15. But if ye forgive not, &c.—See on Matthew 6:12. Fasting (Matthew 6:12- :). Having concluded His supplementary directions on the subject of prayer with this Divine Pattern, our Lord now returns to the subject of Unostentatiousness in our deeds of righteousness, in order to give one more illustration of it, in the matter of fasting. read more
Righteousness and the Father 6:1-18Jesus moved from correcting popular misinterpretations of selected Old Testament texts that speak of righteous conduct (Matthew 5:17-48) to correcting popular misconceptions about righteous conduct. He moved from ethical distinctions to the practice of religion. Throughout this entire section proper motivation for actions is a constant emphasis. read more
Praying 6:5-15 (cf. Luke 11:1-13) read more
These verses explain the thought of the fifth petition (Matthew 6:12) more fully. Repetition stresses the importance of forgiving one another if we want God’s forgiveness (cf. Matthew 18:23-35). Our horizontal relationships with other people must be correct before our vertical relationship with God can be."Prayer is straightforward and simple for those who have experienced the grace of the kingdom in Christ. In prayer the disciple does not try to coerce or manipulate God. There are no magical... read more
The Sermon on the Mount (continued)1. God’s approval, not man’s, to be sought in all our actions. Jesus does not say that we are to do good expecting no reward of any kind, but that we are to look for our reward to God alone: see on Matthew 6:4. That ye do not your alms] RV ’your righteousness.’ The same Heb. word (tsedakah) means both righteousness in general and almsgiving in particular. Our Lord probably used it in the former sense in Matthew 6:1, and in the latter sense in Matthew 6:2 hence... read more
(14, 15) The condition implied in the Prayer itself is more distinctly asserted. It is, as we have seen, not an arbitrary condition, but the result of the eternal laws of the divine order. Repentance is the condition of being forgiven, and the temper that does not forgive is ipso facto incompatible with the temper of the penitent. As if for greater emphasis, the truth is presented in both its positive and negative aspects. read more
Matthew 6:2 'Practically at present,' Ruskin writes, in Sesame and Lilies, 'advancement in life means, becoming conspicuous in life; obtaining a position which shrill be acknowledged by others to be respectable or honourable. We do not understand by this advancement, in general, the mere making of money, but the being known to have made it; not the accomplishment of any great aim, but the being seen to have accomplished it.' He who sincerely takes life in earnest finds it quite natural and a... read more
Chapter 7The Gospel of the Kingdom("Sermon on the Mount") - Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29IT may seem almost heresy to object to the time-honoured title "Sermon on the Mount"; yet, so small has the word "sermon" become, on account of its application to those productions of which there is material for a dozen in single sentences of this great discourse, that there is danger of belittling it by the use of a title which suggests even the remotest relationship to these ephemeral... read more
CHAPTER 6 1. The Better Righteousness.(Matthew 6:1-18 .) 2. Kept in the World; Single-eyed; Trusting God.(Matthew 6:19-34 .) Our Lord said: “For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in nowise enter into the kingdom of the heavens” (Matthew 5:20 ). This righteousness He had taught in His confirmation and expansion of the law, but now He speaks of something higher still. He makes known the motive of this true righteousness, which... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Matthew 6:14
14. For if ye forgive men, &c.—See on Matthew 6:12. read more