MattheW 6:10 | 1541 an evil per son . If any one slaps you on the right cheek , turn to them the oth er cheek also . 40 And if any one wants to sue you and take your shirt , hand over your coat as well . 41 If any one forc es you to go one mile , go with them two miles . 42 Give to the one who asks you , and do not turn away from the one who wants to bor row from you . the syn a gogues and on the streets , to be hon ored by oth ers . Tru ly I tell you , they have re ceived their re ward in full . 3 But when you give to the needy , do not let your left hand know what your right hand is do ing , 4 so that your giv ing may be in secret . Then your Fa ther , who sees what is done in se cret , will re ward you .
Love for Enemies
43
“ You have heard that it was said , ‘ Love your neigh bor a and hate your en e my .’ 44 But I tell you , love your en e mies and pray for those who perse cute you , 45 that you may be chil dren of your Fa ther in heav en . He caus es his sun to rise on the evil and the good , and sends rain on the righ teous and the un righ teous . 46 If you love those who love you , what re ward will you get ? Are not even the tax col lec tors do ing that ? 47 And if you greet only your own peo ple , what are you do ing more than oth ers ? Do not even pa gans do that ? 48 Be per fect , there fore , as your heav en ly Fa ther is per fect .
Giving to the Needy
6
“ Be care ful not to prac tice your righ teous ness in front of oth ers to be seen by them . If you
Prayer
6:9-13pp — Lk 11:2-4 do , you will have no re ward from your Fa ther in heav en .
2
“ So when you give to the needy , do not announce it with trum pets , as the hyp o crites do in a
43 Lev . 19:18
5
“ And when you pray , do not be like the hyp o crites , for they love to pray stand ing in the syna gogues and on the street cor ners to be seen by oth ers . Tru ly I tell you , they have re ceived their re ward in full . 6 But when you pray , go into your room , close the door and pray to your Fa ther , who is un seen . Then your Fa ther , who sees what is done in se cret , will re ward you . 7 And when you pray , do not keep on bab bling like pa gans , for they think they will be heard be cause of their many words . 8 Do not be like them , for your Fa ther knows what you need be fore you ask him .
9
“ This , then , is how you should pray :
“ ‘ Our Father in heaven , hallowed be your name ,
10 your kingdom come , your will be done , on earth as it is in heaven .
5:39 do not resist an evil person Jesus is speaking of someone who does wrong to another person . He encourages his followers to return good when someone else intends evil . 5:41 If anyone forces you to go one mile The Roman military occupied Israel during this time , and soldiers could require bystanders to carry a load for a mile . 5:42 Give to the one who asks you Members of God ’ s kingdom should be characterized by overwhelming generosity . 5:43 Love your neighbor Jesus is quoting Lev 19:18 here . hate your enemy This phrase does not appear in the law ( or anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible ), but it might allude to Dt 23:3 – 6 ( compare Ps 137:7 – 9 ; 139:21 – 22 ). It could also just be a colloquialism of the time . 5:44 love The focus of Jesus ’ ethical teaching ( see Mt 22:34 – 40 ). 5:45 you may be children of your Father Just as God gives the good gifts of sun and rain to all people without distinction , members of the kingdom should act with love , kindness and generosity toward all . Jesus ’ followers should reflect God ’ s character . 5:46 tax collectors These were some of the most hated people in Israel , due to the nature of their work and their association with the Roman government . Tax collectors generally obtained their posts from Roman authorities through a bidding system . They often made sizeable profits by levying higher taxes than Rome required . Consequently , Jews regarded Jewish tax collectors as traitors and as members of the lowest level of society . The mention of tax collectors alongside non-Jewish people ( v . 47 ) reflects not only their poor reputation , but also the scope of Jesus ’ ministry to redeem all of humanity , including the outcasts of society . Matthew , the likely author of this Gospel , was a tax collector , and Jews viewed his inclusion among Jesus ’ disciples as scandalous ( 9:9 – 13 ). 5:47 pagans The Greek text here refers to non-Jews — people who were not ethnically part of Israel . 5:48 Be perfect Those who demonstrate love in the manner attributed to God the Father will become perfect — complete or mature .
6:1 – 18 Jesus ’ examples in this passage involve personal piety and expand on his opening command in v . 1 . Members of the kingdom of heaven should practice these disciplines so that the Father — not others — can witness their acts of devotion .
6:1 not to practice your righ teous ness in front of others This warning points back to 5:20 . The examples that follow are noted abuses of the scribes ( teachers of the law ) and Pharisees ( compare ch . 23 ). reward Refers to future blessing , not an immediate payoff . 6:2 received their reward This phrase also occurs in vv . 5 and 16 . The hypocrites , having been rewarded with praise from other people , will receive no blessing from God . 6:5 when you pray This does not prohibit public prayer ( as in corporate prayer ); rather , it prohibits praying for the purpose of public recognition . 6:7 their many words In Greco-Roman religions , repetition was used to pester the gods so they would grant someone ’ s request . 6:9 This , then , is how you should pray After describing how not to pray , Jesus gives a positive example .