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“You cannot expect to be paid twice, if therefore you take your reward in the applause of men, who give you a high character for generosity, you cannot expect to have any reward from God.”
6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.
6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
It must come to this point of literal immediate, completed forgiveness of every offence committed against you if you expect God to forgive you. There is no wriggling out of it. The man who refuses to forgive, refuses to be forgiven. God grant that we may, none of us, tolerate malice in our hearts. Anger glances in the bosom of wise men: it only burns in the heart of the foolish.
6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.But if you forgive not men their trespasses - On the other hand, where men are not of a forgiving temper to their fellow creatures and fellow Christians, how can they expect forgiveness at the hands of God?
Trespasses - Παραπτωματα, from παρα and πιπτω, to fall off. Men's sins against us are only their stumblings, or fallings off from the duties they owe us; but our's are debts to God's justice, which we can never discharge.
6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
As the hypocrites do - Many of the scribes and Pharisees did this, under a pretence of calling the poor together. They have their reward - All they will have; for they shall have none from God.
6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth - acquaint not thy nearest and dearest friend with it; let not one that sits at thy left hand know what thou art doing with thy right hand; it is a proverbial and hyperbolical phrase, expressing the secrecy of the action.
6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.
Which seeth in secret - We should ever remember that the eye of the Lord is upon us, and that He sees not only the act, but also every motive that led to it.
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites -As the Scribes and Pharisees; whose posture in prayer, the places they chose to pray in, and the view they had therein, are particularly taken notice of: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. It was their usual custom to pray "standing"; nay, it is established by their canons.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet - Or "chamber", a secret place, fit for private retirement, meditation, and prayer.
And when thou hast shut thy door; see some such like phrases in Isaiah 26:20 where they are used to express security, here secrecy. Our Lord does not mean to exclude and condemn public prayer, in joining with few, or more persons, in such service; for He Himself directs to it, and approves of it, Matthew 18:19 but His view is to instruct persons that they should not only pray in public, but in private also; and especially the latter, which is more suitable and fitting for their particular cases, and less liable to pride, hypocrisy, and vanity.
6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Use not vain repetitions - To repeat any words without meaning them, is certainly a vain repetition. Therefore we should be extremely careful in all our prayers to mean what we say; and to say only what we mean from the bottom of our hearts. 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth - acquaint not thy nearest and dearest friend with it; let not one that sits at thy left hand know what thou art doing with thy right hand; it is a proverbial and hyperbolical phrase, expressing the secrecy of the action.
6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.
Which seeth in secret - We should ever remember that the eye of the Lord is upon us, and that He sees not only the act, but also every motive that led to it.
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites -As the Scribes and Pharisees; whose posture in prayer, the places they chose to pray in, and the view they had therein, are particularly taken notice of: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. It was their usual custom to pray "standing"; nay, it is established by their canons.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet - Or "chamber", a secret place, fit for private retirement, meditation, and prayer.
And when thou hast shut thy door; see some such like phrases in Isaiah 26:20 where they are used to express security, here secrecy. Our Lord does not mean to exclude and condemn public prayer, in joining with few, or more persons, in such service; for He Himself directs to it, and approves of it, Matthew 18:19 but His view is to instruct persons that they should not only pray in public, but in private also; and especially the latter, which is more suitable and fitting for their particular cases, and less liable to pride, hypocrisy, and vanity.
6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue.
6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.
Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of - We do not pray to inform God of our wants.
Omniscient as He is, He cannot be informed of any thing which He knew not before: and He is always willing to relieve them. The chief thing wanting is, a fit disposition on our part to receive His grace and blessing. Consequently, one great office of prayer is, to produce such a disposition in us: to exercise our dependence on God;
6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Our Father which art in heaven - This may be looked upon as the preface and introduction to the prayer, and regards the object of it, and His character, which is an epithet of God.
6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Thy kingdom come - The form of expression used by the ancient Jews, relating to this article, before the coming of Christ, doubtless was, as it now stands in their prayers, , "the kingdom of thy Messiah come".
6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Our Father which art in heaven - This may be looked upon as the preface and introduction to the prayer, and regards the object of it, and His character, which is an epithet of God.
6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Thy kingdom come - The form of expression used by the ancient Jews, relating to this article, before the coming of Christ, doubtless was, as it now stands in their prayers, , "the kingdom of thy Messiah come".
*Christ alters the expression, leaves out the word "Messiah", and puts it thus, "Thy kingdom come", to let them know that the Messiah was come;
6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not ask for the bread of others, nor the bread of idleness, but the bread honestly gotten.
6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not ask for the bread of others, nor the bread of idleness, but the bread honestly gotten.
We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divine Providence.
We beg of God to give it us;
not sell it us, nor lend it us,
but give it.
6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors - Give us, O Lord, redemption in Thy blood, even the forgiveness of sins: as Thou enablest us freely and fully to forgive every man, so do Thou forgive all our trespasses.
6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil - Whenever we are tempted, O Thou that helpest our infirmities, suffer us not to enter into temptation; to be overcome or suffer loss thereby; but make a way for us to escape, so that we may be
6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil - Whenever we are tempted, O Thou that helpest our infirmities, suffer us not to enter into temptation; to be overcome or suffer loss thereby; but make a way for us to escape, so that we may be
--more than conquerors over sin
--and all the consequences of it.
6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
It must come to this point of literal immediate, completed forgiveness of every offence committed against you if you expect God to forgive you. There is no wriggling out of it. The man who refuses to forgive, refuses to be forgiven. God grant that we may, none of us, tolerate malice in our hearts. Anger glances in the bosom of wise men: it only burns in the heart of the foolish.
6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Trespasses - Παραπτωματα, from παρα and πιπτω, to fall off. Men's sins against us are only their stumblings, or fallings off from the duties they owe us; but our's are debts to God's justice, which we can never discharge.
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