Matthew 6 Explanation

Matthew 6 explains how Jesus wants his followers to practice their faith in private: giving to others, praying, fasting, and handling money and worry. Many readers come to this chapter because it contains the Lord’s Prayer and the well-known teaching not to worry about food and clothing. The chapter is the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, and it asks one central question: who are you living for?

Matthew 6 Summary

The chapter opens with a warning about performing religious acts to be admired by others. Jesus then gives three examples, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, and shows how each can be done quietly before God instead of for show. He follows this with a model prayer and a short reminder about forgiveness.

From there the focus shifts to money, sight, and loyalty. Jesus contrasts earthly treasure with heavenly treasure and says a person cannot serve both God and wealth. The final section addresses anxiety about daily needs, using the birds and the wildflowers as examples, and ends with the instruction to seek God’s kingdom first and to take each day as it comes.

Background and Setting

The Gospel of Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew, a tax collector who became one of the twelve apostles. Most scholars date the book to the late first century, roughly 70 to 100 AD, though some argue for an earlier date. It was written primarily for a community of Jewish-background believers, so it draws heavily on Israel’s Scriptures and presents Jesus as the promised teacher like Moses.

Chapter 6 sits within the Sermon on the Mount, which spans chapters 5 through 7. Chapter 5 describes the character and righteousness of the kingdom, and chapter 6 shows what that righteousness looks like in the ordinary practices of worship, generosity, and daily life.

Matthew 6 Section by Section

Verses 1-4: Giving in Secret

1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:1-4 (WEB)

Jesus begins by warning against doing good deeds to be seen. The concern is not that people might see generosity, but that the motive shifts from love of God and neighbor to a desire for applause. The reward Jesus names is the Father’s own recognition, which lasts longer than public praise.

The image of a left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing is vivid. It suggests that generosity should become so natural that it does not need to be tracked, announced, or polished. A simple test is whether you would still give if no one ever found out.

Verses 5-15: Praying to the Father

5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:5-6 (WEB)

9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Matthew 6:9-13 (WEB)

Prayer, like giving, can become a performance. Jesus describes people who pray at street corners to be noticed, and invites his listeners to go into a private room and speak to the Father who sees in secret. Privacy here is not a rule against public prayer, but a reminder that the audience that matters is God.

The Lord’s Prayer that follows is a pattern rather than a formula. It begins with God’s name, kingdom, and will, then turns to daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptation. Its shape teaches that our needs come after our trust in God’s purposes, and that prayer is a conversation rooted in relationship with a Father.

Verses 14-18: Forgiveness and Fasting

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15 (WEB)

16 “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. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; 18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18 (WEB)

Jesus links the prayer’s request for forgiveness to a hard truth: those who have received mercy are expected to extend it. This is not a transaction that earns God’s pardon, but an indication that a heart shaped by grace will release others. Holding onto grudges can block the very flow of forgiveness the believer depends on.

Fasting, like giving and praying, is to be done without theatrical display. The instruction to anoint the head and wash the face is a picture of ordinary grooming, meaning that the fast is between the person and God. The point is sincerity, not the appearance of spiritual seriousness.

Verses 19-24: Treasure and Loyalty

19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21 (WEB)

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

Matthew 6:24 (WEB)

Jesus asks where a person’s treasure is stored, since the heart tends to follow it. Earthly possessions decay and can be stolen, while treasure laid up with God is secure. The chapter is not condemning wealth itself, but warning against letting possessions become the center of life.

The saying about serving two masters makes the same point more sharply. Devotion is not divided neatly between God and money. The question is which one holds the first place in the heart, and which one shapes daily decisions.

Verses 25-34: Freedom From Anxiety

25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? 27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

Matthew 6:25-27 (WEB)

31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

Matthew 6:31-34 (WEB)

The chapter closes with a call not to worry about food, drink, and clothing. Jesus points to the birds and the lilies as evidence that the Father cares for creation, and asks whether his children are not worth even more. Worry rarely adds anything useful, and it tends to crowd out trust.

The final instruction is to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, trusting that daily needs will be met as they arise. Jesus ends with the reminder that each day has enough trouble of its own, which invites believers to live in today rather than rehearse tomorrow’s fears.

Key Themes in Matthew 6

• Sincere devotion: Acts of faith should be offered to God rather than to human approval.
• Dependence on the Father: The Lord’s Prayer and the call not to worry both rest on trust in a caring God.
• Forgiveness received and given: Those who have been forgiven are called to forgive others.
• Heart and treasure: What a person values most reveals where their heart is anchored.
• Undivided loyalty: Seeking God’s kingdom first reorders priorities and reduces anxiety.

Lessons From Matthew 6 for Today

Consider a person who gives to a local food pantry and then mentions it at every family gathering. Matthew 6 invites a quieter kind of generosity, where the gift is given with no need for credit. This might mean giving anonymously, or simply letting the act stand without retelling it for recognition.

Think of someone lying awake at night over a bill, a job, or a child’s health. Jesus does not dismiss real needs, but he calls the worrier to bring those needs to God and to focus on the day in front of them. Practical steps, such as writing down one concern and one act of trust before bed, can turn anxiety into prayer.

Imagine a long-standing family conflict where one sibling refuses to speak to another. Matthew 6 makes clear that forgiveness is not optional for those who have received mercy. This does not mean every relationship is instantly restored, but it does mean the door to reconciliation should remain open, and that bitterness should not be allowed to take root.

Questions for Reflection

• When you do something good, how often do you hope someone will notice it, and how would your giving change if no one ever knew?
• What does your prayer life look like when no one else is around, and what does that reveal about your relationship with God?
• Is there a person you have not yet forgiven, and what would it take to begin that process?
• What treasures are you most tempted to store up, and how might you invest more in what lasts?
• Which worry is taking up the most room in your mind this week, and how might you hand it to God today?

A Prayer From Matthew 6

Father, you see what is done in secret, and you know what I need before I ask. Teach me to give, pray, and fast for your eyes alone, and free me from the hunger for applause. Help me forgive others as I have been forgiven, and loosen the grip of resentment in my heart. Shape my treasure toward what lasts, and let my devotion belong to you alone. When anxiety rises about tomorrow, remind me that you feed the birds and clothe the lilies, and that I am worth far more to you than they are. Keep me seeking your kingdom first, one day at a time. Amen.

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