What is Matthew 6 about?
Matthew 6 is the middle of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. He warns against doing good deeds, praying or fasting to be seen by others, and says the Father who sees in secret will reward. He teaches his disciples to pray with the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name" (verses 9–13). He urges them to store up treasure in heaven, not on earth, and says no one can serve two masters. The chapter ends with his teaching on worry: look at the birds and the lilies, "seek ye first the kingdom of God" (verse 33), and take no thought for tomorrow.
What does Matthew 6 mean?
Matthew 6:33
Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount, after telling his listeners not to worry about food, drink, and clothing. He pointed to the birds and the lilies, which God feeds and clothes. Worry, he said, is what people do when they do not know their heavenly Father. Instead, his followers should "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," making God's rule and God's ways their first priority. The promise is that "all these things," the everyday needs they worried about, will be added. This is not a promise of riches, but of a Father who knows what his children need.
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