Just as another reminder, Jesus is going to continue exposing the Pharisee’s hypocrisy and self-righteousness. We’re ready for Matthew 6:16-18 where He talks about fasting. Again, we’ll look at these three verses one at a time. “And if you’re going to fast, don’t go around pretending like you’re about to die, hoping someone will notice and ask you what’s wrong. If you do that, then you’ve gone hungry for nothing.” (Verse 16) The first key word here is “fast” from nesteuo, the negative of esteuo, to eat, here it is used to describe abstinence and the obvious context is abstaining from food for religious purposes.
The KJV mentions two things in this verse that signaled to others that someone was fasting, a “sad countenance” and a “disfigured face”. The first simply refers to an unhappy, gloomy or even grieving look. The second actually has to do with the more obvious practice of smearing ashes on their faces to show others they were fasting (a religious practice of some still today). Then, as in His earlier comments on giving to the poor and prayer, the public recognition of others is the hypocrite’s only reward. In the last lesson I mentioned Luke 18:9-14 that talks about the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the synagogue. One of the things the Pharisee said in describing his self-righteousness was that he fasted twice a week.
“If you’re going to fast, just act normal, clean yourself up and anoint your head with oil. Don’t let anyone know what you’re doing. The question is the same. Who are you doing it for? If you’re only seeking the recognition of men, you’ll probably get it. But that’s all you’ll get. Again, you have to decide which is better, the approval of men or the blessing of God.” (Verses 17 and 18) Here Jesus simply says, drop the pretense, just act normal. Some versions mention the application of oil, usually olive oil infused with a perfume. Proper motivation is still the issue. If you’re only doing this so others can see it, their recognition is your reward. But, it there’s a true spiritual motive involved, then be quiet and do it secretly.
“And don’t spend all your time trying to accumulate the material things this world has to offer. You think those things make your life secure, but they can be ruined, lost or even stolen.” (Verse 19) Starting here in verse 19 to verse 34 and the end of chapter, Jesus is going to talk about proper priorities in life and the difference between earthly, temporary things and heavenly, eternal things. First an explanation of Jesus’ mention of moth, rust and thieves. At this particular time in history the most expensive, therefore highly treasured, items were fine clothing, highly polished metal (mostly weapons of war and armor), gold and precious stones. Moths could ruin expensive clothing, rust could damage metal and thieves could break in and steal gold and jewels. The point Jesus is going to make here is that the things highly prized and sought after by many in this life are temporary, can be ruined, damaged or lost.
“Instead, use your time to gather treasures in heaven. There, the things that are truly valuable are secure and cannot be ruined, damaged or stolen. And you’ll be able to enjoy them through all eternity.” (Verse 20) There are two things in this verse I need to point out. The first is that Jesus mentions both time and eternity, connecting the two as an uninterrupted line; that is, one’s lifetime on earth continues seamlessly into an everlasting life. Our relatively short life span cannot be compared to an endless, limitless eternity. And that realization should help us form the proper priorities in this life and in preparation for the next.
It’s easy to allow your life to be consumed with the “cares of this world” (Mark 4:19 where “world” is aion, age). This is part of Jesus’ explanation to His disciples of the seeds sown among thorns in the parable of the sower. “Then the cares and distractions of the age, and the false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving for other things creep in and suffocate the Word and it becomes fruitless.” The point Jesus makes here is that we cannot let the momentary, temporary issues dominate our lives and distract us from the more important preparation for eternity.
The second is His use of “treasures in heaven”. When I read verse 20 the question comes to mind, how do you gather treasures in heaven? There are several references in the gospels where Jesus mentions this in His comments. One of the more descriptive accounts (and possibly the answer to the question) is found in Mark 10:17-22 and Jesus’ exchange with a rich man who came to Him and asked what he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus answer is revealing as He acknowledges the man’s obedience to the moral commandments (verse 19). Then He tells him the one thing still lacking and the area of vulnerability the man had. “Go and sell what you have and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, embrace a life of obedience and sacrifice and follow Me. And the man was sad when he heard that, and went away grieved; for he had many possessions.” (Verses 21 and 22)
In a moment of time the rich man rejected Jesus’ offer of a simple, uncomplicated life of trust in the Father, His provision and a focus on the needs and welfare of others, instead of a life consumed by the cares of the world (in this case, his many possessions). In a split second the man made the decision that his wealth was more important. So, here’s the application: laying up treasures in heaven has to do with living a life characterized by the proper priorities.
Laying up treasures in heaven is living a life that emulates the character and nature of the Father, demonstrating His benevolent (agape) love that focuses on the needs of others (instead of self), always being ready to forgive and consistently establishing the priority of spiritual values over the physical, material things of the world. In the verses that follow to the end of chapter 6 Jesus is going to talk about learning to trust the goodness and generosity of the Father and living a simple life of trust.
“The things you value in this life will reveal what your true priorities are.” (Verse 21) There is a balance that must be recognized in this life. For example, “Set your affection on higher things, not on the things of the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) It would be impossible to not think about our day to day obligations and activities. But when Paul tells us to “set our affections on higher things”, he’s saying we should establish the right priorities, that the higher things must be our central focus, that earthly cares should not take precedence over the things of God. It is our right relationship with Him that must be the foundation from which we approach everything else (family, job, relationships with others, etc.).
“If you understand what I’m saying, you’ll do the right thing.” (Verse 22) Here’s another example of Jesus using a word only found in this verse (and Luke 11:34 describing the same account). The KJV says “if therefore thine eye be single”, where “single” is from haplous, literally without imperfections that could affect sight, here used as a metaphor for being absent any deceit or wrong intentions. Jesus’ point is that absent wrong intentions, one will know to do what is good and right (His statement about the whole body being full of light). In context this must be attached to the previous verses about establishing the right priorities focused on the spiritual instead of the earthly (or the caring and generous over the selfish and greedy).
“But, if you don’t understand, you’re going to make a serious mistake. The time will come when you’ll realize you’ve had all the wrong priorities, but it will be too late. You’ll lose all your earthly treasures and have no time left to gather heavenly ones.” (Verse 23) So, the comparison here is “if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness”. In other words, if you entertain wrong intentions and establish wrong priorities (“darkness”), they will dominate your life. The phrase at the end of the verse “how great is that darkness” illustrates this where “great” is posos, an adjective describing magnitude or degree, usually rendered “how great” (“how dense” in the Amplified).
“And don’t think you can establish equal priorities on two separate and opposite things, you can’t. It’s impossible to adequately pursue God and at the same time still pursue all the things the world has to offer that make you feel secure. If you prefer one, you will neglect the other; if you are devoted to one, you will avoid the other.”
(Verse 24) In keeping with the context, you can’t give equal priority to serving God and pursuing worldly, material things. One will always dominate the other. So, serving God must be your first priority and the one that influences everything else you do. The last phrase is key, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Here the word “mammon” is mamonas, literally, to be firm or steadfast, by implication, that which can be trusted. In this verse Jesus uses it to describe the worldly things that people think will make them feel secure (wealth, possessions).
Now Jesus is going to talk about the Father’s ability and desire to care for those who have established the right priority of focusing on the spiritual instead of the material. He’s going to use simple, common sense examples to illustrate this point. “And, if you decide to pursue God, don’t worry about what you’re going to eat or drink or whether your clothes are the latest fashion. Because you need to understand there are things more satisfying than food and more important than clothing.” (Verse 25) When you focus on your relationship with God, you will learn that real life involves more than just the food you eat or the clothes you wear.
“Look at the birds. They’re not concerned about those things. They’re content to just let the Father give them what they need. They don’t strive or spend their time trying to provide for themselves. And, since it’s obvious that the Father takes care of the birds, why won’t you trust Him to take care of you? You must know that you’re more important to Him than birds.” (Verse 26) As creatures of the flesh, we sometimes fret over things when we should just relax and trust God. In the following verses Jesus uses examples in nature to stress the fact that worry is futile and trust is the key to contentment.
“Who can make himself taller by worrying about his height?” (Verse 27) You cannot change things beyond your control by stressing over them or constantly wishing they were different.
“And why do you worry about the clothes you wear? Look at the flowers in the fields, see how they grow; they’re not able to change the way they look with either work or worry. And yet, you must agree that even Solomon, when dressed in his finest, never looked as good. Again, if the Father takes care of the flowers He knows live for only a short time and then they’re gone; He’s going to take even better care of you. Why can’t you trust Him?” (Verses 28 to 30) People are more important to God than birds or flowers.
“So you never need to worry about what you’re going to eat, or what you’re going to drink, or what you’re going to wear? Relax! Those are the things the heathen worry about. But your Heavenly Father knows full well that you need all of these things.”
(Verses 31 and 32) The Father’s care and provision extends to all creation, but His active involvement is focused on people. Remember the point made in the last lesson about trusting God for your daily needs (“Give us this day our daily bread.”). Learning to trust Him and experiencing His daily provision gives us confidence in His promise of eternal salvation.
“When you make the Kingdom of God the most important thing in your life, and become a living demonstration of the Father’s way of doing things right; then He will always make sure you have everything you need.” (Verse 33) Again, going back to the model prayer (“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done”) making the rule of God your priority is the assurance of His care and provision. Put another way, the child who trusts a loving father will experience the loving care of their father. And our Father in heaven delights in caring for His children.
“And by the way, don’t worry about tomorrow. It will come soon enough. And when it does, it will bring new challenges and opportunities for you to learn to trust your Heavenly Father. But for now, just concentrate on trusting Him to get you through the trouble you’re facing today.” (Verse 34) Life is an endless chain of opportunities to trust God. We still have to go back to the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, “Those who truly understand what it is to be completely dependent on God and desperate for Him (the poor in spirit) will be fully satisfied, because they will enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven in its fullness.” (Matthew 5:3) Trusting God is not a one-and-done experience. It has to be reinforced, repeated and reaffirmed over and over again.