What is the meaning of Matthew 6?

Have you ever caught yourself peeking at who noticed when you did something good? Perhaps checking how many likes your charitable post received, or feeling a hint of pride when someone spotted you volunteering? In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses this very human tendency with a challenge that still makes us squirm today: What if the most powerful acts of spirituality are the ones no one else ever sees? Like a master physician diagnosing the hidden diseases of religious performance, Jesus peels back the layers of our public piety to expose a revolutionary truth – that true spirituality thrives in secret, where only God’s eyes reach.

Through teachings on generosity, prayer, and fasting, Jesus invites us into what might be called the ‘spiritual underground’ – a hidden realm where authentic faith flourishes away from the spotlight. He introduces a radical new way of relating to God that shattered religious conventions: imagine addressing the Creator of the universe as “Father,” approaching Him with the intimate trust of a child rather than the formal posturing of a religious professional. This isn’t just a lesson in prayer and piety; it’s an invitation to transform our entire understanding of what it means to live in relationship with God.

Context of Matthew 6

Within the broader Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Chapter 6 serves as the central discourse where Yeshua moves from addressing external behaviors and attitudes in Chapter 5 to examining the internal motivations of the heart. This progression is crucial as it reveals the Messiah’s primary concern with transforming His followers from the inside out.

The teachings in this chapter directly challenged both the religious establishment of Second Temple Judaism and common Greco-Roman philosophical ideas about virtue and piety. While many rabbis taught about proper religious observance, Yeshua uniquely emphasized the Father’s intimate involvement in secret devotion. This chapter bridges the gap between the revolutionary attitudes described in the Beatitudes and their practical application in daily spiritual disciplines.

This message resonated deeply with Matthew’s primarily Jewish audience while also speaking to Gentile believers, as it addressed universal human tendencies toward religious showmanship and materialism. The chapter’s emphasis on genuine spirituality over performative religion continues to challenge believers across all cultural contexts.

Ancient Key Word Study

• Righteousness (δικαιοσύνη/dikaiosynē) – This term in 6:1 sets the theme for the entire chapter. In Jewish thought, tzedakah (righteousness) was often synonymous with charitable giving. The word implies both right standing before God and right action toward others, emphasizing that true righteousness must flow from proper relationship with the Father.
• Reward (μισθός/misthos) – Used multiple times throughout the chapter, this word carried significant weight in both Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. While commonly associated with payment for services, Yeshua reframes it as the Father’s response to sincere devotion rather than earned compensation.
• Secret (κρυπτός/kryptos) – This word appears repeatedly in the chapter’s first half, establishing a crucial contrast between public performance and private devotion. The term suggests not merely hiding something but creating an intimate space for relationship with God.
• Father (πατήρ/patēr) – Used 12 times in this chapter alone, this intimate term for God was revolutionary in its frequency and application. While Jews knew God as Father, Yeshua’s usage suggests an unprecedented level of personal relationship and care.
• Daily Bread (ἐπιούσιος/epiousios) – This rare word, found only in the Lord’s Prayer, likely derives from “for the coming day.” It echoes the manna provision in Exodus while pointing to both physical and spiritual sustenance from God.
• Kingdom (βασιλεία/basileia) – The word encompasses both God’s sovereign rule and the realm where His authority is acknowledged. In this chapter, it represents the primary focus that should orient all aspects of life.
• Mammon (μαμωνᾶς/mamonas) – An Aramaic loan word representing not just money but the entire system of material wealth and its influence. Yeshua personifies it as a rival deity competing for human loyalty.
• Anxious (μεριμνάω/merimnaō) – The term implies being drawn in different directions, depicting anxiety as a form of divided loyalty that contradicts trust in the Father’s provision.

Matthew 6 Unique Insights

The structure of Matthew 6 follows a sophisticated chiastic pattern that would have been readily apparent to ancient Jewish audiences. The chapter moves from external religious practices (giving, prayer, fasting) to internal heart attitudes (treasures, anxiety, trust), with the Lord’s Prayer serving as the central pivot point. This literary structure reinforces the message that external actions must flow from internal transformation.

The Didache, an early Christian teaching document, reveals that the early church understood this chapter as foundational for discipleship training. They particularly emphasized the thrice-daily recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, suggesting they saw it not merely as a template but as a means of spiritual formation.

The rabbinical literature of the period, particularly the Mishnah, shows that many of Yeshua’s teachings here directly addressed contemporary debates about proper religious practice. For instance, the discussion of public versus private giving parallels debates in the tractate Peah about anonymous charitable giving being superior to public donations.

The chapter’s teachings about anxiety and provision must be understood against the backdrop of the Roman occupation and the precarious economic situation of many in the Holy Land. Yeshua’s assurance of the Father’s care wasn’t abstract theology but practical hope for people living under oppression and uncertainty.

Question the Text

• Why does Jesus start three consecutive teachings (about giving, prayer, and fasting) with “when you” rather than “if you”? What does this assumption tell us about what Jesus expected of his followers?
• Why does Jesus give us the Lord’s Prayer as a model, but then never mentions using it again in the Gospels? What might this suggest about how Jesus viewed structured versus spontaneous prayer?
• In the Lord’s Prayer, why does “give us this day our daily bread” come after requests about God’s kingdom and will? What might this ordering tell us about Jesus’ priorities for prayer?
• Why does Jesus single out money (mammon) as the alternative master to God, rather than power, pleasure, or other potential idols? What might this tell us about the unique spiritual danger of wealth?
• When Jesus says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” why does he put treasure first and heart second? What might this order suggest about the relationship between our actions and our affections?
• Why does Jesus use birds and flowers as examples of God’s provision, rather than more dramatic examples from Israel’s history like the manna in the wilderness? What might this choice of everyday examples tell us about how Jesus wanted his followers to view God’s care?
• Why does Jesus call worry about necessities a characteristic of Gentiles? What does this suggest about how he viewed the relationship between faith and ethnicity?
• When Jesus says “seek first the kingdom,” why does he add “and his righteousness”? Aren’t these the same thing, or what distinction might he be making?

Matthew 6 Connections to Yeshua

The Lord’s Prayer serves as a profound revelation of Yeshua’s messianic mission. His authorization to address God as “Our Father” flows from His unique relationship as the Son, through whom believers receive adoption into God’s family. The prayer’s request for God’s Kingdom to come foreshadows the Messiah’s ultimate establishment of His reign.

Throughout the chapter, Yeshua demonstrates His divine authority by reinterpreting traditional Jewish practices without abolishing them. His “but I say to you” teachings reveal Him as more than a rabbi – He speaks as the divine Son with authority to reveal the Father’s heart. This authority culminates in His promise of the Father’s provision, which He would ultimately demonstrate through His sacrifice on the cross, providing eternal treasure in heaven.

Matthew 6 Scriptural Echoes

The themes of this chapter resonate deeply with Old Testament wisdom literature. The teachings about anxiety and provision echo Psalm 55:22 and Psalm 127:2. The emphasis on sincere worship over external performance mirrors Isaiah 58:1-14 and Amos 5:21-24.

The Lord’s Prayer echoes numerous Old Testament passages: “hallowed be Your name” recalls Ezekiel 36:23, while “Your kingdom come” reflects Daniel 2:44. The petition for daily bread evokes the manna narrative in Exodus 16.

Matthew 6 Devotional

This chapter calls us to examine our hearts regarding both religious practice and daily concerns. Are we performing for human approval, or seeking intimate communion with our Father? The invitation is to experience the freedom of secret devotion, where we’re liberated from the burden of maintaining appearances and can simply rest in the Father’s love.

Consider implementing a regular practice of “secret” giving or prayer, known only to you and God. When anxiety threatens to overwhelm, turn each worry into a prayer, remembering the Father’s intimate knowledge of your needs. Let the Lord’s Prayer become not just words to recite but a framework for restructuring your priorities around God’s Kingdom.

Did You Know

• The phrase “daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer may be connected to the practice of workers receiving their wages daily in ancient times, emphasizing dependence on God’s provision one day at a time.
• The Jewish custom of praying three times daily facing Jerusalem likely influenced Yeshua’s teaching about private prayer, offering a counterpoint to public displays of piety.
• The reference to “treasures in heaven” paralleled rabbinical teachings about storing up merit through good deeds, but Yeshua reframed it in terms of relationship rather than merit.
• The imagery of the “evil eye” in verse 23 was a common Middle Eastern metaphor for stinginess or greed, while a “good eye” represented generosity.
• The term for “grass of the field” specifically referred to wild flowers that were gathered and used as fuel for bread ovens, making the illustration particularly meaningful to His audience.
• The practice of disfiguring faces while fasting (verse 16) sometimes involved putting ashes on the face, a custom Yeshua critiqued for its theatrical nature.
• The structure of the Lord’s Prayer parallels ancient Jewish prayers, particularly the Kaddish, while introducing revolutionary concepts about God’s fatherhood and kingdom.