Matthew 6:16 teaches that when you fast, you should not make a show of it, because the point is your relationship with God rather than other people’s opinion of your devotion. Jesus warns that fasting done to be seen by others has already received the only reward it will ever get, which is their attention. Jesus spoke these words in the Sermon on the Mount to the crowds gathered on the hillside in Galilee, and to his disciples who were listening closely.
“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.
Matthew 6:16 (WEB)
What Matthew 6:16 Means
The verse begins with “when you fast,” which assumes fasting is a normal part of the life of faith. Jesus is not saying “if” you fast, as though it were optional, but “when,” as though he expects his followers to practice it. Fasting here means voluntarily going without food for a spiritual purpose, such as seeking God’s help, humbling yourself, or setting your attention on prayer.
The phrase “don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces” describes a performance. The word hypocrite originally referred to an actor who wore a mask on stage, and Jesus uses it for people who play a religious role for an audience. The disfigured faces, with their deliberately sorrowful look, were a visible signal that said, in effect, “Look how holy I am being.”
Jesus then says these people “have received their reward.” The verse does not condemn fasting itself, and it does not say that God ignores such fasting in every sense. It says the reward they wanted, the admiration of others, is the full payment they will get. It promises nothing to them from God in this case, and it leaves the question of their hearts to God alone.
The Context of Matthew 6:16
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community that knew the Jewish practices of prayer, giving and fasting well. Traditionally the author is identified as Matthew, the tax collector turned disciple, though scholars debate the exact date and setting. The Sermon on the Mount, which contains this verse, is a long teaching on righteousness that runs through chapters 5 to 7, contrasting outward religious display with the inward life God looks for.
The verses just before and after deal with the same theme. In verse 14 and 15 Jesus speaks about forgiveness and how the heavenly Father responds to it, and verse 17 and 18 give the positive instruction: anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting is seen only by your Father in secret. The surrounding verses show that the whole section is about where your devotion is directed, toward God or toward the approval of people. That is why the verse reads most clearly as a call to inward sincerity.
Key Phrases in Matthew 6:16
Isaiah 58:5
Is this the fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to humble his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under himself? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
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Isaiah asks whether a fast is really about bowing one’s head like a reed and lying in sackcloth. The prophet shows that outward humility means little without justice and mercy, which echoes Jesus’s concern that fasting should flow from a changed heart rather than a performance.
Matthew 9:15
Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
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In this verse Jesus explains that his disciples will fast when the bridegroom is taken away, which reminds us that fasting is tied to longing for God’s presence. It helps show that the practice is meant to deepen relationship with Jesus rather than to win attention from others.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 6:16
Father, you see what is done in secret, and you know the motives behind every act of devotion I bring to you. When I fast or pray or give, let my heart be turned toward you and not toward the praise of people. Free me from the urge to be seen, and help me find my reward in your nearness rather than in applause. Keep my worship honest and quiet, and let my life show your love in ways that point to you. Amen.