Matthew 6

Lectionary 239 Folio 39 verso with the Greek text of Matthew 6:14-21 (13th century)

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 34 verses.

The first part of this chapter, Matthew 6:1–18, deals with the outward and inward expression of piety, referring to almsgiving, private prayer and fasting.[2] This part of the chapter, sometimes called the "Discourse on Ostentation", goes over the three most important outward expressions of Jewish piety, alms giving, prayer, and fasting. Jesus endorses the standard teachings that these acts are important. Throughout this section he stresses that worship and piety should not be ostentatious, and ideally should be done in secret. He strongly contravenes those who make public displays of their piety, which can be understood as teaching that those who are pious to impress others will only impress people, and will do nothing to impress God.

Matthew 6:19–34 deals with possessions and the issues of priorities and trust.[2] The first part in Matthew 6:19–24 has three elements about two treasures, two eyes and two masters. The second part in Matthew 6:25–34 deals with trust in God and also has three elements and provides reasons for not being anxious.[2]

In John Wesley's analysis of the Sermon on the Mount, chapter five outlines "the sum of all true religion", allowing this chapter to detail "rules for that right intention which we are to preserve in all our outward actions, unmixed with worldly desires or anxious cares for even the necessaries of life" and the following chapter to provide "cautions against the main hinderances of religion".[3] Wesley further analyses chapter 6 as follows:

• Verses 1–4: the right intention and manner of giving alms
• Verses 5–15: the right intention, manner, form, and prerequisites of prayer
• Verses 16–18: the right intention, and manner of fasting
• Verses 19–34: the necessity of a pure intention in all things, unmixed either with the desire of riches, or worldly care, and fear of want.[4]

In the King James Version this chapter reads:

¹Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

²Therefore, when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ³But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: ⁴That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. ⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

¹⁴For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; ¹⁸That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. ¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

²²The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. ²³But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!

²⁴No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

²⁵Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? ³¹Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.

In the book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling, it is written that the inscription on the tombstone of Ariana Dumbledore reads Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.[5] This is taken from the King James Version of Matthew 6:21 or Luke 12:34, which are identical.[6][7]

• 
  Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330–60), Matthew 5:22–6:4
• 
  Codex Sinaiticus, Matthew 6:4–32
• 
  Codex Sinaiticus, Matthew 6:32–7:27

• Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof

• Matthew 6 King James Bible - Wikisource
• English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
• Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)