Matthew

Chapter 6
{First Area of Service - Motivation in service Verses 1:18}
{Example of right and wrong motivation in 'giving' - verses 1-4}
6:1~~ "Keep on being mentally alert {prosecho} about making a parade of human righteousness in front of men {in order to be seen by people - motivated by approbation lust}. Otherwise you have no reward in time . . . from the immediate source of {para} your Father in heaven. "

{Note: Prosecho means to keep a thought in your mind so that you are ready to apply it quickly - mentally alert - being careful to consider this point.}

{Note: Para is a temporal participle meaning from the immediate source with something in time in view.}

6:2~~"Thus, whenever you habitually give alms {contribute to the church}- maybe you will, maybe you won't - do not sound a trumpet as the religious hypocrites {hupokrites} do in synagogues and on streets for the glory/praise of men. I {Jesus} tell you the truth {final authority}, they have received full payment {approbation of men}."

{Note: Jesus is using giving as His example because it is a very overt thing. Almost no one would criticize someone for giving to the church! Most would see this as 'always good'. But Jesus says it is NOT always good. A right thing done in a wrong way is wrong!}

{Note: The word 'hupokrites' originally meant an actor in a play. He spoke from behind a big mask so those in the back could see the expressions on his face. This came to mean 'two faced' . . . and a person who did not say what they thought - a hypocrite! The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was overt, hypocritical, legalistic, and religious. This righteousness was condemned by Jesus in Matt.23, as it sponsors salvation by works and spirituality by works. The disciples cannot operate under such righteousness and at the same time serve Christ. This righteousness substitutes religion for regeneration and the social gospel for the Biblical gospel.}

{Note: The subjunctive mood here indicates 'maybe you will give alms, maybe you will not'. RBT says this is referring to when you are in church you find out it is a apostic/hypocritical organization, you should not support it . . . quietly . . . but do not contribute to it.}

{True Motivation}
6:3-4~~"But when you do your charitable giving, do not be motivated by your ego lust pattern {literally here - do not let your left hand know what the right hand does} . . . 6:4~~ so that your gift/alms may be in secret {keeps away the false motivation factor of approbation lust}. And your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you [in time].

{Note: The person in view here is right handed. The idiom came from the Roman practice of crucifixion. When a person was crucified, his left hand was as far from his right as possible. The idiom meant to stay as far from false motivations as possible.}

{Prayer - first the wrong way! Bad motivation.}
6:5~~ "Whenever you {disciples} pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love {phileo} to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I {Jesus} say to you {as the final authority}, they have received full payment {no reward from God in time or eternity for this type of prayer}."

{Note: The word for virtue-love is Agape. 'Phileo' sometimes means a love associated with ego. And, from the context, we see it is the approbation from man they seek, not a relationship with the Father.}

{Privacy when praying - removal of approbation lust motivation}
6:6~~"But when you and only you pray, go into your room, having closed the door, and pray {with the frequency of a hacking cough} to your Father in privacy {and this is an order!}. And your Father, Who always sees, will reward you {in context, this is 'in time' here}."

{Note: This was very dramatic to the disciples! Up until this time, the Jews prayed to 'Jehovah'/ the God of Israel. In other words, they prayed to the pre-incarnate Christ! Now they are told that after Jesus' incarnation, we are to address all prayers to the Father.}

{Note: The action of closing the door precedes the action of the prayer. This means get the door closed! Your purpose is not to let everyone know you are off praying!}

6:7~~"And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetitions like the heathens/gentiles, for they think that they will be heard for their many words."

{Note: This is a second trap - don't imitate the religious crowd - memorizing verses/prayers without understanding the meaning!}

6:8~~"Therefore, do not imitate them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

{Note: You do not have to ask God the same thing over and over. Keep it to the point and move on!}

{So-called 'Lord's prayer but is really a pattern for prayer the 3 years of His ministry with some carrying on into the Church Age - is a 'petition' prayer NOT a prayer of thanks}
6:9-13~~"So keep on praying along this pattern/model {follow the pattern but don't from rote memory mimic the words -see verse 8}:
  Our Father in heaven {approach in prayer - all prayer is
  addressed to the Father} . . .
  may your Person/Name receive set-apartness {necessary
  mechanic in prayer - be filled with the Holy Spirit - use
  I John 1:9 and Rebound - this is a command} 6:10~~ . . .
  come . . . your kingdom {the rule of Jesus on Earth} . . .
  may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven {not possible
  today until Christ returns} 6:11~~ . . .
  give us today tomorrow's bread {living/needs} {as
  ambassadors, it is ok to pray to the 'Home Office' for our
  'needs' - also means to live one day at a time!} 6:12~~ . . .
  and forgive us our debts {sins are in view here} . . .
  as {an analogy - NOT 'because' means 'as an example' or
  'as an illustration' as many make it seem} we forgive those
  who are indebted to us {illustration only - man has nothing
  to do with his own forgiveness}6:13~~ . . .
  do not carry {eisphero} us into testing . . .
  but deliver us from the source of 'The Evil/'The Evil One'
  {nominative case}."

{Note: The Father's Person/Name receives set-apartness by the believer being in fellowship when he prays. And, this is in the imperative mood. We are to COMMAND God! It is a right thing to do and because of His immutability, He will honor the 'command'.}

{Note: 'Come your kingdom' was possible at the time of writing because the King was present on Earth. Today we can not pray this anymore than we can pray what David did when he prayed that the Holy Spirit be not taken from Him - we are permanently indwelled!}

{Note: Eisphero is a compound word. Eis means 'into'. 'Phero' means to carry. So the compound means to 'carry into'. Here in the model prayer we are asking to have the inner resources (doctrine in our soul) to handle the 'testing' (pressures/adversities) on our own and NOT have to be carried.}

{Note: Verse 13 ends with The Evil One. The rest of the verse . . . 'yours is the kingdom and the power and glory forever and ever. Amen' is an appropriate sentiment, but is NOT present in the original Greek so it was removed. The prayer is one of petition NOT of praise and would be out of place to have been here.}

{Grace Principal in Rebound - Verse 14 the Positive Viewpoint}
6:14~~"For if you forgive mankind their trespasses {sins against you} - maybe you do, maybe you do not - your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

{Note: This verse emphasizes grace in rebound, Jesus demands His disciples begin to live by grace . . . forgiving men their trespasses. Instead of debts, this time Jesus is discussing the case of a sin against you and you know about it - a trespass.}

{Grace Principal in Rebound - Verse 15 -the Negative Viewpoint}
 6:15~~"But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins."

{Note: Jesus is saying now GRACE is substituted for the Law of Retribution - 'an eye for an eye'}

{3rd case of False Motivation - Fasting for Approbation Lust}
6:16~~ "When you fast {nesteuo}, do not be like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces {how is not documented here - scratches or dirt type thing} so that people will see them fasting {again making a show of it for approbation lust}. I {Jesus} tell you the truth {final authority}, they have their reward {the praise of 'men'}."

{Note: Nesteuo which is translated 'fasting' is a concept that goes beyond abstaining from food, but means to use time normally devoted to other legitimate activities in life for additional Bible study/prayer.}

6:17-18~~"When you fast put hair-oil on your head and wash your face {look your best} 6:18~~ for the purpose that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father Who is in secret. And your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you {in time}."

{Second Area of Service -Mental Attitude in Service -Verses19-30}
{Not a passage on 'giving'. This is a scale of values passage}
6:19~~"Do not make material things first on your scale of values, where moth and rust consume/'cause to vanish away' {aphanizo} and where thieves 'dig through'/'break in' {diorusso} and steal."

{Note: Aphanizo means to eat up or cause to vanish away.}

{Note: Diorusso means to dig through. Many times thieves of the day dug under the walls surrounding a house to break in and steal. No one can take from you doctrine in your soul!}

6:20~~"But accumulate for yourself a treasure chest of treasures {thesauros} in heaven, where moth and rust do not consume, and thieves do not 'dig through'/break in' and steal."

{Note: Thesauros is a chest where treasures are stored. In I Corinthians 3:12, we learn that these treasures are gold, silver and precious stones. These are the permanent results from time logged in the filling of the Spirit. ANYTHING done while you are in fellowship - even BREATHING!}

6:21~~"For where your treasure is, there your frontal lobe {the thinking part of the soul - 'heart'} will be also."

{Note: Principal here is to keep your eyes on the Lord (your treasure is with Him in heaven) and what He thinks - divine viewpoint instead of the details of this world - human viewpoint.}

{Verse on Inner Beauty - doctrine in your soul - Positively Stated}
6:22~~"The light/animation {luchnos} of the body is the eye. If your eye is without folds/blemishes {haplous} - maybe yes, maybe no - then your whole body will be full of light/animated {have inner beauty}."

{Note: Luchnos means a light on a lamp stand. It is the way a person of the day could 'move around a dark room'. Therefore it came to be an idiom for 'animation' - the ability to move.}

{Note: Haplous meant to be whole - without folds. In this day, cloth was sold for clothing in bolts. A dishonest salesperson would 'fold' the cloth to hide defects or blemishes. In this verse, it refers to having a mental attitude free from 'folds' hiding defects . . . or one that is free from hatred, jealousy, bitterness, and hostility. In other words, love in the frontal lobe.}

{Verse on Inner Beauty - doctrine resident in your soul - Stated Negatively here - Inner Ugliness}
6:23~~"But if your eye is evil {poneros} your whole body will be full of darkness {skoteinos}. If then the 'light' {where divine viewpoint should be} in you is 'darkness' {no light - human viewpoint}, how great is the darkness!"

{Note: Poneros means evil or wicked or even the wicked one (Satan). This means to have a lack of divine viewpoint/light/inner beauty in the frontal lobe. If you do not think divine viewpoint, then you think human viewpoint, which mankind learned from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil - the thinking/plan of the Prince of Darkness - Satan.}

{Note: Skoteinos does mean to be full of darkness. Being filled with the Holy Spirit and operating from the divine norms and standards of doctrine in your soul, is called 'walking in the way' and 'walking in the light'. Operating on human viewpoint (not filled with the Spirit - believers are in view here) is walking in darkness.}

{Mental Attitude and Money - Scale of Values in view still. What is FIRST in your life.}
6:24~~ "No one is able to serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. No one is able to serve God and Mammon {mammonas}."

{Note: Mammonas was the Chaldean word for the false 'god of money'. Money makes a terrible master, but a wonderful slave! It is the 'LOVE' of money that is a big problem in life. Many people with money are NOT happy. Same with many people without money! It is the 'mental attitude' that comes from doctrine in your soul that makes the difference.}

{Mental Attitude and Worry - One of the Greatest Sins in the Christian Life is to Worry! Verses 25-30 - Verse 25 - Don't Worry.}
6:25~~"Because of this I say to you, do not worry about life, as to what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear {basic necessities of food and clothing are promised you by God}. Isn't there more to life than food? And more to the body than what you wear on it?"

{Note: Worry is a mental attitude sin. When you sin you are carnal and out of fellowship. When you worry you arrogantly tell God YOU will handle this matter. God is a gentleman and will allow you to handle the matter IF YOU WORRY ABOUT IT! Worry destroys a Relaxed Mental Attitude. Confess the sin and forget it and move on!}

{Mental Attitude and Worry - Illustration - look at the birds}
6:26~~"Look at the birds of the sky. They do not plant, harvest, or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they are?"

{Mental Attitude and Worry - Illustration - Worry changes nothing}
6:27~~"Can any of you add a cubit {a unit of measurement - we would say add an inch} to your height by worrying?"

{Mental Attitude and Worry - Illustration - flower of the fields 28-29}
6:28~~"Why worry about clothing? Think about how the Lillies {at this time a common flower of the fields in Palestine} of the field grow. They do not work or spin {weave clothe into clothes}."

6:29~~"Yet I {Jesus} say to you that Solomon in all his glamour was not clothed like one of these {common flowers}!"

{Note: Since, God can make a common flower look better than the best dressed man (Solomon), then God can take care of YOUR clothing problems (all your needs really)!}

6:30~~"If God clothes the grass/flowers of the field this way . . . which are here today and shriveled up tomorrow - and He does - won't He clothe you even more? Oh you knuckleheads/'people of little faith'!

{Note: The disciples were now probably squirming in their seats quite a little bit!}

{Third Area of Service - Divine Operating Assets in Service Verses 31:34 -example Faith Rest}
6:31~~"Therefore {in conclusion}, don't worry . . . saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?"

6:32~~"For the heathen/gentiles {ethnos} keep scrounging for these things, and your heavenly Father has always known that you need them {never was a time when He did NOT know!}."

{Note: Ethnos means heathen and gentiles. It was used for non-Jewish people . . . most of whom were unbelievers at this time.}

{Answer is Occupation with Christ/ Doctrine in the Frontal Lobe}
6:33~~"But seek first the kingdom of God {idiom meaning to put doctrine first in your priorities} and His righteousness {dikaiosune} and all these things {details of life} will be supplied to you for your advantage/benefit."

{Note: Dikaiosune which is translated righteousness is equivalent to the filling of the Holy Spirit. Here. However, we learn from the epistles that it more fully means the 'Total fulfillment of your Spiritual Life'- the consistent intake of doctrine upon doctrine, building an edification complex of the soul of divine norms and standards and applying those norms to your daily life.}

6:34~~"So then, do not worry about tomorrow . . . because tomorrow will take care of itself! Today has enough trouble of its own."

{SideNote: And 'don't RATIONALIZE WORRY by saying, "I am not worried, I am just concerned . . ." (that IS worry!) and it is a sin. Confess it and forget it and move on!}.
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This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA and Mox4PnFree Living.