Matthew 6:1-8

Chapter 6

Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount-He teaches the disciples the Lord’s Prayer-They are commanded to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

1. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.[1]

2. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites [GR pretenders; the Greek word means “a play actor,” or “one who feigns, represents dramatically, or exaggerates a part.”] do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 Matthew 6:1-4

We are to give in private. We are blessed when we give in secret. If we give with a desire for all to see, our giving is nothing more than a false display of how wonderful we are. If we give in private, we are doing this because of our commitment to Christ. This is the opposite of doing things for the glory of man.

“Some there be now who cause a trumpet to be sounded, through the columns of the press perchance, or by other means of publicity, to call attention to their giving, that they may have glory of men-to win political favor, to increase their trade or influence, to get what in their estimation is worth more than that from which they part. With logical incisiveness the Master demonstrated that such givers have their reward. They have received what they bid for; what more can such men demand or consistently expect?”[2]

“In the eyes of God, there is no calling in the kingdom that is more important than another. Our service-whether great or small-refines our spirits, opens the windows of heaven, and releases God’s blessings not only upon those we serve but upon us as well. When we reach out to others, we can know with humble confidence that God acknowledges our service with approval and approbation. He smiles upon us as we offer these heartfelt acts of compassion, especially acts that are unseen and unnoticed by others.”[3]

5And 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.

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.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions [GR babble, speaking without thinking], as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

(Matthew 6:5-8)

Jesus instructs His apostles to pray in secret (“enter into thy closet:). When teaching the Zoramites when to pray, Amulek said, “But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness” (Alma 34:26).

By praying in secret, you get away from the distractions around you. You give your full attention to what you are saying as you speak to the Lord. ?He who would really pray – pray as nearly as possible as Christ prayed, pray in actual communion with God to whom the prayer is addressed – will seek privacy, seclusion, isolation; if opportunity permits he will retire to his chamber, and will shut the door, that none may intrude; there he may pray indeed, if the spirit of prayer be in his heart; and this course was commended by the Lord.”[4]

He is teaching us we should not “make a public show of doing that which is better done in private – almsgiving, welfare relief and personal prayer … Those who ‘sound a trumpet’ or give alms to be seen of men are ‘hypocrites,’ an epithet favored by Matthew to describe those Pharisees who sought prestige above all else.”[5]

Avoiding “vain repetitions” is also essential. Rote prayers are meaningless. Essentially, we are speaking words. We aren’t communicating with the Lord. The Lord won’t listen to these prayers.

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[1] JST Matt. 6:1 And it came to pass that, as Jesus taught his disciples, he said unto them, Take heed …

[2] Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmadge, Chapter 17.

[3] The Greatest among You, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2017 General Conference.

[4] Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmadge, Chapter 17.

[5] The Life and Teachings of Christ, Vol. 1: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount, A Reading of the Sermon on the Mount: A Restoration Perspective, Andrew C. Skinner.