Live for Your Father’s Approval, Not People’s Applause
Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by addressing a subtle but dangerous temptation: doing the right things for the wrong reasons. He begins with a warning:
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them…” — Matthew 6:1
He then applies this principle to three important areas of spiritual life: giving, praying and fasting. Each time, He warns against hypocrisy. For example:
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites…” — Matthew 6:5
The issue is not public prayer or public generosity. The issue is the desire to be admired by others. Instead, Jesus repeatedly points us to the Father:
“…your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” — Matthew 6:4
Our heavenly Father sees what no one else sees. He knows our motives as well as our actions. Jesus then gives the model prayer, often called the Lord’s Prayer. It begins not with our needs but with God:
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” — Matthew 6:9
Before asking for daily bread, forgiveness, or protection, Jesus teaches us to seek God’s glory and God’s kingdom.
This reminds us that God is far more concerned with the condition of our hearts than with outward appearances. It is possible to perform good deeds, pray beautiful prayers, or serve faithfully while secretly seeking recognition from people. Jesus calls us to live before an audience of One. When our greatest desire becomes pleasing our heavenly Father rather than impressing others, our spiritual lives become more sincere, joyful, and free. Whether anyone else notices our faithfulness is ultimately unimportant because our Father sees every act of obedience done out of love for Him.
Seek God’s Kingdom Above Everything Else
Jesus then turns to the subject of possessions and priorities. He says:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…” — Matthew 6:19
Earthly treasures are temporary. They can be stolen, destroyed or lost. In contrast:
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” — Matthew 6:20
Where our treasure is, Jesus says:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21
Our priorities reveal the true direction of our hearts. Jesus then makes a challenging statement:
“No one can serve two masters…” — Matthew 6:24
Ultimately, every person serves something. We cannot give ultimate allegiance both to God and to material wealth. Jesus is not condemning possessions themselves. He is warning against allowing possessions to become our master. The chapter reaches its central command:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33
God’s kingdom is not meant to be one priority among many. It is meant to shape every other priority.
This teaches us that life is always moving in the direction of our deepest priorities. Jesus lovingly challenges us to examine where our hearts truly are. What captures our attention, our affection, and our energy? Earthly possessions have value, but they can never satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Lasting joy is found when God’s kingdom becomes our highest pursuit. As we place Christ first in every area of life, we discover that He faithfully provides everything we truly need according to His wisdom and His perfect timing.
Replace Worry With Trust in Your Heavenly Father
Jesus closes the chapter by addressing one of humanity’s greatest struggles: worry. He says:
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…” — Matthew 6:25
He then points His listeners to creation. First, the birds:
“Look at the birds of the air…” — Matthew 6:26
God feeds them every day. Then the flowers:
“Consider the lilies of the field…” — Matthew 6:28
God clothes them with remarkable beauty. Jesus asks:
“Are you not of more value than they?” — Matthew 6:26
If God faithfully cares for birds and flowers, how much more will He care for His children? Jesus concludes with these words:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things…” — Matthew 6:34
This does not mean believers ignore responsibilities or fail to plan wisely. It means they refuse to allow anxiety to replace trust in God’s faithful care.
Here, we are being reminded that worry and trust cannot comfortably live together. Our heavenly Father already knows every need before we ask Him, and His love for His children never changes. While we cannot control tomorrow, we can trust the One who already holds tomorrow in His hands. Jesus invites us to replace anxious striving with confident dependence upon God’s faithful provision. Every day brings enough opportunities to trust Him afresh. As we continually place our concerns before the Lord, we experience the peace that comes from knowing that our lives are safely held in the hands of a loving Father who never fails His children.
Deeper Waters
Matthew 6 continues Jesus’ description of life in the Kingdom of God by exposing the motives of the human heart. The chapter centres on one overarching theme: living before the Father rather than before people. Jesus addresses three core spiritual disciplines: giving, prayer, and fasting.
Each discipline is good, yet each can become corrupted when practised for human recognition rather than for God’s glory. Jesus repeatedly reminds His disciples that “your Father who sees in secret” knows every motive. Kingdom righteousness is therefore characterised by sincerity rather than performance.
The Lord’s Prayer also reveals the priorities of Kingdom living. It begins with God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will before turning to personal needs. This teaches us that prayer is fundamentally relational and God-centred before it is request-centred.
The chapter then shifts to the subject of treasures and masters. Jesus exposes the impossibility of divided allegiance. Every heart ultimately belongs to one master. By calling believers to seek heavenly treasure, Jesus redirects their affections toward eternal realities rather than temporary possessions.
His teaching on anxiety flows naturally from this. Worry often reveals an attempt to carry burdens that belong to God alone. Jesus does not minimise life’s needs, but He repeatedly points to the Father’s faithful care as the antidote to fear.
The command:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” — Matthew 6:33
stands as one of the defining principles of Christian discipleship. Kingdom priorities reshape every other area of life. Matthew 6 encourages us to: cultivate genuine devotion rather than religious performance, deepen our relationship with the Father through sincere prayer, hold earthly possessions loosely, trust God’s faithful provision, and make His kingdom our highest pursuit.
Ultimately, Matthew 6 points us to Jesus Christ. He perfectly lived every truth He taught. He sought only the Father’s approval, trusted completely in His Father’s provision, stored up eternal treasure through perfect obedience, and lived entirely for the Father’s kingdom. Through His life, death, and resurrection, believers are brought into that same relationship with God as their heavenly Father. As we follow Christ and seek His kingdom above all else, we discover the freedom, peace, and joy that come from resting confidently in the Father’s faithful love and care.