“BE CAREFUL NOT to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But 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. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men 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.
Original Meaning
THE KINGDOM TRANSFORMATION that produces inner “heart righteousness” (5:20) will also produce external “acts of righteousness” (6:1) as a disciple becomes more like the heavenly Father (5:48). So Jesus turns to teach his disciples how the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven works out in the details of three primary arenas of everyday life: public religious life (6:1–18), personal interior life (6:19–34), and interpersonal relational life (7:1–12).
Acts of Righteousness (6:1)
JESUS FIRST ADDRESSES the arena of public religion, because this is the place where a person’s spirituality is developed and tested: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.” The expression “acts of righteousness” (dikaiosyne) is a good rendering of the same word that is rendered simply “righteousness” in 5:20. There it indicated God’s inner transformation of the heart, which brings a person into the kingdom of heaven; here it indicates the external activities of the ongoing process of transformation to be more like the heavenly Father (5:48). The public religious life is crucial for the development of one’s spirituality, because it is here that the people of God gather for worship, gain instruction in the Scriptures, and encourage one another in personal piety.
But this arena is also hazardous, because public religious practices can be carried out primarily to be seen by people. Because of this possibility, Jesus lodges criticism against the Jewish religious leaders of his day. Although they are not mentioned by name, the “teachers of the law and the Pharisees” are the most likely objects of this censure (cf. 5:20). They are the most public and influential religious figures among the common people, so Jesus denounces them for their faulty example. They perform religious acts in the public arena in order to receive the respect of their peers and the admiration of the common people (see 6:2, 5, 16, 18).
If Jesus’ disciples fall into the same attention-seeking display of public piety, “you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (6:1). The term for “reward” is misthos, which can indicate payment of “wages” (20:8) or, as here, the recompense of a person’s good deeds with a good prize. It is an affirmative recognition and recompense by God for the praiseworthy moral quality of a disciple’s acts of righteousness (6:1–2; cf. 5:12).1 The notion that God rewards good behavior and punishes bad behavior is common in the Old Testament and in Jewish literature. Deuteronomy 28 lists a series of rewards and punishments that are distributed according to Israel’s faithfulness to the covenant, a theme developed by later prophets (e.g., Isa. 65:6–7; 66:6). The Rule of the Community at Qumran presents lists of virtues and vices with their corresponding present world and future life rewards and punishments (1QS 4:2–14).2
But Jesus warns his disciples that obedience in the public arena does not guarantee a reward from God, because motive is more important than simple activity. Jesus goes on to demonstrate this by three examples of Jewish piety—giving to the needy (6:2–4), praying (6:5–15), and fasting (6:16–18). These acts of piety are valuable in the process of developing personal righteousness, and God will reward the disciple who practices them sincerely before him. But they can also be practiced “hypocritically”—that is, for the acclaim of people and the approval of the religious establishment. In such cases, there will be no reward from God (cf. 6:2, 5, 16).
The reward that Jesus promises follows the central message of the SM—the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven. Those who perform them out of the fullness of a heart transformed by God’s righteousness will be rewarded with inner growth in kingdom righteousness in this life, and final perfection in the afterlife.
Giving to the Needy (6:2–4)
A STATEMENT IN the apocryphal book of Tobit highlights the interdependence of the practices of giving to the needy, praying, and fasting but underscores the special importance within Judaism of giving alms:
Prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold. For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies. (Tobit 12:8–10 NRSV)
The esteemed high priest at the time of Alexander the Great, Simeon the Just, is credited with the statement, “By three things is the world sustained: by the Law, by the [Temple-]service, and by deeds of loving-kindness” (m. ʾAbot 1.2).3 Giving to the needy was one of the pillars of religious life. Poverty was widespread in ancient agrarian societies, and the people of Israel took seriously the obligation to provide for the poor (cf. Deut. 15:11). By the time of Jesus the phrase “to do mercy” had become a technical expression of caring for the poor by giving alms.4
The truly spiritual person recognized the plight of the needy and attended responsibly to their care. But Jesus says, “Do not announce it with trumpets” (6:2). Some suggest a literal trumpet is in mind, either to call the people to fasts with accompanying almsgiving or to signal an especially large gift being given. Or perhaps this denotes the sound of coins being tossed into the trumpet-shaped money chests in the temple used for collecting alms (m. Šeqal. 2:1). But more likely Jesus is drawing on a vivid piece of typical irony—those who seem to be the most humanitarian often want the most human glory and will make it known that they have been magnanimous in their concern for the poor. In our day the same metaphor is well known as a person who wants to “toot his own horn.”
Jesus calls the persons engaged in this perilous self-promotion “hypocrites.” The term “hypocrite” (hypokrites)5 was originally used for actors on a Greek stage who put on various masks to play different roles. Jesus here censures the religious leaders, especially the Pharisees, for a particular form of hypocrisy: performing external acts of righteousness that mask, even from themselves, their own inner corruption (cf. 23:25–26). Their hypocrisy is doing right things for the wrong reasons. They perform external religious acts of piety in order be “honored” (doxazo; “glorified”) by people and the religious establishment.6 The tragic irony is that they will “receive in full” the reward of public and professional acclaim for their pious activities, but they will receive no reward from God. Unless prompted by the right motives, religious activities, including doing good deeds to others, are of no real spiritual value and receive no commendation from God. It does matter greatly why we do what we do.
Jesus then contrasts the way his disciples are to perform acts of righteousness with the way of the religious leaders: They are to go to the opposite extreme and keep secret their acts of piety (6:3a). They are to have such pure motives of concern for the poor that when giving, they should have no self-awareness and no self-servingness at all. Don’t even praise yourself for your giving, Jesus advises. It doesn’t matter whether anyone ever knows what good deed has been done, because the Father sees the most secret action: “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” God will reward Jesus’ disciples with inner righteousness in this life and complete perfection in the afterlife. Human acclaim for giving to the needy cannot be compared to the value of being recognized by God for secret giving.
Praying (6:5–15)
A SECOND PRACTICE of Jewish piety was prayer. Although individual prayer was appropriate at any time, pious Jews prayed publicly at set times. Commonly, there were morning, afternoon, and evening prayers (Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:10; Acts 3:1).7 Josephus points out that sacrifices, including prayers, were offered “twice a day, in the early morning and at the ninth hour.”8 Jesus indicates that an appropriate attitude is to be applied on any occasion one prays.
The pretentious prayer of hypocrites (6:5–6). As with giving to the needy (6:2), prayer can be perverted from a true act of piety into an act of hypocrisy when the external act masks an inner corrupt motive. As a set time of prayer arrived, pious Jews would stop what they were doing and pray. This could be done discreetly, or it could be done with pretentious display. Some people were sure to find themselves in a place where they would be noticed, such as the synagogue or on a street corner. In those cases, the inner motivation for offering public prayer was public recognition and acclaim of their piety, which has no value with God. This kind of hypocritical prayer receives the same reward as hypocritical almsgiving: acclaim from people.
In contrast, Jesus directs his disciples, when they pray, to go to their “inner room.” Since most people did not have separate, private quarters in their homes, the meaning is most likely a metaphorical one to emphasize privacy. The saying continues the emphasis on the privacy of one’s heart.9 The focus is on the intimacy of communion with God in one’s heart, which is at the center of all prayer, whether it happens to be given publicly or privately. That Jesus does not prohibit or condemn any and all public prayer is indicated by his own public prayers (see 14:19; 15:36). Note too that in the model prayer to follow, the disciples are to address God as “our Father” (6:9), which indicates a corporate type of prayer. But when praying publicly, disciples must watch carefully their motivation.
The repetitious prayer of pagans (6:7–8). Jesus goes on to warn his disciples against repetitious prayer: “Do not keep on babbling like pagans.” The term “pagans” is ethnikoi, the regular expression for the Gentiles in Matthew, and “babbling” (battalogeo) indicates a person who repeats the same words over and over without thinking.10 The priests of Baal continued from morning until noon, crying out, “O Baal, answer us” (1 Kings 18:26), and the multitude in the theater at Ephesus shouted for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34). God is always ready to listen, but he cannot be manipulated through ritual prayer. “Babbling” to get God’s attention and to manipulate him to get what we want is foolish, because the Father is aware at all times of his children’s needs even before they ask (Matt. 6:8).
Jesus illustrates in his own life and teaching two additional points about this statement. (1) Though God already knows, we should not hesitate to ask. Jesus’ disciples don’t pray to give him information but to express their desires, their needs, and their dependence on their heavenly Father. This is a central theme of the Lord’s Prayer. (2) Long continued prayer is not improper, because Jesus himself prayed through whole nights (cf. Luke 6:12). He also commended in a parable the perseverance of the widow in prayer (Luke 18:1–8) and repeated the same request in his prayer to the Father in the garden (Matt. 26:44). Prayer is much about changing us, our character, our will, and our values, even while we seek for God’s response. There is a better way of petitioning the Father than either the hypocrites or pagans, as Jesus now instructs his disciples.
The model prayer for disciples: “The Lord’s Prayer” (6:9–13). Jesus now gives an example of how his disciples should pray. While it is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer,” it is actually “the disciple’s prayer,” because it is an example for them to follow.11 Several points help to give a context for the prayer.
1. The prayer is offered not so much as a command to pray but as an invitation to share in the prayer life of Jesus himself.12
2. Jesus gives guidelines for the way in what his people should conduct their regular prayer life. It is a model for them. But he doesn’t necessitate verbatim repetition of these words, because frequent repetitive use may lead to the sin of formalism that he here condemns.13
3. The priorities of the prayer are in line with the consistent Old and New Testament practice of establishing the primacy of God in national and personal life. In the first three petitions Jesus calls the disciples to focus on the preeminence of God, while in the final three petitions he guides them to petition for their personal needs in a community context.14
4. The range of the prayer extends from the grand themes of God’s name, his kingdom, and his will to the everyday themes of bread, debts, and temptations.
5. The theological themes of this prayer are explicated more fully in the rest of the SM and in Matthew, indicative of the unity of Jesus’ teaching as recorded in this Gospel. These themes form a trajectory of Jesus’ theological program.
Invocation (6:9). The prayer begins by invoking God: “Our Father in heaven.” The term for “Father” is “Abba,” a name used by children for their earthly fathers that denotes warmth and intimacy in the security of a loving father’s care. While children may have used it as a form of endearment, similar to the English expression “Daddy,” it had a much more profound use in adult religious life.15 The motif of a “heavenly Father” occurs throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Deut. 14:1; 32:6; Ps. 103:13; Hos. 11:1; Jer. 3:4; 31:9), growing increasingly popular during the Second Temple period in prayers for protection and forgiveness.16 Adult Jews often referred to God in prayer as “our Father” (Heb. ʾabinu).17 The way Jesus uses “my Father” (11:27) to address his heavenly Father is exceptional because Jesus is the unique Son (cf. 3:17). But by calling his disciples to share in the kingdom of heaven, they now have entered into a relationship with his Father as well.18 Moreover, God is “our Father,” expressing the relationship we have with one another as disciples and with Jesus as our brother, and the corporate intimacy we have with the same Father.
(1) God’s name (6:9). The first petition is directed toward God’s name: “Hallowed be your name,” or “Let your name be made holy.” The purpose of hallowing the name (the name signifies the person) is that God might be “sanctified” or set apart as holy among all people and in all actions, that he will be treated with the highest honor. The Jewish Qaddish (“holy”) prayer of the synagogue, which likely goes back to Jesus’ time, begins similarly: “Exalted and hallowed be his great name in the world which he created according to his will. . . .”19 This affirms the typical Jewish expectation that God must be treated with highest honor. To hallow God’s name means to hold it in reverence—hence, to hold him in reverence, to honor, glorify, and exalt him. This is the essence of the first three of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything. . . . You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God . . .” (Ex. 20:3–7; Deut. 5:7–11).
Over the centuries there developed within Israel a reluctance to utter God’s name, especially the unique name Yahweh (YHWH). Various substitutions were used, such as “Lord” (Adonai). The people of Israel were not only called to wipe out the names of the pagan gods, but they were to worship God in the sanctuary, the place where he chose to place his Name (Deut. 12:3–5, 11). Jesus’ disciples will honor God’s name in their prayers, but especially as they submit to his power and authority when they present themselves to baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (28:19).20
(2) God’s kingdom (6:10). The second petition expresses the hope of God’s people throughout all of history: “Your kingdom come.” The Qaddish continues similarly, “May he rule his kingdom in your lifetime and in your days and in the lifetime of the whole house of Israel, speedily and soon.”21 Israel looked for God to send his Anointed One to rule the earth, and now that Jesus has inaugurated the kingdom of heaven, his disciples live with the anticipation of the completion of that program. God’s anointed Messiah is here and at work, bringing the sovereign and saving rule of God. As the disciples pray “your kingdom come,” they align themselves with Jesus’ own practice of prayer and join his kingdom movement and seek God’s power in furthering its ultimate fulfillment.22
This petition is reflected in a prayer expressed in the early church’s appeal, “Come, O Lord!” (marana tha),23 the oldest Christian prayer of which we have record. Jesus’ disciples had invoked the name of their covenant God as “Lord” in the synagogue worship, but they now apply the same divine title to Jesus the Messiah, who has inaugurated the kingdom of heaven and who will bring its final manifestation.24
(3) God’s will (6:10). The third petition speaks of God’s will coming to pass: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This appeal is to be linked with the preceding petition. Wherever the kingdom of heaven exerts its presence, God’s will is experienced. God reigns in heaven absolutely, which means that all of heaven experiences his perfect will. Jesus prays that earth will experience that same rule of God. The term for “will” is thelema, which can indicate God’s purpose (e.g., Eph. 1:11) and desire (e.g., Luke 13:34). But as here, the term can express God’s will of command, as in the psalmist’s exclamation, “I desire to do your will; your law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8).
Jesus’ own utmost act of obedience in his earthly ministry was to submit to will of God the Father. He declared this allegiance at the outset: “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34), and he faithfully carried it out to the end, as he affirmed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39, 42). With the inauguration of the kingdom, those who carry out the Father’s will in Jesus’ ministry become his disciples (12:50) and display the reality of the kingdom of heaven as they remain faithful to that will for their lives (cf. 5:13–16). The complete experience of God’s will on earth will occur only when his kingdom comes to earth in its final form, causing an overthrow of all evil rule (Rev. 20:1–10) and completing the regeneration of this earth (cf. Rom. 8:18–25). But Jesus’ disciples are the present living testimony to the world that God’s will can be experienced today.
The invocation and first three petitions give Jesus’ disciples the right priorities, for we are less likely to pray frivolously or selfishly for God’s will if we have first, and meaningfully, glorified God as “Father” and entreated him to bring his kingdom to earth.25 Then the next three petitions can be properly focused on the needs of the individual disciples—their sustenance, their sin, and their spiritual battle.
(4) Sustenance (6:11). The fourth petition focuses on the disciples’ sustenance: “Give us today our daily bread.” The reference to “bread” is an example of synecdoche, a part-whole figure of speech for “food” (4:4), but especially referring to all of the believer’s needs, both physical and spiritual. Disciples are to rely on God for all of their needs.26 The adjective translated “daily” (epiousios) occurs in the New Testament only here and in the parallel in Luke 11:3.27 Its connection with “bread” has been broadly debated, with the suggestions “for the present day,” “for necessary existence today,”28 “for the coming day,”29 and “for the Day” (i.e., the blessing today of the coming eschatological Day of the Lord).30
Since the wording recalls Israel’s daily reliance on God for manna in the desert (Ex. 16), the first view seems most likely.31 In the same way that manna was only given one day at a time, disciples are to rely on daily provision for life from God, helping them to develop a continuing, conscious dependence on him. The emphatic position of “today” at the end of the Greek sentence emphasizes that the present day is to be the center of attention, which squares with Jesus’ later admonition not to be anxious about the future (6:34). If God cares for us today, then surely he will provide for us every day of our lives. The best way to prevent anxiety is to consciously trust God for today’s bread, and trust him for tomorrow’s bread (cf. 6:34; Phil. 4:6). Jesus does not renounce responsible activity for his disciples to take care of their needs and those of their loved ones, as he indicates in his sound rebuke of the Pharisees when they avoided providing for parental needs (15:3–6). He only denounces anxiety about the future.32 We are to rely on God for all physical sustenance but be concerned only one day at a time.
(5) Sins (6:12). The fifth petition addresses the disciples’ debt of sin: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The word for “debt” is opheilema, whereas Luke uses hamartia, “sin” (Luke 11:4). These are basically equal expressions, but with the additional nuance in Matthew that humans owe obedience to God. Sin creates an obligation or “debt” to God that we cannot possibly repay. This sentiment is commonly found in Judaism: “Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray” (Sir. 28:2). But it is radicalized in Jesus’ ministry. A hallmark of his new covenant ministry is his expiating role in the forgiveness of sins (26:28), which scandalized his opponents (9:1–8).
Jesus’ disciples have responded to his charge to repent, and their sins are now forgiven. But they are not simply to relish their own state of forgiveness; they are also to forgive others. Those who have received forgiveness are so possessed with gratitude to God that they in turn will eagerly forgive those who are “debtors” to them. This does not teach that humans must forgive others before they can receive forgiveness themselves; rather, forgiveness of others is proof that that disciple’s sins are forgiven and he or she possesses salvation (cf. 18:21–35). Disciples are to forgive those who have wronged them to maintain a joyful experience of our salvation (cf. 6:14–15). Doing so serves as evidence that a person has truly been forgiven his or her debt of sin.33 If we don’t forgive, it is evidence that we haven’t experienced forgiveness ourselves.
(6) Spiritual battle (6:13). The final petition addresses the disciples’ battle with evil forces: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Since God is not one who tempts his people to do evil (James 1:13), and the word rendered “temptation” (peirasmos) can be used for either temptation or testing (cf. Matt. 4:1–11; James 1:12–13), this petition indicates that the disciples should pray either for relief from testing (Ex. 16:4; Deut. 8:16; 1 Peter 1:7) or for their testing not to become an occasion for temptation. This is similar to a standardized Jewish morning and evening prayer:
Bring me not into the power of sin,
And not into the power of guilt,
And not into the power of temptation,
And not into the power of anything shameful.34
Jesus directed the disciples to pray this way in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (26:41).
The second clause of this petition, “but deliver us from the evil one,” indicates that disciples must be conscious that life is a spiritual battle. The occurrence of the definite article with the word “evil” probably indicates Satan, “the evil one” (cf. 5:37), although it can also be understood to indicate evil generally (cf. 5:39).35 Satan’s influence is behind every attempt to turn a testing into a temptation to evil, so Jesus teaches his disciples that they must rely on God not only for physical sustenance and forgiveness of sins, but also for moral triumph and spiritual victory in all of the spiritual battles of life.36
Liturgical ending. The doxological ending that many Christians are accustomed to pray—“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (cf. NIV text note)—did not originally conclude the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s Gospel. The best and oldest manuscripts do not have it, and the earliest commentaries on the Lord’s Prayer do not mention it. Neither does it appear in Luke’s parallel prayer (Luke 11:2–4). This doxology does occur in a variety of forms in many later manuscripts. Although it was not originally in Matthew’s Gospel, it is in line with many other scriptural concepts and probably reflects early Christian practice of adapting the prayer for liturgical use in the church, perhaps on the basis of 1 Chronicles 29:11.37
Forgiveness and prayer (6:14–15). Jesus concludes his instruction on prayer by reiterating the emphasis of the fifth petition on forgiving others (6:12). Salvation does not rest on human merits but only on the grace and mercy of God. Once disciples have received forgiveness and salvation, they are to forgive with the same forgiveness with which they have been forgiven. This is the evidence that they are indeed forgiven (see also comments on 18:21–35).
Fasting (6:16–18)
JESUS RETURNS TO his condemnation of the hypocritical practices of the religious leaders, especially the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, now concentrating on fasting, the third pillar of Jewish piety (see comments on 6:1–2). Since the religious leaders fasted in order to get recognition from the people, that is all the reward that they will receive. “Acts of righteousness,” such as fasting, are of no value if not done with the right motives.
Various kinds of fasts were commonly practiced throughout much of Israel’s history, always as a symbol of some deeper meaning than simply abstaining from food.
• Normal fast. A person abstained from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water—usually to prepare for some significant event. Jesus fasted for forty days in preparation for his temptations from Satan and the inauguration of his public ministry (Matt. 4:1–2; Luke 4:1–2).
• Partial fast. Sometimes people entered into a partial restriction of diet, but not total abstention. For a three-week period of mourning, Daniel ate no meat or drank no wine, and he applied no lotion to his body (Dan. 10:3).
• Absolute fast. During a relatively short, urgent period of time, people could abstain from all food and water to discern God’s leading. Esther neither ate nor drank for three days during a period of national crisis (Est. 4:16), and at Paul’s dramatic conversion he abstained from eating and drinking for three days (Acts 9:9).
• Private and corporate fasts. Fasting is usually a private affair, but at times the people of God came together for corporate or public fasts, such as on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:37), in times of national emergency (2 Chron. 20:1–4), or for seeking God’s guidance in prayer (Ezra 8:21–23).
The Old Testament law required only one fast a year—on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29–34; 23:26–32). The expression used in Leviticus for fasting is literally “deny yourselves” (NIV) or “humble your souls” (NASB). This indicates that in addition to abstaining from food, the people were to demonstrate a humbling of their souls by wearing sackcloth, mourning, and praying (cf. Ps. 35:13; Isa. 58:3).38 As time passed, fasts multiplied for legitimate purposes, such as national repentance and seeking God’s mercy (e.g., Ezra 8:21–23). Certain days of the year became regularly anticipated days of fasting (Neh. 9:1; Zech. 8:19).
Jesus’ teaching draws on that national history. He assumes his disciples will fast, because he says simply, “When you fast” (6:16). Giving to the needy, praying, and fasting were an assumed part of regular devotion. Jesus does not prohibit his disciples from fasting, but neither does he make it a required practice. Later in a confrontation over the fasting practices of the disciples of the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus declares that his disciples were to celebrate while he was with them; fasting was inappropriate. When he was taken away, fasting would once again be an important spiritual exercise, but was not mandatory (see 9:14–15).
Fasting was practiced regularly twice a week among some sectarians (cf. Luke 18:12), usually on Monday and Thursday, because Moses is said to have gone up on Sinai on those days. In fasting on those days, they felt they were emulating Moses’ rigorous approach to God and his holiness. But this can also lead to a deceptive trap of self-aggrandizement when people attempt to elevate their religious status in the eyes of the people and their peers by broadcasting their religious accomplishments. Thus, Jesus says, “do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.”
“Disfigure” (aphanizo) here indicates making one’s face unrecognizable from a normal perspective, with the intent to publicize the physical hardships endured while fasting. The hypocrites certainly did not want to be completely unrecognizable, which would defeat the purpose of trying to gain attention for their pious deed. During the fasting period they might disfigure their face by remaining ungroomed or perhaps by sprinkling ashes on their head and face as a sign of contrition. This was a deceptive way of letting others know of their extensive efforts to increase their personal piety.
Jesus’ disciples are to have a different approach, because fasting is to be a heart issue between God and the individual. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face.” This kind of anointing and washing is social, not religious. It signifies that a person has prepared herself or himself to enjoy life, similar to the expression in Ecclesiastes, “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil” (Eccl. 9:7–8). Rather than making a public display of fasting, which would destroy any spiritual value, Jesus’ disciples are to celebrate life while fasting. Other people do not need to know of their religious discipline.
Like the practices of giving to those in need and praying, fasting is to be done in the secrecy of the heart, with only God the Father as audience. The reward for fasting is the same as the reward for other “acts of righteousness”—continued development of inner righteousness in this life and the final perfection of righteousness in the afterlife (6:1–4). But the spiritual value of fasting will only be rewarded to those who seek God’s favor and attention, and his alone.
Bridging Contexts
JESUS CAME TO fulfill the Old Testament revelation of God’s will for his people, but he did not come into a vacuum. Many other people and groups were also trying to live out the Old Testament’s directives. How different from these other groups will be the form of discipleship that Jesus introduces? What will make Jesus’ teaching stand out from the leading religious figures of his day? These are important issues for Matthew as he writes his Gospel, because his record of the SM is an important foundational statement of what discipleship to Jesus entails. Since disciples in all ages are to be taught to obey all that Jesus has commanded (28:20), Matthew wants to state clearly and precisely the kind of discipleship Jesus desires.
Thus, after recording six representative examples of the way that Jesus’ interpretation and application of the Old Testament is the antithesis of current practices (5:21–48), he records three representative ways that the discipleship of Jesus surpasses the external, legalistic, pious life of the leading religious figures of his day. Jesus may have given other examples, because the original SM was likely much longer, but these three powerfully refute the hypocritical example of the religious leaders. Obedience is central to Jesus’ form of discipleship, as it was to other forms of discipleship within Judaism, but Jesus calls his followers to adhere to the motive behind obedience to the Old Testament, not simply to carry out external compliance.
Motives. Why do we do the good things that we do? Because of our gratitude to Jesus for inviting us to the kingdom of heaven, or because of the rewards that he offers? Because it is the right thing to do, or because we want to be recognized by people? Giving to the needy, praying, and fasting can be valuable in developing personal righteousness, and God will reward those who practice them sincerely before him. But they can also be practiced “hypocritically” (6:2, 5, 16) for the acclaim of people, the approval of the religious establishment, and the accumulation of material blessing in this life. In such cases there will be no reward from God. Those who engage in such activities for the acclaim of people will grow in increasing self-righteousness, and the only reward they receive will be the approval of people (6:2, 15).
Why do we do what we do? Philosophers, psychologists, and educators have long debated whether motivation is innate (genetically programmed) or acquired (learned), whether it is primarily the result of internal needs or external goals, or whether it is principally either mechanistic (automatic) or cognitive (active processing). Not surprisingly, most researchers concur that many of the real-life situations that we encounter undoubtedly require a combination of each of these.39 That is borne out by looking at Jesus’ teaching in this section. The criticism he lodges against the religious leaders is directed at their inner corruption, their hypocrisy, which is the sinful disease of self-glorification. But that corruption was also stimulated by the external reward they received when desire for attention was satisfied by being “honored” by the people and by the religious establishment. They are a classic example of “mixed motives,” where good and bad motivating forces are unwisely or wickedly united. Intentionally acting out of mixed motives is what Jesus directly condemns.
While avoiding “mixed” motives, we can see in Jesus’ teaching that a variety of motivational elements will influence our own discipleship. The transformed disposition of the disciple’s inner heart motivates us to discipline our lives to be like the Father (5:48). We are different because the arrival of the kingdom of heaven in Jesus’ ministry brings new covenant salvation and transformation through the cross. A true disciple operates out of gratitude to the Savior who has rescued us (see comments on 20:1–16). But Jesus also holds out rewards as an external motivating factor. We discipline ourselves to be obedient to Jesus’ teachings so that we can receive from the Father the reward of continual development of righteousness in this life and the promise of the completion of that process in the afterlife.
So why do we do what we do? Keeping these forces in balance is critical for our discipleship, because going too far in any direction will distort our motivation. Since motivation is personal and internal, motives are a quick gauge of a person’s heart. I once had a friend tell me that his primary motivation as a pastor is the rewards that he will receive from God at the end of this life. I’ve always considered that a bit unbalanced, especially when I consider the other motivating forces that are at our disposal. The following may be a way of developing an appropriate balance.
In the hierarchy of Christian motives, a strong case should be made that the highest-placed motive is showing gratitude for the grace of God in sending his Son to be a ransom for humanity (20:1–28). Unlike other high-level motives that are often advanced by secular ethicists, this motive is directed away from self.40 Gratitude is developed as a motivating force by continually looking away from self to the finished work of Jesus’ ministry and considering deeply the alternative consequences of our fate without it.
A second, and consequent, motive is love in response to God’s love for us (5:43–47; cf. 1 John 4:7–21). To have experienced real love from God will move us mightily to love him and to love others. We might then be motivated by the desire to emulate Jesus, as a disciple will become like his or her Master (10:24–25; 2 Cor. 3:18).
There is also the motivation to avoid loss of joy (Ps. 51:12). And, of course, there is the motive of our own future reward. Those who give to the needy, pray, and fast in the secrecy of the heart will be rewarded (6:4, 6, 18). But Jesus did not present rewards as the primary motivating force. Rewards are mentioned as the by-product of a life free from self-advancement. New Testament scholar Harold Hoehner contends, “Believers’ motivation in this life should not be the obtaining of rewards as an end in itself. Our motivation should be to please God wholeheartedly in gratitude for what he has done for us through Christ.”41 To regard our own rewards as our primary motivation is to center on ourselves, the very hypocrisy Jesus condemns.42 A horizontal and vertical balance will keep us rightly motivated: “The worthiest of motives are directed vertically in an effort to give gratitude, obedience, and honor to God, and then horizontally in quest of the spiritual welfare and also the physical and material welfare of one’s fellows.”43
Contemporary Significance
CONGRUENCY OF INNER life and external practice. Jesus expects us to practice “acts of righteousness.” He does not advocate this in order to earn entrance to the kingdom of heaven or to achieve advanced standing with the Father, but these acts are intentional ways of conforming the external expression of our lives to the inner work of God in our hearts. Acts of righteousness (popularly called “spiritual disciplines”) bring congruency between the inner righteousness that God initiates when a disciple enters the kingdom of heaven, and the development of experiential righteousness in this life as the disciple pursues the directive, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48). The apostle Paul advises young pastor Timothy likewise: “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:7–8).
The transformation that God has begun in the inner life is reflected in our acts of righteousness. Jesus emphasizes three practices that illustrate this principle. The transformation that occurs in the heart of a disciple causes him to love with God’s love, which will be expressed in giving to the needy (6:2–4). The intimacy of the relationship with God that has occurred in the inner person of the disciple will be expressed in an intimate form of personalized prayer between her and the Father (6:5–15). The inner life of the disciple who has experienced true humility and mourning over one’s own sin and the sorry sinful state of the world apart from God will urge her or him to undertake the discipline of fasting in order to examine one’s personal life and to focus on prayer for the world’s repentance (6:16–18).
Throughout church history the practice of the full panoply of spiritual disciplines has been a key to spiritual growth. These “disciplines” are viewed from different perspectives. One way is to view them as a threefold unity: inward disciplines (meditation, prayer, fasting, study), outward disciplines (simplicity, solitude, submission, service), and corporate disciplines (confession, worship, guidance, celebration).44 Another way is to view them is from a twofold opposite perspective: disciplines of abstinence (solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, sacrifice) and disciplines of engagement (study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission).45 However we might view them, the important point is to remember that the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven is an inside-out process, which Jesus intentionally orients to counteract the hypocritical practice of operating only on the surface.
One of the gravest dangers is to practice these disciplines in a rote way for the approval of the people around us or to satisfy the expectations of the church tradition of which we are a part. Another grave danger is to fall into the opposite trap, neglecting the practice of the disciplines because we are afraid of becoming legalistic. Perhaps the most important example is in Jesus’ own life, who not only calls us to practice these disciplines but sets the example himself of how to practice them as a natural outgrowth of his inner godliness. Donald Whitney states, “The Lord Jesus not only expects these Disciplines of us, He modeled them for us. He applied His heart to discipline. He disciplined Himself for the purpose of Godliness. If we are going to be Christlike, we must live as Christ lived.”46
Personal transformation begins in the inner person through the work of the Spirit of God, which produces change on the outside as we discipline ourselves to be more Christlike. We must develop an inside-out mentality so that Spirit-produced growth of the inner person is in harmony with outward obedience.
Being seen by men (6:1). Jesus reveals here an important distinction to be maintained by his disciples. Earlier he urged them to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds” (5:16). Here he admonishes them to “be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them” (6:1). On the surface this may seem like a contradiction, but when we look more closely, we see that the difference in each case is the disciples’ motive in performing public acts of piety.
In the former case, the public display of good works is not for the purpose of drawing attention to the disciple but for people to “praise your Father in heaven” (5:16). Disciples could easily be afraid to let their light of good works shine because it might bring persecution (5:10), so Jesus calls them to think courageously of their heavenly Father’s glory as the motive for public displays of righteousness. In the latter case, Jesus addresses religious vanity, in which case disciples face the temptation to perform public acts of piety and good works to gain the admiration of other people (6:1). A way of balancing the temptation from both personal cowardice and religious vanity was proposed over a hundred years ago by A. B. Bruce, who suggested that we try this formula: “Show when tempted to hide, hide when tempted to show. The Pharisees were exposed, and yielded, to the latter temptation.”47
Eliminating elitism. Another element that surfaces from Jesus’ confrontation of the hypocritical practices of the religious leaders is what we might refer to as “elitism.” Each of the spiritual disciplines noted above, including the three Jesus addressed directly, are practices rooted in biblical prescriptions, and each should rightfully be incorporated into faithful Christian living. But, as with the Pharisees, the flawed practice of these disciplines can create an elitist distinction.
Within church history the expectations of performance often became so demanding within certain traditions that only a few people could really devote themselves to the full practice of the disciplines. This was one of the problems with certain ascetic monastic movements. Some traditions became exclusivistic in the sense that their tradition alone was the primary means of attaining spirituality, so that an elitist distinction developed between nominal Christians and those committed to the practices of a particular tradition. This was surely not the original intent, but it became the unfortunate result, with the average Christian often despairing of being “spiritual.” From there it led to the clergy-laity distinction that the Reformers tried to rectify.
The prevalence of elitism in many traditions partially explains why scores of people are frustrated in their Christian lives. A two-level conception of the Christian life promotes apathy among those who haven’t yet chosen to be committed, and it suggests that the higher level of commitment is optional, which in the daily world of most Christians means that commitment to Christlikeness is optional. One of Jesus’ purposes in the SM, and particularly in addressing the practice of “acts of righteousness” in this section, is to eliminate an elitist conception of discipleship. The practice of the disciplines is a normal outgrowth of discipleship to Jesus. Since all true believers are disciples of Jesus Christ and, correspondingly, all true believers have been born anew to spiritual life by the Spirit of God (cf. Rom. 8:9; Titus 3:3–7),48 Jesus calls all believers to his form of discipleship, which means faithfully practicing the “acts of righteousness” in devotion to the Father.49
Practicing disciplines in secrecy. Jesus further emphasizes that one key solution to religious hypocrisy is to be sure that an act of righteousness is carried out “in secret” (6:4, 6, 18), which means essentially that the deed be performed in the privacy of one’s heart.
Giving to the needy in secret (6:2–4). Inner motivation drives outward actions, so Jesus’ disciples are to give to the needy from the secrecy of their heart. Jesus is not saying that his disciples should never give to the needy publicly. Practically all such giving required a public service to the needy, far different than today when we can send money anonymously through the mail or via a bank transfer. Although the various acts were carried out in the public arena—such as giving to the street corner beggar, or the poverty-stricken family in the community, or the widowed mother in the worshiping community—the motive of the heart was to be one of secrecy; Jesus’ disciple desires no public adulation.
A thoughtful, appropriate balance is required. I was somewhat surprised to receive in the mail a magazine from a Christian college that listed every alumnus of that institution that had donated to the school and then went on to make a pretty strenuous appeal for those who hadn’t given to become more supportive. It seemed a bit manipulative to me, although it seems not to have offended others. Nevertheless, it might be extreme to require that only anonymous donations are appropriate. One church I attended did not pass offering baskets because they wanted to avoid manipulating their people and to maintain as much anonymity as possible. So they put offering boxes on the wall into which members dropped their offering when leaving. That can be even more public than offering baskets!
Again, Jesus is addressing the motive of the person giving, not any particular format. We are not to give with mixed or ulterior motives of gaining public acclaim for our giving. But we are not to wait until our motives change by themselves. Dealing with our motives can be a paralyzing issue, because in the process of our growth in Christ we will continue to be influenced daily by the temptations of this world. God doesn’t require us to be perfect; he just tells us to pursue it—and that includes our motives.
Years ago, before giving a prayer for the offering in the little church where I was pastor, I used to tell the people that if they were grudging that morning in their giving (2 Cor. 9:5), or if they were tempted to give to be noticed by the pastoral staff or the leadership, or even their own family, they should put their wallet or purse away. God doesn’t need their money given with bad motives. The elders of the church gasped almost visibly. But then I went on to say that even if they had mixed motives in giving, God could change their hearts in a beat. So if they were ready, we could pray and ask God to purify their motives. The elders were much happier! It is within our responsibility to check our motives, to ask the Spirit of God to purify our motives, and then to move on, knowing that he will continue to cause us to grow in this area, if we really desire it.
Praying in secret (6:5–15). Prayer is also to be conducted in the secret privacy of the disciple’s heart (6:6).50 There are no set requirements for attaining this privacy; it means primarily to find ourselves in such a situation where we are addressing the Father alone. Some people find that privacy in special times of the day, others through journaling, others through a particular pattern of prayer. Jesus’ own public prayers (14:19; 15:36) and the communal nature of prayer to “our Father” (6:9) allow us to see that he is not prohibiting or condemning all public prayers. Public prayer is to be a part of the community of disciples who join their hearts in one accord to seek God’s leading and petition for his activity on their behalf (cf. Acts 2:42; 4:23–30). But when prayers are given in public, the one offering the prayer is to operate out of the privacy of his or her heart, with God alone as audience.
We’ve all been conscious at times of being in a prayer group when it seemed as though the one praying is addressing us more than God. Or our grand prayers were really aimed at impressing the audience more than reaching God. I’ve learned over the years when praying in public to address God intently from the privacy of my heart, but also to recognize that I am charged with leading the people, and even instructing them, in my prayers. This seems to be the purpose of Jesus’ high-priestly prayer (John 17) and Paul’s prayers for the churches (e.g., Eph. 3:14–21). The motivation of private prayer is the intimacy of communion with God in our heart, which is at the center of all prayer, whether it happens to be given publicly or privately.
Fasting in secret (6:16–18). Like giving to the needy and praying, fasting is also to be conducted in the privacy of the disciple’s heart. It takes rigorous self-control to undertake a fast, so it is a significant temptation to let others know of our efforts or even of our victories. This may be done innocently, but Jesus allows us to see that broadcasting our fast in any way can become a dangerous form of religious pride and self-delusion.
But as in the other disciplines, Jesus does not prohibit corporate fasting. Of the sixteen or so references to fasting in the New Testament, roughly half speak of corporate fasts, including those that seem to indicate that it was the regular practice of the early church (Acts 14:23; 23:12; 27:9, 33).51 As with individual fasts, corporate fasting encouraged the church to express sorrow for sin, seek community forgiveness, concentrate on the work of God, and seek his guidance. But even corporate fasting needs to be conducted in the privacy of the heart, with no self-adulation of the church taking pride in its serious rigor. Fasting has lost much appeal in the modern church. This is a sad misreading of Jesus’ teaching. He does not condemn fasting, not even corporate fasting, but only fasting with the motive of receiving acclaim from the people.