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施舍不可张扬

“你们小心,不要在众人面前行你们的义,让他们看见;如果这样,就得不到你们天父的赏赐。 因此你施舍的时候,不可到处张扬,好象伪君子在会堂和街上所作的一样,以博取众人的称赞。我实在告诉你们,他们已经得了他们的赏赐。 你施舍的时候,不要让左手知道右手所作的, 好使你的施舍是在隐密中行的。你父在隐密中察看,必定报答你。

如何祷告(A)

“你们祈祷的时候,不可像伪君子;他们喜欢在会堂和路口站着祈祷,好让人看见。我实在告诉你们,他们已经得了他们的赏赐。 但你祈祷的时候,要进到密室里去,关上门,向在隐密中的父祈祷。你父在隐密中察看,必定报答你。 你们祈祷的时候,不可重复无意义的话,像教外人一样,他们以为话多了就蒙垂听。 你们不可像他们,因为在你们祈求以先,你们的父已经知道你们的需要了。 所以你们要这样祈祷:

‘我们在天上的父,

愿你的名被尊为圣,

10 愿你的国降临,

愿你的旨意成就在地上,

如同在天上一样。

11 我们每天所需的食物,

求你今天赐给我们;

12 赦免我们的罪债,

好象我们饶恕了得罪我们的人;

13 不要让我们陷入试探,

救我们脱离那恶者。’(有些后期抄本在此有“因为国度、权柄、荣耀,全是你的,直到永远。阿们”一句)

14 如果你们饶恕别人的过犯,你们的天父也必饶恕你们。 15 如果你们不饶恕别人,你们的父也必不饶恕你们的过犯。

禁食不让人知

16 “你们禁食的时候,不可像伪君子那样愁眉苦脸,他们装成难看的样子,叫人看出他们在禁食。我实在告诉你们,他们已经得了他们的赏赐。 17 可是你禁食的时候,要梳头洗脸, 18 不要叫人看出你在禁食,只让在隐密中的父看见。你父在隐密中察看,必定报答你。

积财于天(B)

19 “不可为自己在地上积聚财宝,因为地上有虫蛀,有锈侵蚀,也有贼挖洞来偷。 20 要为自己积聚财宝在天上,那里没有虫蛀锈蚀,也没有贼挖洞来偷。 21 你的财宝在哪里,你的心也在哪里。

里面的光(C)

22 “眼睛就是身体的灯。如果你的眼睛健全,全身就都明亮; 23 如果你的眼睛有毛病,全身就都黑暗。如果你里面的光变成黑暗,这是多么的黑暗!

不要为明天忧虑(D)

24 “一个人不能服事两个主人;他若不是恨这个爱那个,就是忠于这个轻视那个。你们不能服事 神,又服事金钱(“金钱”亚兰文是“玛门”)。 25 所以我告诉你们,不要为生命忧虑吃甚么喝甚么,也不要为身体忧虑穿甚么。难道生命不比食物重要吗?身体不比衣服重要吗? 26 你们看天空的飞鸟:牠们不撒种,不收割,也不收进仓里,你们的天父尚且养活牠们;难道你们不比牠们更宝贵吗? 27 你们中间谁能用忧虑使自己的寿命延长一刻呢? 28 何必为衣服忧虑呢?试想田野的百合花怎样生长,它们不劳苦,也不纺织。 29 但我告诉你们,就是所罗门最威荣的时候所穿的,也比不上这花中的一朵。 30 田野的草,今天还在,明天就投进炉里, 神尚且这样妆扮它们;小信的人哪,何况你们呢? 31 所以不要忧虑,说:‘我们该吃甚么?喝甚么?穿甚么?’ 32 这些都是教外人所寻求的,你们的天父原知道你们需要这一切。 33 你们要先求他的国和他的义,这一切都必加给你们。 34 所以不要为明天忧虑,因为明天自有明天的忧虑,一天的难处一天当就够了。”

Part of imitating the perfection of God is acting charitably and generously, doing good deeds, working for justice, and praying.

Jesus: But when you do these righteous acts, do not do them in front of spectators. Don’t do them where you can be seen, let alone lauded, by others. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to the poor, do not boast about it, announcing your donations with blaring trumpets as the play actors do. Do not brazenly give your charity in the synagogues and on the streets; indeed, do not give at all if you are giving because you want to be praised by your neighbors. Those people who give in order to reap praise have already received their reward. 3-4 When you give to the needy, do it in secret—even your left hand should not know what your right hand is doing. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Likewise, when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to pray loudly at synagogue or on street corners—their concern is to be seen by men. They have already earned their reward. When you pray, go into a private room, close the door, and pray unseen to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not go on and on, excessively and strangely like the outsiders; they think their verbosity will let them be heard by their deities. Do not be like them. Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him.

Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:

    Our Father in heaven,
        let Your name remain holy.
10     Bring about Your kingdom.
    Manifest Your will here on earth,
        as it is manifest in heaven.
11     Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
12     And forgive us our debts
        as we forgive those who owe us something.
13     Lead us not into temptation,
        but deliver us from evil.
    [But let Your kingdom be,
        and let it be powerful
        and glorious forever. Amen.][a]

Jesus says to declare forgiveness of those who have wronged us. This is because forgiveness of other people emulates God’s forgiveness of us.

14 If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. 15 But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 And when you fast, do not look miserable as the actors and hypocrites do when they are fasting—they walk around town putting on airs about their suffering and weakness, complaining about how hungry they are. So everyone will know they are fasting, they don’t wash or anoint themselves with oil, pink their cheeks, or wear comfortable shoes. Those who show off their piety, they have already received their reward. 17 When you fast, wash your face and beautify yourself with oil, 18 so no one who looks at you will know about your discipline. Only your Father, who is unseen, will see your fast. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

19 Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. 20 Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 The eye is the lamp of the body. You draw light into your body through your eyes, and light shines out to the world through your eyes. So if your eye is well and shows you what is true, then your whole body will be filled with light. 23 But if your eye is clouded or evil, then your body will be filled with evil and dark clouds. And the darkness that takes over the body of a child of God who has gone astray—that is the deepest, darkest darkness there is.

When Jesus speaks of eyes and light, He means all people should keep their eyes on God because the eyes are the windows to the soul. Eyes should not focus on trash—pornography, filth, or expensive things. And this is what He means when He says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Jesus: 24 No one can serve two masters. If you try, you will wind up loving the first master and hating the second, or vice versa. People try to serve both God and money—but you can’t. You must choose one or the other.

25 Here is the bottom line: do not worry about your life. Don’t worry about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about how you clothe your body. Living is about more than merely eating, and the body is about more than dressing up. 26 Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don’t plant gardens. They do not sow or reap—and yet, they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you. 27 Worrying does not do any good; who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worrying?

28 Nor should you worry about clothes. Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. They do not work or weave or sew, and yet their garments are stunning. 29 Even King Solomon, dressed in his most regal garb, was not as lovely as these lilies. 30 And think about grassy fields—the grasses are here now, but they will be dead by winter. And yet God adorns them so radiantly. How much more will He clothe you, you of little faith, you who have no trust?

31 So do not consume yourselves with questions: What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? 32 Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions; they don’t realize that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. 33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today.

Footnotes

  1. 6:13 Some early manuscripts omit this portion.