I have been writing or editing for Today in the Word for more than 30 years, and God’s Word has transformed my life in countless ways through authoring these studies. For example, back in October 2002 I wrote a devotional about forgiveness. What I learned from that study knocked me for a loop. God’s love and grace were and are so much more than I ever realized!

At the close of His lesson on prayer, Jesus highlights forgiveness. He’d already mentioned it as part of the Lord’s Prayer (v. 12). In today’s verses, He explained more: If you forgive others, God will forgive you (v. 14). If you don’t, He won’t (v. 15). These are two sides of the same coin. This is not about salvation. It’s not saying God’s love is conditional. It’s about our responsibility to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matt. 5:7; Eph. 4:32).

Jesus also taught this principle in the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:21–35). This was told to explain the idea of forgiving someone “seventy-seven times.” When the servant who had been forgiven a large debt refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him only a small amount, the master reconsidered his forgiveness and punished that servant. Jesus concluded: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Forgiving others is a significant issue. We’ve all wronged God far worse than anyone has ever wronged us. Yet He has completely forgiven us! He has “removed our transgressions from us” as far as the east is from the west, that is, as far as is conceivably possible (Ps. 103:12). Similarly, He has hurled “all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:18–19).

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Have you ever fasted? Choosing to go without food is sometimes required for lab tests. Or we might skip a few meals to lose a few pounds. But fasting is a spiritual practice, abstaining from food, or other things, to spend concentrated time in worship and prayer.

In Matthew 6, Jesus’ comments were aimed at the Pharisees and religious leaders who were known to practice spiritual disciplines such as giving and fasting in flashy and pretentious ways. They wanted people to notice how devout they were, to be seen, admired, and praised. In contrast, others practiced such actions “in secret,” looking only for God’s approval.

When they were fasting, these hypocrites would look somber or gloomy (v. 16). In modern terms, “disfigure” means they would not wash their faces and perhaps go around rubbing their stomachs and groaning. They wanted everyone to know they were fasting and to be impressed by their “piety.” That, said Jesus, would be the only reward they would ever receive. Ironically, though they were going without food, their pride was being well-fed.

He taught His followers, on the other hand, that they should fast “in secret,” that is, so that others couldn’t tell (vv. 17–18). They should put oil—spiced or perfumed olive oil—on their heads, the equivalent of showering and putting on deodorant today. By caring for their bodies in a normal manner, no one would notice anything different. Only God would know, and He would reward them.

The Pharisees in Jesus’ day were fasting twice per week. But the Law required only one fast per year, on the Day of Atonement (though more were possible). Jesus assumed His disciples and the church would continue this spiritual practice, as He Himself had (Matt. 4:2; 9:15).

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What do you do out of habit? Maybe you always start the day with a cup of coffee or get in a walk around the block after dinner. Many of our habits are based on what we think is important. Habits can take us in surprising directions, either toward God or toward rival gods, priorities, or values.

In Matthew 6, Jesus asks us what we treasure. In other words, what do we truly love? The answer is revealed by our everyday actions. That’s where our heart truly is, no matter what we say on Sundays (vv. 19–21). Earthly treasures are temporary and vulnerable. By comparison, heavenly treasures are eternal and secure. Which of these would we prefer to be our “reward in full”? The second, of course.

In verses 22–23, there appears to be an abrupt change of topic. After discussing treasure, Jesus turns to a new topic: healthy versus unhealthy eyes. While at first it might seem unrelated, this metaphor is directly related to the treasure metaphor. To be “full of light” indicates that our knowledge and actions are righteous and thus please God. Eyes “full of darkness” indicate knowledge and actions that are sinful and thus dishonor the Lord. Healthy “eyes” discern and follow right teaching. They can see the foolishness of storing up earthly treasures. Unhealthy “eyes” are blind to these truths and thus pursue the wrong goals.

We must choose. Will we seek earthly treasures or heavenly treasures (v. 24)? We cannot serve both; we can have only one “master.” Earthly treasures are represented by money, given that wealth leads to the things that worldly people want most. But we can only love or be devoted to one thing. By definition or by comparison we will hate or despise the other thing. Which will it be? God or money? Heavenly treasures or earthly treasures?

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In his bestselling book The Anxious Generation, author Jonathan Haidt demonstrated that teenagers’ mental health began nosediving in the early 2010s. Screentime, smartphones, and social media led to significant increases in depression and anxiety. Virtual reality, now available around the clock to all ages, has injured a generation’s normal psychological development.

Worry and anxiety are a big deal! Today’s reading begins with the transition “Therefore,” meaning “given that earthly treasures hold no real value” and “given that money should not be your master” (v. 25). Since we now understand these truths, we are told, “do not worry about your life,” not even about basic needs such as food and clothing. Life is more than these.

“Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus continued (v. 26). God takes care of them, so He will take care of you as well. Jesus here argued from the smaller to the greater: Since a small thing is true, a greater thing can be counted on to be true as well. Since He takes care of birds, He will also take care of people, especially since we are of greater value. So why worry? To do so is a lack of faith, a failure to trust.

Worry is useless (v. 27). It accomplishes nothing. It cannot add an hour to our life or an inch to our height. Even setting aside God’s provision, worry is thus simply foolish. Worry didn’t enter our society with smartphones, of course. It’s been around a long time. If we’re tempted to worry instead of trusting the Lord, what can we do? “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).

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“Worry is a thief” wrote Phil Ryken in Kingdom, Come! “It steals our time. Our thoughts turn to our troubles, and then rather than praying about them or doing the things God is calling us to do, we waste time worrying about them. Worry steals our rest. We lie awake at night, anxious about tomorrow, and then we get up too tired to work hard, and this only adds to our anxiety…Worry shrivels the soul, robbing our joy.”

Jesus had a lot to say about worry. In Matthew 6:25–27, He stressed its uselessness. In verses 26 to 32, He turns our attention to God’s provision, giving two natural object lessons: God’s care for birds (v. 26) and for flowers (vv. 28–29). Wildflowers do not “labor or spin,” but their “clothes” are gorgeous. This amusing image makes a strong contrast with all the effort people make with clothing. Not even Solomon with all his riches could compare to wildflowers! Given his legendary wealth and power, he was probably the best-dressed person Jesus’ listeners could imagine.

The “grass of the field” is comparatively insignificant, here today and gone tomorrow (v. 30). As before, Jesus argued from the smaller to the greater: Since God takes care of wildflowers, He will also take care of people. To worry therefore exhibits “little faith.”

This is not meant as an insult but an exhortation to have faith (v. 31). Food and clothing are merely examples—we should be trusting the Lord in every area of life. He already knows what we need. The “pagans” or unbelievers “run after all these things,” but we should live differently (v. 32). Our consumer-crazed culture illustrates this too well. By living counterculturally we can have a bright witness as faith-filled followers of Christ.

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“Christian contentment,” explained seventeenth-century Puritan preacher Jeremiah Burroughs, “is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”

In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about our human tendency to worry. Rather than obsessing about our concerns, Christians are to submit to and delight in God’s wise and loving authority in all circumstances. After all, God already knows what we need. Since He cares for the created world, He will also care for us. With this in mind, we should “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (v. 33). Trusting the Lord doesn’t mean we are being lazy. Instead, we are putting our efforts into more meaningful priorities.

What should be our priority? First, we are to pursue God’s kingdom. We live for eternal purposes rather than joining the human rat race for more material goods, status, and power. Second, we obey God, which is the practical implication of seeking “his righteousness.” Then what? “All these things”—the things you need and that God knows you need—“will be given to you as well.” Worrying never works. Running after stuff also doesn’t work. Instead, we trust God to provide our needs. Jesus said that living this way yields treasure in heaven (v. 20). Frederick Bruner explains: “Disciples, too, are acquisitive, ‘seekers,’ on the hunt. But their quest is for realities more consequential than consumer goods.”

“Therefore,” Jesus summarized, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (v. 34). Jesus wasn’t being dismissive. He knew that working for basic necessities can provide challenges. He said, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In short, living for eternity means being faithful to God day by day.

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One day, the religious leaders brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus (John 8:1–11). They said, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” Jesus responded, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” The crowd dispersed as each person realized his own sinfulness. Only Jesus was worthy to cast the first stone, and He chose not to do so.

That same spirit is behind today’s teaching. “Do not judge” does not mean to “never judge,” as it’s often misinterpreted (vv. 1–2). After all, we’re instructed to judge or evaluate fellow believers when accountability is needed (1 Cor. 5:12). Instead, “do not judge” means that we should not judge self-righteously or hypocritically. We will be judged by the same standard we use on others.

Judgmental hypocrisy means, among other things, to criticize others when we are actually guilty of the same thing ourselves (vv. 3–5). Jesus uses a humorous but tragic image to drive His point home: It’s like a man with a wooden plank in his eye criticizing a man who has only a speck of sawdust in his. Having a judgmental spirit can warp our perspective! Notice that Jesus didn’t say to ignore the problem or to pretend everything’s okay. Rather, we should fix our own problem before we help someone else.

The next verse implies that we should pick the right time to do so (v. 6; Prov. 13:10). If we choose the wrong time, the person won’t listen. It will be like throwing pearls before swine. They’ll simply trample on our advice or reproof. Something valuable is bound to be wasted in this case, and the original speaker might even be harmed as well.

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These days, whenever we want to learn how to do something, we look for a YouTube instructional video. How to jump a car battery? How to make a mushroom sauce from scratch? How to build your own computer? Easy-to-follow instructions are readily available for us to watch.

The most effective learning, though, usually happens in person, often over time through mentoring. That’s why Jesus chose a “class” of twelve “students” to follow Him for three years. Today we get a glimpse inside this personal classroom as Jesus taught His followers how to pray.

This model or template prayer, which can be prayed in less than a minute, begins with the relationship (v. 9). God is “Our Father in heaven.” This warm family metaphor is immediately followed by a reminder that His name is “hallowed” or sacred and should be revered and honored.

Next is a big-picture request for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (v. 10). Earth is a planet in rebellion against its Maker. This rebellion was always a failure, although from our perspective in time it’s still happening.

Then comes a petition for basic needs (v. 11). “Daily bread”—an allusion to the daily manna provided during the Exodus—represents our physical needs of food, shelter, and clothing. Why not ask for more? Because riches are the kind of temptation that make it difficult to pursue committed discipleship (Matt. 19:23–24).

This is followed by two petitions for spiritual needs (vv. 12–13). The first is for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). The petition is structured to remind us that we shouldn’t ask for what we’re not willing to give as well as that the debt we owe God is one we can never repay. The second request is to be protected against temptation and evil.

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