The Bible — World English Bible

Matthew 6

In brief

Matthew 6 is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus speaks of three acts of piety: almsgiving, prayer and fasting, and asks that you live them before the Father who sees in secret, not to be seen by men. He teaches the Lord's Prayer, then shifts the focus to true treasures, the choice between God and Mammon, and worry. The chapter closes with a call: seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God, and live one day at a time.

The chapter in 5 parts

  1. v. 1-4Give in secret, without seeking the attention of men
  2. v. 5-15Pray to the Father: the Lord's Prayer and forgiveness
  3. v. 16-18Fast before the Father alone
  4. v. 19-24True treasures and the choice between God and Mammon
  5. v. 25-34Do not worry: seek first the kingdom

1“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

3But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,

4so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

5“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

6But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

8Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

17But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

18so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

19“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;

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

22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

25Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

27“Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

28Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,

29yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

31“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

32For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

34Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

Key verses

Verse 6
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Jesus invites you to pray in a private place, door closed, facing the Father who sees in secret. Prayer is not a performance; it is a relationship.

Verse 9-13
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

The Lord's Prayer is given as a model for prayer. It begins with the Father, his name, his kingdom and his will, then comes to our needs: bread, forgiveness and protection.

Verse 21
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. What you value most ends up directing your life.

Verse 24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

Jesus observes that you cannot serve two masters. God and money demand the same loyalty; you must choose who is in command.

Verse 33
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

Seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God puts priorities in order. The verse does not promise abundance; it invites you to trust the Father who knows your needs.

Bible verses to meditate on

Pray about this

What the sermons say

Frequently asked questions about Matthew 6

What does the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 mean?

Jesus gives the Lord's Prayer as a model to learn how to pray, not as a formula to repeat. The first three requests concern God: his name, his kingdom, his will. The following concern us: our daily bread, forgiveness and deliverance from evil. Each tradition prays it somewhat differently, but the substance is the same.

What does 'Seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God' mean?

In verse 33, Jesus invites you to put God and his righteousness first, before worries about food and clothing. He does not say that the believer will be protected from want. He reminds us that the Father knows our needs and that worry should not govern life. Work and prudence keep their place.

Why does Jesus say to pray in secret?

Jesus does not condemn prayer in a group; he himself prayed with others. He warns against prayer done to be seen. By entering your room, door closed, you pray for the Father alone. It is there that the relationship is built, far from any appearance.

What is Mammon in Matthew 6:24?

Mammon is an Aramaic word that means money and riches, here almost like a rival master. Jesus does not forbid ownership, but he refuses to let money take the place of God. You cannot obey both: one ends up coming before the other.

Articles quoting Matthew 6

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.