Matthew 6 continues Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Here Christ moves from His explanation of the Law to a series of ethical commands.
Chapter 6 is a series of contrasts, the first three drawing a strong distinction between righteous deeds which are done for men and righteous deeds which are done for God. As in Matthew 5, the emphasis is not primarily on a person’s behavior, but instead on his intentions. Jesus cares about the heart. Anyone, He claims, can demonstrate outward signs of righteousness. The true mark of a “Christ-follower” (forgive my use of a term usually relegated to believers much cooler than I) is a union between the heart and the hands.
We should give alms because we know God loves the less fortunate. We should pray because we earnestly seek the wisdom of God and long to know Him better. We should fast because we yearn to grow in dependence on His provision. Our devotion to God is not to be merely private, but it must be private before public. We should not neglect to demonstrate our righteousness to others, but that should not be our primary goal.
The next section draws another contrast, this time between heaven and earth. This is a theme repeated throughout the Gospel of Matthew. As we conduct ourselves well on the earth, we constantly have an eye toward eternity. What we can now see will someday pass away and be forgotten. Only what we contribute to the Kingdom is of ultimate significance. In light of our devotion to eternity, we must be diligent to keep ourselves pure and forsake a short-sighted devotion to wealth.
The chapter ends with a familiar command to not be anxious. As we grow in righteousness and cultivate a devotion to our King, the worries of the world are no longer of pressing concern. Just as any good king will ensure the prosperity and safety of his people, we trust that our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom is an assurance of comfort and joy while we await the full consummation of all that Jesus has promised.