Jesus continues teaching His disciples on the hillside in what is famously called the Sermon on the Mount. In this chapter, Jesus teaches on humility, especially in generosity, prayer, fasting, money, possessions, and anxiety. He provides His disciples with what we call the Lord’s Prayer, a model for us to follow in speaking to God.
1) V1-8 – 1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2So 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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5And 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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But 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. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
After teaching the Beatitudes and a right understanding of what it means to fully obey the Law of God, Jesus continues the theme of exhibiting humility. Just as we are to love even our enemies and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5), so we are to be generous without drawing attention to ourselves (v2-4). In these verses, Jesus draws attention to the faulty way in which the hypocrites give – announcing their generosity with trumpets “to be honored by men” (v2); He says, “They have received their reward in full” (v2). On the other hand, when we give humbly, our heavenly “Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward” us (v4).
In v5-8, Jesus ties this principle of humility in all things to prayer. Hypocrites “love to pray standing…to be seen by men” (v5), and “they have received their reward in full” (v5). The earthly glory that comes from other people, some level of respect for apparent godliness, is the only reward these men will get for their lack of humility in prayer and generosity. However, we should prayer humbly, in secrecy, and that kind of conversation with God will be heard and answered by God (v6). Now Jesus is not saying that the man who leads a public prayer is being arrogant and will not be blessed; there is a place for that kind of prayer. But the hypocrites Jesus is talking about would pray no other way. They weren’t looking for God’s blessing, for their reason for praying was to receive the praise of man; and that’s all they’ll get. Humble leaders who pray in public, in all likelihood, also pray privately, and so Jesus is commending not the style of prayer, but the humility involved in being a prayerful individual.
Before teaching the disciples how to pray (v9-13), Jesus issues one more remark on humility in prayer in v7-8. To paraphrase, He says, “Don’t worry about making an eloquent prayer or even a lengthy prayer, because God already knows your needs; He just wants you to come to Him continually and in humility.”
2) V9-15 – 9“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, 10Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one [, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen].’ 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
After speaking to His disciples about humility in giving and in praying, Jesus teaches them how they “should pray” (v9). He then proclaims what we know as The Lord’s Prayer (v9-13), which has been recited countless times in the 2000 years since Jesus first taught it; but we ought to see it as a model for us to build our own prayers off of. Let’s break it down:
Jesus begins by calling on God as “Our Father in heaven.” First, He doesn’t call God “My Father,” though that was especially true for Him, as the One and Only Son, Begotten of the Father. When He says, “Our Father,” He’s teaching the disciples that God is personal, relational, and near for all mankind. Man was created in God’s image, and that allows us to call God, “Our Father.” Furthermore, it’s important to use a name when praying, for without a direction, you could be speaking to yourself or the man in the moon. Jesus simply calls God “Father.” It’s not “Abba, Father,” which means rather informally “Daddy,” although Jesus will later call God by this term. It’s not “Sovereign Creator Lord,” though that would also be an appropriate formal way to address God. Rather, “Our Father” is a formal, yet deeply and intimately personal rendering, because we are coming in seriousness and with humility. There are times when calling to “Daddy” is appropriate, but this model prayer is revealing the appropriate terminology for showing humility and reverence to our Creator, Sustainer, Provider, and Sovereign, while at the same time honoring both His role as our Father and our relationship to Him as His children. Finally, Jesus calls God “Our Father in heaven.” He is near, yet He is also in heaven. The importance of this phrase honors the holiness of God as Supreme Spirit, and reminds us of our lowly estate in His presence. He’s near and far at the same time; He’s with us and far above us simultaneously. We must be reverent in His presence.
After addressing God as “Our Father in heaven,” Jesus makes the first plea in the model prayer, and it has nothing to do with us. “Hallowed be Your name” is a phrase that adores God as holy and declares a desire that we want His name to be honored to the highest degree. The value of a name has decreased in significance over the centuries, but in Biblical times, one’s name was highly meaningful. It described the character of the one who held the name. And in God’s case, His name – Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, or a number of other monikers – describes His perfect character. Therefore, all who call on Him and come to Him in prayer should want to ascribe glory to His name, acknowledging His holy perfection to the full. That’s the first request of the Lord’s prayer, and it’s something God does for Himself. So we’re simply asking that He would exalt His name and bring greater glory to Himself throughout the earth.
That explanation leads right into the next phrase of The Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come.” Since God the Father is almighty and worthy of exaltation and praise, and since we have declared in this prayer that we want Him to make His glory known, it makes perfect sense that we would ask for His kingdom to come. He is Sovereign, the King over all the universe, and we want to see His reign exhibited more and more fully on a daily basis. He reigns over all right now, but in citing this phrase, “Your kingdom come,” we are asking that He continually and increasingly bring all things – including all of sinful humanity – into a state of increasing sanctification, unto the consummate goal of glorification.
The next phrase, “Your will be done” partners with the previous phrase “Your kingdom come.” In making this request, we are proclaiming that God’s will is perfect and right and appropriate in all circumstances; therefore, we want it to be executed in all things and in all places even now. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just before He was betrayed that the cup of God’s wrath might be taken away from Him. But He concluded, “Not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). James 4:15 hints that, since God is sovereign, we shouldn’t presume that we are in control but we “ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” That’s what we are acknowledging when we pray that phrase.
The following phrase, “On earth as it is in heaven,” qualifies the previous two phrases. We say to God, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are saying that God’s heavenly reign is already consummate, perfect in every way, with no enemies or intruders, and that’s what we want here on earth. Things are as they should be in heaven, and we want things to be as they should be on earth. It’s a declaration of faith, hope, and trust that God will provide.
After declaring our faith, hope, and trust that God will provide, we make the first request specifically for us, “Give us today our daily bread.” Jesus has taught His disciples to acknowledge and honor God, asking Him to bring glory to His name, draw near, and accomplish His will; and now He teaches them to ask God for personal blessing. God is our Provider, and He wants us to ask Him to meet our needs (James 4:2). Thus, when we say, “Give us today our daily bread,” we are asking God and trusting Him for today’s needs. We are not thinking about tomorrow; neither are we thinking about the things we want but do not need. This phrase acknowledges God as the Provider of our every need on a daily basis. Bread was a daily essential for life in Biblical times. They didn’t store up three weeks’ worth of food in a pantry, and they weren’t paid wages every two weeks. It was a daily routine to take the days’ wages and buy bread to eat. There is certainly a time to ask God for more than mere needs; and He loves to bless His children. But we should not forget that He meets our needs, and even on a daily basis; He makes the sun to rise each day and wakes us from sleep each morning (Isaiah 50:4). By asking Him and thanking Him for His provision, we avoid taking the basic needs of life for granted, and we honor our Provider as well.
Jesus continues in the prayer, “Forgive us our debts.” This is the second personal request, and it furthers His teaching on humility. In truth, we have no idea the vast measure of our indebtedness to God on account of our sins. But Jesus paid it all. That’s the good news of the gospel. In asking for forgiveness, we acknowledge our sinful estate and also declare our desire and willingness to be forgiven (1 John 1:9). But this request comes with a qualifier. We are asking God to forgive our sin debts, or transgressions, “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Jesus is teaching that we must forgive those who have sinned against us. If we want forgiveness from God, then we need to forgive any and every sin debt we think others owe us. Many a parable will issue from Jesus’ mouth elaborating on this crucial detail.
Coming to the final section in The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says, “And lead us not into temptation.” He proclaims the leadership of God the Father over His people, much as a shepherd leads sheep (Psalm 23). We ask God to lead us, absolutely, but we ask Him not to lead us into temptation. Jesus, of course, had just completed a 40-day trial in the wilderness, where the Spirit had led Him into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). Jesus is teaching us to pray that doesn’t happen to us. Obviously, Jesus was “tempted in every way just as we are – yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), enabling Him to be an all-sufficient Savior. Later, Peter will be led into temptation; Jesus will say to him, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32). Peter was restored after he fell away during the temptation he faced, and it turned out to make him strong enough to be a rock – living up to the meaning of his name – for the gospel during the first century. Even Job survived the temptation of Satan, and the outcome was that “the LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first” (Job 42:12). Ultimately, being led into temptation turns out for the good, but it’s still not something we should desire; therefore, we pray that the Lord would not lead us into temptation.
Instead, Jesus continues with The Lord’s Prayer, we prayer that God would “deliver us from the evil one.” Most of us who recite this prayer with any regularity say, “Deliver us from evil.” And that’s fine. We want our Father, who is our supreme Deliverer, to deliver us from evil, but specifically, we are asking in this prayer to be delivered from Satan. As in the examples above, Satan has permission to tempt and cause trouble for certain individuals, and in The Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God not to give him permission to come after us. That being said, many of us will find ourselves tried, tested, and/or tempted in various ways over the course of our lives; rather than hold a grudge against God for allowing that to befall us, we should respond joyfully, knowing that God counted us worthy to suffer for the purpose of sanctification.
Finally, some manuscripts contain a conclusion to The Lord’s Prayer, while others lack the epitaph. It reads, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” Perhaps this phrase was added later, but it still teaches a valuable lesson. We are declaring again the sovereignty and worthiness of God while proclaiming that His inherent character should be the reason that He hears and answers our requests. In closing with “Amen,” we are simply saying, “Let everything that we have just said be truth.”
As mentioned early, The Lord’s Prayer is fine to recite word for word, a great prayer to fall back on when we lack words to say. But it is intended to be a model. We want to focus not on the rote recitation, for it is not a magical formula, but on the meaning of the words, which displays a heart-attitude we should mimic. The A-C-T-S (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) model of prayer is appropriate as well, and The Lord’s Prayer includes these elements, even if somewhat implicitly. We should adore God above all else in our prayers, praising Him for who He is and what He has done. We should come before Him humbly and reverently, confessing our sins, yet still with confidence, knowing that He forgives those who trust Jesus. Furthermore, we come with gratitude, thankful of who God is and for what He has done and is doing and will do. Finally, we make our specific requests known to God, because He loves to bless His children through answered prayer.
Before moving on to the next passage of Scripture, Jesus elaborates on the important qualifier He had mentioned in the part of the prayer dealing with forgiveness. Perhaps He knew that the disciples – along with many of us – would get hung up on that part. Jesus says in v14-15, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” As noted above, we will come across many parables that illustrate this principle as we work through Matthew’s gospel, but none more famous, perhaps than the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, which we will examine closely in Matthew 18:21-35.
3) V16-24 – 16When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men 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. 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
After an important aside in teaching The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus returns to His instruction on practical humility. He has covered humility in giving and praying, and now in v16-18, He turns to humility in fasting. Again the emphasis is specifically on NOT drawing attention to one’s self. Looking “somber” and weak (disfigured) when fasting draws attention to the fact that you are fasting, and Jesus says of those who do that, “They have received their reward in full.” In other words, the pride they get from having others know they are fasting is their reward. On the other hand, if you hide the fact that you are fasting from others, so as not to make a big deal about it, then God the Father will reward you in His perfect timing, for you have rejected the reward offer to you by self-aggrandizement, and that glorifies God.
In v19-21, Jesus turns His disciples’ attention to materialism, especially hoarding. The crucial element in the teaching is not that storing up treasures is wrong; rather, storing up treasures “for yourselves” is the problem. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.” If you want to save for your children’s education, or to bless a ministry with an annuity when you’re older, I don’t see Jesus prohibiting that here. But you might be able to argue against saving for retirement based on this passage, because of the addition of “for yourselves.” The problem comes from replacing trust in God with trust in the IRA or 401K or home value. Therefore, there’s the clear mention of potential loss of value (where moth (in agricultural terms; recession might be better for us in America) and rust – or fire perhaps for us – destroy) or outright loss (where thieves break in and steal). Some conclude that Jesus is speaking against investment in earthly things altogether, especially since He teaches His disciples to “store up treasures” in heaven – investing not in material possessions but in generosity toward others. Paul said, “I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). We might try to work it this way: “If you have a selfless and humble heart, then generosity will become your passion.” But I think Jesus teaches that it works the other way, “If generosity is your passion, then you will evoke a heart of selflessness and humility.”
In v22-24, Jesus elaborates on the shocking principle He has established in regards to materialism. He issues an illustration, or analogy, between the eyes and the body, saying, “If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” His point is to say, “Whatever you set your sights on, whatever you establish as the goal of your earthly efforts, will determine the condition of your heart, your core, or your spirit.” And if you see the accumulation of wealth as a good thing, then that “light” reveals how great is the darkness of your being. It’s a stern wake-up call to the reality of our sinfulness. And that fact brings Jesus to His conclusion in v24: “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and Money.” We cannot really worship the only true and living God while at the same time concerning ourselves with financial status. Jesus is painting a picture of complete trust and satisfaction and pleasure in God as the only way to truly worship and honor Him. That understanding takes us right into the next passage.
4) V25-34 – 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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look 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? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life [or a single cubit to his height]? 28And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If 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, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Jesus effectively says, “Since you can’t serve both God and Money, don’t worry about the things money buys” (v25). He doesn’t give His disciples an option to choose Money over God; as far as He is concerned, they belong to God, and God won’t share them with any other (there is no other!). God will conform them to the image of His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29), and therefore, they will be sanctified. By faith, they will choose to worship and serve God alone. A clear sign that you are – even if unintentionally – trying to serve both God and Money is anxiety about what to eat, drink, or wear.
Let’s remember here that Jesus is talking to relatively poor fishermen, who might have only owned one pair of clothes, had to fish for their next meal, and borrow money to buy bread or pay their taxes. This teaching of Jesus doesn’t hit home for us in the same way that it did for His disciples. Generally speaking, we in America don’t have the problems Jesus’ audience had. We grocery shop weekly, most without a specific budget; we have plenty of food (or at least food options) and way too many clothes. So what do we make of Jesus’ instructions? Is He telling us not to have walk-in closets or to limit the number of pairs of jeans we own to single digits? Is He saying we should visit the corner grocer daily instead of the warehouse savings club every other week?
In v26-30, Jesus invites His disciples to consider the birds and the flowers, neither of which hoard food or labor to provide themselves with nourishment and sustenance. We need to understand that worrying about food and clothing does not help our situation, and actually makes it worse, because we forget to trust God to be our provider. Jesus is not suggesting that we stop laboring in the fields, just that we cease from worrying about this work. God loves us, and He will meet our needs. Jesus even points out that Solomon, despite his immeasurable wealth, had nothing on the lilies in terms of beauty. Since you can’t buy what only God can give, trust God to provide it at the right time, and then be thankful when He does. Jesus even criticizes those of us who fail to regard this simple instruction, calling us “You of little faith.”
To conclude the passage, Jesus sums up His instruction with a negative command, “Do not worry” (v31), and He explains that “the pagans” are the ones who worry. When we worry, we act like pagans, and we serve as poor witnesses to God, who knows our needs (v32), and His provision. Instead of worrying, we must heed the positive command of Jesus, to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (v33). When tempted to worry, we need to seek God; and we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13; Deuteronomy 4:29). As we seek and find the Lord, returning to a proper trust in Him to be our Provider (Jehovah Jireh), Jesus says, “All these things will be given to you as well” (v33). Not only will we grow closer to God, and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Peter 3:18), but we will also receive the provision of our needs. The Lord will meet our needs, perhaps not to the degree we desire, but how could we desire anything other than what the Lord, who loves us, provides? Jesus acknowledges the troubles of this world in v34, again saying not to worry, especially about the future. Stay in the present, serve God there, and trust God for the future.
Bible text from
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International Bible Society.