Matt. 6:3
'Let not thy left hand know'
3But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.
Sermon on the Mount
MatthewVIChapter 6 of 28
Sermon on the Mount II
Alms in secret; the Our Father; fasting; treasure in heaven; God or mammon; the lilies of the field.
ArgumentA continuation of the sermon on the mount.
Passages cited from this chapter
Matt. 6:6
Pray in secret
6But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret, and thy father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
Sermon on the Mount, Prayers
✠Matt. 6:9–13
The Our Father
9Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Also entered at Luke 11:2–4
Sermon on the Mount, Prayers
✠Matt. 6:19–21
Treasure in heaven; 'where thy treasure is'
19Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through, and steal. 20But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. 21For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.
Also entered at Luke 12:33–34
Sermon on the Mount
✠Matt. 6:24
'No man can serve two masters' — God and mammon
24No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Also entered at Luke 16:13
Sermon on the Mount
✠Matt. 6:26–29
Birds of the air; lilies of the field
26Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? 27And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? 28And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. 29But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.
Also entered at Luke 12:24–27
Sermon on the Mount
✠Matt. 6:33
'Seek ye first the kingdom of God'
33Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Also entered at Luke 12:31
Sermon on the Mount
Matt. 6:34
'Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof'
34Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.
Sermon on the Mount
Cross-references into this chapter
| Matt. 6:9–13 | The Our Father (shorter form) | entered at Luke 11:2–4 |
The chapter entire — Matthew 6, 34 verses
1Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.
Your justice... that is, works of justice; viz., fasting, prayer, and almsdeeds; which ought to be performed not out of ostentation, or a view to please men, but solely to please God.
2Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
3But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.
4That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
5And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
6But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret, and thy father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
7And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.
8Be not you therefore like to them for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him.
9Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.
Supersubstantial bread... In St. Luke the same word is rendered daily bread. It is understood of the bread of life, which we receive in the Blessed Sacrament.
12And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Lead us not into temptation... That is, suffer us not to be overcome by temptation.
14For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences.
15But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.
16And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
17But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
18That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.
19Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through, and steal.
20But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.
21For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.
22The light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.
23But if thy eye be evil thy whole body shall be darksome. If then the light that is in thee, be darkness: the darkness itself how great shall it be!
24No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon... That is, riches, worldly interest.
25Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat: and the body more than the raiment?
26Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they?
27And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit?
28And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin.
29But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.
30And if the grass of the field, which is to day, and to morrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith?
31Be not solicitous therefore, saying: What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed?
32For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.
33Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.