The Motives of the Heart / Matthew 6:1-18
Well, church, it’s great to be with you this week. Welcome to The Well Community Church. If I have not had the privilege of meeting you, my name is Mike Slade, and I’m one of the pastors on staff here. I’ve been here about fourteen years, and it is fun to get to do this with you.
We’re in the book of Matthew, so I’m going to invite you to turn there with me. We are in Matthew chapter six. We’ve been studying through this entire book for a number of months, and we find ourselves in the section referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been talking about what it means to be a child of the kingdom—what it means to be underneath the reign and rule of this King.
He has the authority to say, “Listen, you have heard it said… but I say to you.” He continues to reframe the whole idea of what it means to be part of His kingdom. The Mosaic Law said, “Do not murder,” but Jesus presses deeper into the anger in our hearts. He takes the things we are supposed to do and calls us to a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees.
What Jesus does now as He turns to Matthew chapter six is look at things we actually do—good practices of our righteousness. As I was processing this earlier this week with Dave, the frame of mind I had was: Jesus simply expects these things from us. And He doesn’t apologize for it. In chapters five through seven, He never says, “Oh, by the way, I’m sorry to call you to greatness. I’m sorry that I’m exposing the condition of your heart.” He loves us, and our seat in heaven is secure because of what Christ has done on our behalf. But Jesus says, “I still know the condition of your heart, and I’m going to continue to push on it. I want to change your affections. I want to point them in a new direction—off of yourself, off of things that aren’t life-giving, and onto Me.” He is calling us up and calling us out.
Practicing Righteousness for an Audience of One
In Matthew chapter six, verses one through eighteen, Jesus addresses three practices: giving, praying, and fasting. These are three good practices of kingdom righteousness, but Jesus asks: How do we practice them in a way that takes the focus off ourselves?
Matthew 6:1 (NASB)
’Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
Verse one sets the umbrella theme for this entire section. Jesus warns His hearers on the hillside: Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people to be seen by them. Notice He doesn’t say, “Don’t practice righteousness.” He expects us to give, to pray, and to fast. But He tells us to be aware of the condition of our hearts. It is entirely possible to do the right things with the wrong heart. When giving, praying, and fasting, there is a constant temptation to crave the praise of men. You have to choose which one you value more: the applause of people or the reward of your Father in heaven.
Giving in Secret
Jesus starts with the issue of giving.
Matthew 6:2-4 (NASB)
’So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ’But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
Giving to the poor is a wonderful thing. Sharing your resources to bless others was one of the central pillars of Judaism. In the ancient world, there was no welfare system or Social Security. Almsgiving was how the community cared for brothers and sisters whose needs were not met. The synagogue was often the place where funds were collected and distributed.
Yet some individuals turned it into a theatrical performance. They would effectively say, “Hey, look at me! Look at the check I’m bringing!” It would be like me bringing a roll of quarters to church, dropping them one by one into the tithe box, and making sure everyone hears the clinking so you know I’ve got forty more coming.
Jesus calls these people hypocrites. In the ancient Greek world, that word referred to stage actors who held masks up to their faces and spoke from beneath them. They pretended to be something they were not. Jesus tells us: Don’t pretend to have a pure motive of generosity when you’re actually seeking human applause.
Instead, give in such a way that your left hand doesn’t know what your right hand is doing. That is hyperbole, of course, but the point is profound: Give quietly, without self-congratulation. If you do it for the applause of people, you have already received your reward in full. But when you give in secret, your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Praying in Secret and Without Pretense
Next, Jesus addresses the issue of prayer. This is the longest discourse of the three practices, spanning verses five through fifteen.
Matthew 6:5-8 (NASB)
’When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ’But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you. ’And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ’So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Jesus points out the religious leaders who loved to stand on the street corners and in the synagogues, praying long, eloquent prayers so everyone would admire their piety. Now, Jesus is not condemning corporate prayer. He is addressing the motivation of the heart.
When I was in college, our ministry had something called Thursday Morning Prayer—we called it “THUMP.” It was at 6:00 AM. College students do not naturally get up at 6:00 AM to pray. But I did. Why? Because all the people I thought were the most spiritual went to THUMP. As I searched my heart later, I realized: Lord, I showed up because I wanted to be counted among the spiritual elite. I was praying for the praise of men.
Jesus offers a better way: Go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. Public prayer should simply be the overflow of what is already happening privately behind closed doors. You don’t need a platform before men; you have access to the Father.
Jesus also tells us not to use meaningless repetitions like the Gentiles, who think they will be heard for their many words. The Greek word here implies empty babble or chatter. You don’t need fancy seminary words to impress God. Have you ever listened to a brand-new believer pray for the first time? They often start with, “Hi God, I’m new at this…” and they just talk to Him like a real person. They haven’t learned religious jargon yet. They don’t use God’s name as punctuation: “Oh Father God, we just Father God want to Father God…” That’s not how you talk to your spouse or your dad. Pray with honesty and relationship, knowing your Father already understands what you need before you even ask.
The Pattern for Kingdom Prayer
To show us how to pray, Jesus gives us a model.
Matthew 6:9-13 (NASB)
’Pray, then, in this way: ’Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ’Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ’Give us this day our daily bread. ’And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen].’
I remember in seventh-grade confirmation in the Methodist Church, I had to memorize this prayer and recite it before an examiner. Many of us can recite the Lord’s Prayer by heart, yet we run the danger of turning it into the very thing Jesus warned against: mindless repetition. Jesus gave us this prayer not just as a script, but as a framework for our relationship with God.
He begins with “Our Father.” In Aramaic, the term is Abba—an intimate, relational term like “Dad.” God is spirit; He does not have a biological body or physical traits, but Jesus uses fatherly language to describe God’s tenderness, approachable character, and relational heart toward us.
Genesis 1:2 (NASB)
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
My kids are seventeen, fifteen, and twelve, and they still call me “Dad.” I love that. It reflects closeness. Yet our Father is also “in heaven” and His name is to be “hallowed.” He is holy, set apart, and sovereign. We come to Him with both childlike intimacy and reverent awe. When we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” we are surrendering our agenda to His reign.
Romans 6:16-18 (NASB)
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone [as] slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Then Jesus turns to our daily needs: “Give us this day our daily bread.” This echoes the story of Israel in the wilderness, where God provided manna one day at a time. It cultivates a daily posture of dependence upon God for our physical and spiritual provision.
Next, He addresses our relationships: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” A citizen of the kingdom is fundamentally a forgiven person who extends forgiveness to others. Forgiveness does not mean pretending sin didn’t hurt; it means absorbing the cost rather than retaliating, just as Christ absorbed our sin on the cross.
Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB)
’For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ’But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Jesus makes it clear that an unforgiving heart reveals a lack of understanding of the gospel. When we realize how much God has pardoned in us, we lose the right to harbor bitterness against others.
Finally, we pray: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This is a humble cry asking God to protect us from succumbing to the trials and spiritual traps of this life.
Some of your Bibles may include the traditional ending: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The earliest Greek manuscripts do not include this line, which is why modern translations place it in brackets or footnotes. It is a beautiful doxology rooted in the Old Testament, commonly used in Jewish prayers.
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (NASB)
’Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. ’Both riches and honor [come] from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. ’Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.
Whether it was spoken by Jesus in that moment or added as a liturgical conclusion, it reflects the true posture of prayer: returning all glory back to God.
Fasting for God’s Pleasure
Finally, Jesus addresses fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18 (NASB)
’Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites [do], for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ’But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
Notice Jesus says, “When you fast,” not “If you fast.” Fasting was an assumed rhythm of the spiritual life. Scripture is filled with examples of God’s people fasting—Moses, Daniel, Esther, Elijah, and the early church. They fasted when seeking guidance, pleading for deliverance, or repenting.
In our culture, fasting is rarely practiced. We might hear people talk about fasting from social media or television, which can be helpful. But biblical fasting specifically involves abstaining from food. By denying our physical appetite, we declare to God: “I need You more than I need physical sustenance. My life depends on the Word that comes from Your mouth.”
John 6:35 (NASB)
Jesus said to them, ’I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
Jesus tells us: When you fast, don’t walk around looking miserable and gloomy so everyone asks, “Oh, are you okay?” and you can reply, “Yes, I’m just fasting for the Lord.” If you do that, human sympathy is your only reward. Instead, wash your face, brush your hair, and fast in secret before your Father.
Living for the Reward That Lasts
Giving, praying, and fasting—these three practices are central to living under the rule of King Jesus. In all of them, the question is: Who is your audience?
If your audience is other people, earthly praise is the only reward you will ever get. But if your audience is your Father in heaven, His rewards are eternal, secure, and infinitely better. Scripture tells us that one day believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ—not to be judged for sin, which has been fully paid for at the cross, but to receive the rewards of faithful stewardship.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NASB)
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
God knows the condition of our hearts. He knows we love Him, but He also knows our hearts are easily drawn toward self-glory. He continues to call us up and call us out.
Think about when your children were learning to walk. When my kids were little, we would hold out car keys, a sippy cup, or french fries to coax them across the room. As a dad, I held my hands out wide. I knew they were going to wobble and fall. Falling is part of learning to walk. What I didn’t want was for them to fall down and simply stay there, refusing to ever try again. I wanted them to get back up, dust themselves off, look at my face, and take another step toward me.
That is what our Heavenly Father does with us. The standard of the kingdom is high. God knows we will stumble, but He calls us to fail forward—to keep turning our eyes back to Him, to set our affections on His kingdom, and to walk in the freedom of His grace.
Let’s pray together.
Father, thank You for Your goodness and for inviting us into Your kingdom. It is our deep desire to live our lives for an audience of One on this side of heaven. Protect our hearts from hypocrisy and the empty craving for human praise. We long for the day when we see You face to face and hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Help us use these fleeting moments on earth to pursue our King and His righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.