Matthew 6

Matthew 6: The Favor of God Paraphrase

Giving in Secret

¹ “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness just to be seen by others. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² So when you give to the needy, don’t announce it with trumpets like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full!

³ But when you give, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

⁴ Give in secret, and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you!”

Praying in Secret

⁵ “And when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

⁶ But 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.

⁷ And when you pray, don’t babble on like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

⁸ Don’t be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

The Lord’s Prayer

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your name,

¹⁰ Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Forgiving Others

¹⁴ “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

Fasting in Secret

¹⁶ “When you fast, don’t look somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others 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.”

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

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

The Lamp of the Body

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Serving Two Masters

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Do Not Worry

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 than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶ Look 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?

²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

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

³⁰ If 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—you of little faith?

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Footnotes:

1.“Acts of righteousness” (Greek: δικαιοσύνη, dikaiosynē): This term refers to righteous deeds, often viewed in a broader sense of justice and virtue, encompassing actions like giving, praying, and fasting in this passage.

2.“Hypocrites” (Greek: ὑποκριταί, hypokritai): In the ancient context, the word originally referred to actors who wore masks. Jesus uses it here to describe those who perform righteous acts for public approval rather than out of genuine devotion to God.

3.“Our Father in heaven”: The prayer opens by acknowledging God’s fatherhood and His heavenly authority, emphasizing both His proximity and His sovereignty.

4.“Kingdom come”: This phrase reflects the Jewish expectation of God’s reign being established fully on earth, a longing for the messianic age. Jesus urges His followers to pray for this divine rule.

5.“Daily bread” (Greek: ἄρτον ἐπιούσιον, arton epiousion): The word translated as “daily” is rare and can also mean “necessary” or “sufficient.” It reflects both physical sustenance and spiritual provision.

6.“Treasures in heaven”: The idea of storing treasures in heaven contrasts with the temporal nature of earthly wealth. This implies living with eternal priorities in mind.

7.“Worry” (Greek: μεριμνᾶτε, merimnate): The word for “worry” also carries the sense of being overly anxious or distracted. Jesus calls for trust in God’s provision instead of being consumed by anxiety.