matthew 6

Read Matthew 6 at Bible Gateway.

Mat 6 outline:

Mat 6:1-18, Do not be a hypocrite in your doings
Mat 6:19-34, Do not covet

Mat 6 chiastic structure:

1a) Mat 6:1-11, Do not do as the hypocrites, but seek your heavenly Father + ask Him for your daily bread;

1) Mat 6:1-9a, Do not do charity + pray as the hypocrites do, in order to be seen by men;
2) Mat 6:9b-10, Our Father, hallowed be/ Your kingdom come, Your will done on earth as in heaven;
3) Mat 6:11, Give us this day our daily bread;

1b) Mat 6:12, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;

central axis) Mat 6:13, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen;”

2b) Mat 6:14-15, If you forgive men, your heavenly Father will forgive you;

2a) Mat 6:16-34, Do not do as the hypocrites, but keep your treasure in heaven + trust Him for your daily needs;

1) Mat 6:16-18, Do not fast as the hypocrites do, in order to be seen by men;
2) Mat 6:19-24, You will love what you treasure, therefore keep your treasure in heaven;

1a) Mat 6:19-21, Treasures on earth (mammon) vs. treasures in heaven, for there is your heart;
1b) Mat 6:22a, The lamp of the body is the eye;
1c) Mat 6:22b, If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light;
2c) Mat 6:23a, But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness;
2b) Mat 6:23b, If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness;
2a) Mat 6:24, No one can serve two masters, for he will only love one/ You cannot serve God and mammon;

3) Mat 6:25-34, Do not worry about your needs, but seek God/ He will take care of you;

1a) Mat 6:25-31, Do not worry about your life, what you will eat + drink + put on;

1a) Mat 6:25, Do not worry about what you will eat + drink + put on/ life more than food + clothing;
1b.1) Mat 6:26a Look at the birds: they neither sow + reap + harvest; yet your Father feeds them;
1b.2) Mat 6:26b, Are you not of more value than they?
central axis) Mat 6:27-28a, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing?”
2b.1) Mat 6:28b, Consider the lilies: they neither toil + spin; yet God clothes them in glory;
2b.2) Mat 6:30, If God so clothes them, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
2a) Mat 6:31, Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat + drink + wear?’

central axis) Mat 6:32-33, “For after all these things the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you;”

2a) Mat 6:34, Therefore do not worry about tomorrow/ Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

In the A pair, three concepts are paired. We know these are the correct pairings, because the surrounding elements, of which there is no doubt, force them together:

1) Mat 6:1-9a, Do not do charity + pray as the hypocrites do, in order to be seen by men;
2) Mat 6:9b-10, Our Father, hallowed be/ Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven;
3) Mat 6:11, Give us this day our daily bread;

1) Mat 6:16-18, Do not fast as the hypocrites do, in order to be seen by men;
2) Mat 6:19-24, You will love what you treasure, therefore keep your treasure in heaven;
3) Mat 6:25-34, Do not worry about your needs, but seek God/ He will take care of you;

Yeshua tells us to lay up treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth, because where your treasure is, there your heart will be. What we treasure, we love. Now this is paired with the first part of the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer Jesus gave to His disciples, to teach them how to pray. This daily prayer begins with acknowledging the Father/ child relationship we have with YHVH our God. If you are a parent yourself, you have a tiny inkling of how much love the Father has for His children. Secondly, He is our Father in heaven – Creator and King of the universe. Whatever I am facing, it is not outside of His influence or control. So first we remind ourselves of His love, then we remind ourselves of His wisdom and ability, and then we remind ourselves of His holiness. In me, it inspires praise and worship. Finally, May Your kingdom come, may Your will be done. Kingdoms are ruled by kings, who have the right and responsibility to give commands and be obeyed. Let me acknowledge your Kingship over my life, my household, and my community; let me obey Your will expressed by Your word today from my heart, and my witness also inspire my household and my community to do likewise.

Do you see what this does? Jesus is giving us a key to the kingdom. This daily reminder, this daily appointment with God, positions our hearts and minds in the proper position to treasure God and treasure the kingdom of heaven rather than money or the things of this earth. It aligns our heart after His heart. It enlightens our eye.

Having a “good eye” is a Hebrew idiom for having a generous heart or disposition. Someone with a bad eye looks at things and covets them. They have this lust for that thing which entraps their heart (what we treasure, again). Someone with a good eye is able to give instead of only seeking to grasp or control. Their heart is free from other loves. This is another key to the kingdom. If you struggle with lusts or feeling unsatisfied in many different areas, don’t focus on overcoming that issue. Instead, turn your focus and attention on Our Father, and spend time with our heavenly Daddy, God, and King, in worship and praise. Your heart will change.

Concerning our daily needs, this is another area where people can fall into the trap of coveting for more, or feeling unsatisfied or anxious. By telling us to take no thought for tomorrow, Jesus is not telling us not to WORK for our daily needs. From the beginning of Man’s Fall from the Garden, God has enjoined man to labor in the sweat of his brow to provide for his daily bread. Yes, man shall rest on the seventh day, and on the first through sixth days, he shall labor. Jesus is telling us not to WORRY about our daily bread. If we are working as unto the LORD, according to His pattern and principles, then we have no need to worry.

If worry is a problem, we need to remind ourselves that our good and loving Father values us more than birds and grass. Gentiles seek things, but Jesus tells us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. (Part of His righteousness is working for six days, but then resting on the seventh according to His command. It takes trust to rest, and He will care for us when we do.) There is that treasuring the kingdom of heaven again. When we do so, He will add the things we need to us.

So here is the key to the kingdom: when you have a need, ASK GOD FOR IT (1a pair) instead of worrying over how you will meet it. God will take care of it!