Note Before Reading: This is commentary of one person. Think of it more as a bible study where each person might see something that someone else didn’t see. God’s word is multifaceted and alive. We will be learning about Jesus, from His Word, through all Eternity. This is just a peek, a few gems, there are many more. I pray that each of you can draw from the well of the Lord’s word, be fed your daily bread and that this might serve as salt to flavor some things you may not have noticed before. Let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you into all truth.
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. v1
That means anything you do to receive the glory of men, to put yourself in a good light, to show others how great you are, that is your reward. If you do things quietly before the Lord, He will reward you. His reward will be so much better than any earthly reward we or any human could give us.
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. v2
These things are with the wrong motive. Not to further the Kingdom of God,
but to be thought of by humans as great.
But when thou doest alms,
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: v3
Don’t even give a thought about who is going to notice.
Just do what you do, unto the Lord. Keep your heart humble before Him.
That thine alms may be in secret:
and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly. v4
Not one thought or deed gets by the Lord. Those things that are done to honor God, He will notice and He will reward you.
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. v5
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. v6
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. v7
I’m not sure what their vain repetitions sounded like, but this all goes to the heart as that is how God sees. God is not impressed with the outward appearance. It is not what He is looking for. He is looking for a heart that is perfect toward Him: Wanting to please God, following Jesus and one who puts self aside in decisions and focuses on God.
For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been,
saith the Lord: but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembleth at My word. Isaiah 66:2
Be not ye therefore like unto them:
for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. v8
And I knew that thou hearest Me always:
but because of the people which stand by I said it,
that they may believe that thou hast sent Me. John 11:42
The Lord’s Prayer
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. v9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given Him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. v10
His will, His kingdom, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. It’s all about Him, not us.
Give us this day our daily bread. v11
In the natural, but also the spiritual. Jesus is the bread of life.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. v12
Let us be given grace and forgiveness as we give grace and are forgiven.
Be very careful to not assume that God will forgive us if we refuse to forgive.
Verses 14 and 15 clearly define unforgiveness.
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. v13
Praying that we not be led into temptation and that we are delivered from evil is going to help us stay on the straight and narrow. I pray the Lord’s Prayer often.
It is a good model and reminder of many things and covers all that is needed in any given situation.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you: v14
Consequence of extending forgiveness.
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. v15
Consequence of not extending forgiveness.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?
Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.
Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered
that he and his wife and his children
and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
At this the servant fell on his knees before him.
‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins, He grabbed him and began to choke him.
‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
But he refused. Instead, he went off
and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged
and went and told their master everything that had happened.
Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said,
‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured,
until he should pay back all he owed.
This is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you
unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
A very important message from the Lord.