In chapter 6 of Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is almost half-way through an important message relative to salvation. Note that He was not speaking to the “great multitudes” who had followed Him out of the surrounding areas to a mountain. His Words were not for the ears of the masses of people who followed Him. Why? Because He knew their hearts (Jn. 2:25; 6:64). He knew that they had followed Him for what they could get from Him, and it was not God’s Truth. One will note that He spoke to the masses in parables. When asked why, He explained that He spoke in a confusing manner so that they could not understand “the mysteries of the kingdom” (Mat. 13:10-16). Why did He not want them to know the Truth? Because He knew they were not interested in His message, but only in His healing, delivering power. Consider this, He spoke to tens of thousands of people, healed their sicknesses, cast out their demons, and on two occasions, fed thousands of them, and yet, on the Day of Pentecost there were only about 120 people present when He created His church in the upper room of a building in Jerusalem. Where were the “great multitudes” who followed Him, sometimes for days, as He walked in the wilderness? Today they would be called “the church.” These are those who have no intention of obeying God’s Words, but who are “in it to win it,” “it” meaning eternal life which, their hirelings assure them, they can receive immediately without having to “run the race” of the obedient life (1 Cor. 9:24/ Heb. 12:1). There is no need to “walk the walk” of Christ (1 Jn. 2:6) or “overcome as I (Jesus) overcame” (Rev. 3:12). Such statements from Apostles Paul and John, along with Jesus Himself, are the stuff of jokes and ridicule.

In Matthew 6 Jesus continues to present to His 12 disciples the key (God’s Truth) to the kingdom of heaven (the church) in this life and to the Kingdom of God in the next life. In order to enter the second kingdom one must have remained in the first kingdom “to the end” (of life or of the age)–Mat. 10:22. As the Apostle Paul said, it is not enough to simply run the race, the race must be run according to the rules laid down by the Race Master in His Holy Bible (1 Cor. 9:24). Jesus is relating some of those rules in the Sermon on the Mount.

In verses 1 through 4 He tells His disciples, and those who follow their teachings today, that when they are generous to others less fortunate than themselves they must display their generosity in secret and not in public so as to be seen of men. Those who make sure that people are aware of their generosity have received their reward, that being the admiration of men.

In verses 5 through 15 Jesus talks to His disciples then and now about praying. Again, praying is to be done in our “closet” with the door closed. Much is made of those who make a show of praying outside with someone watching, and hopefully filming, as they pray. Why not go home, enter one’s “closet” and pray to one’s Father in heaven AS THEY ARE COMMANDED TO DO? Jesus said such people “have their reward”–again, the admiration of men. Recall that it is written about Jesus that “His voice will not be heard in the street” (Isa. 42:2). There is no record of Him preaching in the street. Nor did he deliberately speak openly to someone in a crowd where others could hear. He could have gained much attention by doing so. Instead, when crowds were involved, He went out into the countryside, or down to the seashore, or to the top of a mountain. In verses 9 through 13 He offers a model prayer. We are to pray “after this manner,” not necessarily using the same words.

In verses 16 through 18 we find another passage that is either ignored or rejected by religious man. Here we are told that “when,” not “if,” we fast, we are to do so in a certain way. Fasting–abstaining from nourishment for a length of time–humbles oneself by resisting one’s fleshly cravings. This focuses one’s mind on the Lord. This act is also to be done in private as much as possible. As a matter of courtesy one should inform those who fix the family meals that one will not be eating for X number of hours or days. Fasting, like prayer and Bible study, should be a normal part of the believer’s life.

In verses 19 through 34 Jesus instructs His followers to keep their minds on Him, His Father, Their Word, etc. He tells us that what we spend our time thinking about becomes our master. We can only have one master–either God or something else, which He views as an idol–another god. Today those who carry around those plastic boxes into which they constantly stare have a master that is not the Lord. They have become addicted to their life source through the influence of Satan’s demons. The IPOD is today’s cigarette. Intertainment is today’s nicotine. The Western world will pay a heavy price for choosing the wrong master. In the eyes of God, it is all or nothing. One either chooses Him or something else. If I wrote a book about what I see taking place around me I would title it “The Zombie Generation: Life in a Box.” Much is made of the Fentanyl addicts of San Francisco who walk around in a stupor. But there are thousands of times more screen addicts than there are Fentanyl addicts. The smallest group of addicts to be found on planet earth are Bible addicts. The world tolerates and accepts those who are addicted to drugs, screens, sports, sex, alcohol, etc. However, Bible addicts are openly hated and despised. And who hates and despises them the most? RELIGEOUS PEOPLE, especially church people. Why? Because darkness hates light (Jn. 3:20) and because light and darkness have nothing in common (2 Cor. 6:14). Read Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 for a full explanation of why church people hate God’s people.

In the eyes of God one cannot serve two masters because one will, without fail, hate one and love the other. God will not share a believer’s mind with anyone or anything. If one’s mind is focused on the things of the world one’s mind cannot be focused on God. God requires total control of body and spirit. Verses 25 through 34 makes it clear that one whose heart is owned by the Lord need not be concerned about what he will eat or wear. He need not concern himself with living quarters, transportation, etc. L.J.