Matthew chapters 6 and 7 continue the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5, Jesus showed that kingdom righteousness goes deeper than outward behavior. Now, in chapters 6 and 7, Jesus presses into the motives of the heart. He talks about giving, prayer, fasting, money, worry, judgment, obedience, false teachers, and the difference between a life built on truth and a life built on sand.
Matthew chapter 6 begins with a warning: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1). Jesus is not saying every good work must be hidden. In Matthew 5, He already said His followers are the light of the world and that people should see their good deeds and glorify the Father in heaven. The issue is motive. Are we doing good so God receives glory, or are we doing good so people notice us?
That is the difference between worship and performance.
Jesus first talks about giving to the needy. He warns against giving like the hypocrites who want to be honored by others. Their giving may look spiritual, but the motive is rotten. They are not really giving for God. They are giving for applause.
Jesus tells His followers to give quietly and sincerely. When He says not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing, He is teaching that generosity should not become a stage show. Give because God sees. Give because people need help. Give because your heart belongs to the Father.
Then Jesus turns to prayer. He warns against praying like hypocrites who love to be seen by others. Again, Jesus is not condemning public prayer itself. He is condemning prayer used as a religious performance. Prayer is not a speech to impress the crowd. Prayer is a conversation with God.
Jesus also warns against empty, repeated words. The point is not that repeated prayer is always wrong. Jesus Himself prayed repeatedly in the garden of Gethsemane. The problem is mindless repetition, as if many words can force God to listen. God is not manipulated by noise.
Then Jesus gives what we often call the Lord’s Prayer. He teaches His disciples to pray by beginning with God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” teaches reverence. “Your kingdom come, your will be done” teaches surrender. Before we ask God to bless our plans, we are taught to submit to His.
Then Jesus teaches us to ask for daily bread. This shows dependence. We need God for ordinary life, not just emergencies. Every breath, every meal, every provision comes from Him.
Jesus also teaches us to ask for forgiveness and to forgive others. This is a serious part of the chapter. A person who has truly received mercy should not be eager to withhold mercy. Jesus is not saying we earn forgiveness by forgiving others. He is saying that a forgiven heart should become a forgiving heart.
Then Jesus addresses temptation and spiritual danger: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” This reminds us that the Christian life is not a playground. It is a battlefield. We need daily bread, daily mercy, and daily protection.
After prayer, Jesus talks about fasting. Again, the issue is motive. Some people made themselves look miserable so others would notice their sacrifice. Jesus tells His followers not to use fasting as a religious costume. Fasting is meant to humble the heart before God, not advertise spiritual superiority.
Then Jesus moves to treasure. He says not to store up treasures on earth, where moths, rust, and thieves destroy, but to store up treasures in heaven. Earthly wealth is temporary. It can be lost, stolen, spent, broken, or buried. Heavenly treasure lasts.
Jesus is not saying money itself is evil. He is warning against letting money become master. Then He says it plainly: “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Not “you should not.” Not “it may be difficult.” You cannot. A divided master creates a divided heart.
This leads into Jesus’ teaching about worry. He tells His followers not to worry about life, food, drink, or clothing. That does not mean Christians should be lazy or irresponsible. Jesus is not praising poor planning. He is attacking anxious unbelief.
He points to the birds of the air. They do not farm, store, or build barns, yet the Father feeds them. Then He points to the flowers of the field, clothed with beauty by God. If God cares for birds and flowers, His people can trust Him with their lives.
Jesus asks a hard question: can worry add even one hour to your life? The answer is no. Worry feels productive, but it usually accomplishes nothing except stealing peace and weakening faith. It is like rocking in a chair. Lots of movement. No progress.
The central command is Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” That verse is not a promise that Christians will get every luxury they want. It is a call to put God first and trust Him with what we need.
Matthew chapter 7 begins with one of the most misused statements in the Bible: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Many people use this verse to mean nobody should ever correct, confront, discern, or call anything sinful. That is not what Jesus means.
Jesus is warning against hypocritical judgment. He says not to focus on the speck in your brother’s eye while ignoring the plank in your own eye. That picture is almost funny, but it cuts deep. A man with a board sticking out of his face should not act like an eye surgeon.
The point is not “never help your brother.” The point is “deal with yourself first.” Jesus actually says to remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. So yes, correction may still happen, but it must come from humility, not hypocrisy.
Then Jesus says not to give dogs what is sacred and not to throw pearls to pigs. This means disciples need discernment. Not everyone values truth. Not everyone wants correction. Not every conversation is worth continuing. Some people do not want light; they want a fight.
After that, Jesus teaches about asking, seeking, and knocking. He encourages His followers to pray with trust and persistence. God is a good Father. If earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?
Then Jesus gives the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” This summarizes much of the Law and the Prophets. Kingdom people are not only concerned with avoiding harm. They actively treat others with the mercy, honesty, patience, and kindness they would want to receive.
Jesus then gives a serious warning about the narrow and wide gates. The wide gate is easy, popular, crowded, and leads to destruction. The narrow gate leads to life, but few find it. This is not soft teaching. Jesus makes it clear that not every road leads to God. Not every spiritual path ends in life. The way of Christ is narrow because truth is narrow.
Then Jesus warns about false prophets. They come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ferocious wolves. In other words, danger does not always look dangerous at first. False teachers may sound smooth, kind, smart, and spiritual. But Jesus says we will recognize them by their fruit.
Good trees produce good fruit. Bad trees produce bad fruit. A teacher’s life, doctrine, character, and results must be examined. Words alone are not enough. A wolf can learn church language. Fruit tells the truth.
Then comes one of the most terrifying passages in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of the Father. Some will point to prophecy, miracles, and mighty works, but Jesus will say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
That should sober every religious person. Jesus is not impressed by empty words, public ministry, spiritual activity, or religious reputation when the heart is far from Him. The issue is not whether someone uses the right language. The issue is whether they truly know Christ and obey the Father.
Matthew 7 ends with the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The wise man hears the words of Jesus and puts them into practice. He builds his house on the rock. The rain falls, the streams rise, and the winds blow, but the house stands because it has a solid foundation.
The foolish man hears the words of Jesus but does not put them into practice. He builds on sand. The same storm comes, but the house falls with a great crash.
This is the final point of the Sermon on the Mount: hearing is not enough. Admiring Jesus is not enough. Quoting Jesus is not enough. A life must be built on obedience to Jesus.
Matthew chapters 6 and 7 expose the difference between real faith and religious appearance. Real faith gives without needing applause. It prays to know God, not to impress people. It fasts with humility. It treasures heaven over earth. It trusts the Father instead of being ruled by worry. It judges with humility, discerns carefully, prays persistently, walks the narrow road, watches for false teachers, and builds life on obedience to Christ.
These chapters are not just moral advice. They are kingdom truth. Jesus is showing what life looks like when God rules the heart.
The final message is clear: do not build your life on image, money, worry, hypocrisy, popularity, or religious noise. Build your life on Christ. Everything else is sand.
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