That’s truly amazing. He goes on to say, “I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Therefore, knowing that God knows your heart, and that your heart is easily corrupted, examine your motives on a regular basis. Ask yourself, “Why am I giving? Why am I doing this thing? Why am I praying this way in front of others? Why am I fasting? What is my motive for doing this? Is it to gain the approval of others, or to please God alone? You should always ask yourself, “Would I still do this even if no one sees, and no one ever knows who did this? If you say yes, then you have the right motive, and a sincere heart. If God tests our hearts, then we should also test our own heart by asking ourselves these questions.

Another question people ask concerning giving in secret is, “Can my giving ever be completely anonymous?”  The answer is, no it can’t. Why? Because the bookkeeper knows what you give, or the organization that you give to also knows, because they send you a tax-deductible receipt. But Jesus was not talking about total anonymity in your giving. Doing your giving in secret means, making sure you are not giving so it could be known who has given. Jesus was talking about your motive in giving, these are the issues you must be concerned about.

What are charitable deeds?

What did Jesus mean when He used the term charitable deeds? The Greek words literally mean alms-giving, which refers to your giving to the poor. There are three different types of giving referred to in the Scripture. One is called the tithe, which is a tenth of your income that is given to the church, or it was given to the Temple in the days of Christ. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus restated His belief that tithing was good, and that it should not be neglected, but continued. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Note that Jesus was not discouraging people from tithing. He was simply teaching everyone not to get fixated on the lessor issues, such as their tithe, and then forget the most important issues of justice, mercy, and faith. Just so you wouldn’t miss His point, He ended with, “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Therefore, don’t leave your tithe to your church undone! Second, the Bible then uses another word for another type of giving called an offering (Ex. 29:25; Luke 5:14; Heb. 10:10). An offering was always to be above your tithe, and was to be given to individuals, missionaries, or some special work that you believe was beneficial and worthy for the kingdom of God. Third, alms-giving which was referred to in our text, was giving to the poor and to the needy (1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8-9). It is important to note that Jesus did not say, “if you do your alms-giving,” no; He said, “When you do your almsgiving.” Jesus was assuming that we would naturally give to the poor. It was just a matter of when. Jesus made the same command when He referred to praying and fasting in this passage. Are you a man or woman who gives often, prays fervently, and fasts regularly?   

Can you ever “out give” God?

There is one very important thing you should not forget; you can never out give God. If you ever could give to God more than He gave to you, then He would be your debtor. But the Lord will never be our debtor (Ps. 50:9-12)! That will never happen, because He is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). The reason He even wants you to become a truly giving person, is so that you might experience the greatest blessing you will ever have in life. If you give, God will make sure that you receive back a blessing you cannot contain. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). Does that promise sound like you are going to be blessed because you gave? It sure does! Scripture has also told us in Proverbs 11:24-25, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” Also, in Proverbs 19:17 Solomon taught, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” As I said before, God will never be your debtor. He will always give back more than you could ever give to Him, or to others. If that is not a reason to give to the poor, I don’t know what is! God says again referring to the giving of your tithe in Malachi 3:10, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” These are the words of God, and He means what He says. If you are a giver, you will not only bless others, but He will bless you more than you could ever imagine. Remember that! This was what Christ meant when He said in all three of these teachings on giving, praying and fasting, that your heavenly Father will reward you openly. The Lord declared with these words that He will reward you today, and He will reward you eternally for the giving, praying, and the fasting that you do. Jesus was encouraging His disciples to make a choice. Do you want people rewarding you today, or do you want your reward eternally from God? If you get your reward from a person today, that is all you get! Yet, if God sees the correct motive in your giving, you will get an eternal reward. That is the reward that I want!

Praying Vs. 5-8

In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus said, “And when you pray you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things that you have need of before you ask Him.” What was Jesus attempting to communicate to His disciples concerning prayer? His point was very simple. If you want to be effective in prayer, you must not pray for the benefit of people. You must have a secret time of communion with your heavenly Father, and when you are with others, pray from the heart. Notice that again Jesus was dealing with your motive and your heart during prayer. Jesus was also encouraging non-ostentatious praying. Now, for those of you who have been in church for any length of time, I’m sure you have all come in contact with someone who prays in an ostentatious manner. They want everyone to know how spiritual they are, and how many verses of Scripture they can quote as they preach while praying. You know that this person’s audience is the people sitting around them, and not God. Do you want to be seen by men, or heard by God?

You have also been with people who pray on, and on, and you think, When are they ever going to finish? I heard them say the same thing five different ways. This is why Jesus said you won’t be heard because of your many words. God understood the first time you asked for that thing. I have prayed with pastors who pray like this. When pastors preach for 15 minutes in their prayer, they are talking to people, not to God! This kind of prayer meeting won’t be very effective, and you won’t want to go back to it again. In addition, you won’t be heard by how many times you say, Lord, or Lord God. Remember, God knows who He is. You don’t have to continually address Him over and over again. Don’t use His name as a pause word. Keep your prayer as short, and as concise as possible. Don’t preach to people, when you should be praying! Talk to God from your heart, and people will agree with you. That’s what sincerity of heart means.

Vain repetitions.

What did Jesus mean when He spoke about vain repetitions in prayer? What are these? The best example of vain repetitions would be when you hear, Our Father or Hail Mary prayers at a Catholic funeral, or similar prayers at an Eastern Orthodox Service – these are vain repetitious prayers. They are written prayers that are prayed over and over again at each service. People think that if they say the prayer long enough and often enough, that it will get them off the hook for their sins. Jesus declared in this teaching on prayer, that this was not the kind of prayer that He would answer, because it doesn’t come from the heart. These kinds of prayer are just a religious ritual that is empty and worthless to God.

Jesus said in Matt. 6:8, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask it.” God knows everything about what is going on in your heart, and everything that is going on in your life. We don’t have to give Him every detail of every circumstance to somehow inform Him. He has all the information needed. He knows exactly what’s going on. Therefore, say what you want to say in prayer, and get to the point. This is why when we look at the Lord’s Prayer; it is such a short prayer. It gets right to the heart, and right to the point. This is what you should do; get to the point of what you want to say. There are no magic words that bring answers to your prayers. I remember as a young Christian, I heard a man pray over another man for his healing. When the man got healed, I concluded that those were the magic words that caused this healing. I then proceeded to say those same words over every one I prayed for, thinking this would heal them. But this too was vain repetitious praying. There are no magic words that you can pray. It is your heart of faith that He hears, not some magical words. You are talking to the One who knows your heart, and He knows whether you are calling out to Him in faith or not. Don’t put your faith in specific words; put your faith in God! That is how your prayers will be answered. Let your prayers and motives be for His ears only.

Does that mean you can’t pray out loud in church, or at a prayer meeting? No. Scripture reveals often that people prayed out loud in many places when the church was gathered together. They only prayed out loud together, so other people could hear and agree. But their motive was so that God might hear them, not those who were there with them. Notice in Acts 4:24 when the church was being persecuted it declares, “They raised their voice to God with one accord.” Then Scripture records the prayer that they prayed. In Acts 12:12 when Peter was released from prison it says that, “He came to the house of Mary . . . where many were gathered together praying.” There is nothing wrong with group prayer or praying out loud in public. What Jesus was only concerned about was our motive when we pray!

Fasting Vs. 16-18

In verses 16-18 Jesus said, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

There is an overall theme in all these teachings concerning giving, praying, and fasting, that you should not miss. Jesus wants us to do any religious service for Him, and not so we can appear to men to be super-spiritual saints. To appear to men that you are fasting is such a spiritual trap of self-deception, that Jesus said, you have lost your reward for such service. Why? Because He knows that this service was not done for Him. You did it for the applause of men! This is why He taught that we were to do this service in a secret way, and our Father who saw in secret, would reward us openly. Jesus again was encouraging non-ostentatious fasting. He wanted us to come and wait upon Him. It’s also interesting that Jesus puts this exhortation after His message on prayer, because prayer always goes together with fasting. Fasting is not something you do to try and obligate God to listen or give to you. However, many seek to fast or give as a means of getting something they want. They think, I’ve done this, so now give me what I want God. But this motivation will not work with God, because He knows your heart, and He won’t play that game. Fasting is for a very specific purpose. What do the Scriptures teach concerning this purpose?

Let me give you several biblical examples that reveal the purpose of fasting. First, fasting is done when you see your personal sin, and you want to get your heart right before God. In 1 Samuel 7:6 when the nation Israel saw its sin against God, the people came in repentance with fasting before the Lord. The Scripture declared, “They gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted that day, and said there, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’” See here how that prayer and fasting are connected with repentance and confession of sin. The people’s fasting was to demonstrate their wholeheartedness and commitment to their repentance over their sin. Is this your motivation for why you pray and fast? 

Second, you should fast to demonstrate your humility before God, and acknowledge your position as His servant. In Psalm 35:13 David said, “I humbled myself with fasting.” When you want to humble yourself before God, you should fast. By doing so you are acknowledging that He is Lord, and you are His love slave. When you put humility together with the confession of sin, you will have a sincere and powerful moment before God. Don’t you want to have this kind of personal fellowship with God?

Third, fasting is an opportunity to draw near to God through prayer. In Judges 20:26, it declares, “Then all the children of Israel, that is all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening.” Note that the children of Israel fasted as they sat before the Lord in fellowship and communion with Him. Fasting here is seen as a way to enhance fellowship with God, and to draw near to Him. Fasting promotes greater focus and intimacy before God.

Fourth, fasting should be used when you set your face to seek God for His direction. Probably the best example of this use of fasting was when Daniel sought God’s direction for the nation Israel. Daniel wrote, “I Daniel understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord, given through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2-3). Daniel was reading the prophecies of Jeremiah, and he realized that he was at the very end of God’s determined judgment upon his people after they had been carried away into Babylon. What did Daniel do? He explained, “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Dan. 9:3). Daniel set his face to seek God for His direction. Whenever someone has come to me and said, “I don’t know what to do. I have a big decision to make. What does God want me to do?” Or, sometimes people come that have been in a very difficult place in their life for many months and they say, “I don’t know how to get out of this.” What do I tell them? I encourage them, “You should take a day, get your Bible, and drive to a secluded place by yourself, and wait upon God. You need to pray and fast and ask God for His direction.” Do you know what happens when people do this? The Holy Spirit comes in power, with revelation to their hearts, and He speaks to them directly. It’s a powerful thing when you pursue God like this. If you have never done this, and you are in one of those circumstances right now, that’s what you need to do. Why? Because God wants to speak, but are you prepared to listen? Fasting has a physiological and spiritual effect upon you that enables real intimacy with God.

I believe the Holy Spirit is moving through the church at this present time and saying, It is time to get on your knees! It’s time to get in touch with Me, because this nation is in grave trouble, and the church is weak and asleep! If you want to see an awakening take place, start praying and fasting, and asking Me for My direction for what I want you to do! When you deny the natural desire of your flesh to eat food, God knows He has your attention, and He is going to speak to you. Fasting gives you that ability to tune in to His voice, and to hear what He is saying. The Pharisees used fasting to glorify themselves, and to make people think that they were super-spiritual. God wants you to use fasting to glorify Him, and to allow you to hear His voice. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you!