Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 6

MATTHEW Chapter 6

Alms. Liberality to the poor and needy. Anything given to them to supply their wants. Our Saviour, here, does not positively command His disciples to aid the poor, but supposes that they would do it of course, and gives them direction how to do it. It is the nature of religion to help those who are really poor and needy; and a real Christian does not wait to be commanded to do it, but only asks for the opportunity. See Galatians 2:10; James 1:27; Luke 19:8.

Before men, etc. Our Lord does not forbid us to give alms before men always, but only forbids our doing it to be seen of them, for the purpose of ostentation, and to seek their praise. To a person who is disposed to do good from a right motive, it matters little whether it is in public or in private. The only thing that renders it even desirable that our good deeds should be seen is that God may be glorified. See Matthew 5:16.

Otherwise. If your only motive for doing it is to be seen by men, God will not reward you. Take heed not to do it to be seen, otherwise God will not reward you.

Do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do. The word hypocrite is taken from stage-players, who act the part of others, or do not speak their own sentiments, but the sentiments of others. It means here, and in the New Testament generally, those who dissemble or hide their real sentiments, and assume or express other feelings than their own; those who, for purposes of ostentation, or gain, or applause, put on the appearance of religion. It is probable that such persons, when they were about to bestow alms, caused a trumpet to be sounded, professedly to call the poor together to receive it, but really to call the people to attend to it, or perhaps it may mean that they should not make a great noise about it, like sounding a trumpet.

In the synagogues. The word synagogue commonly means the place of assembling for religious worship known by that name (See Barnes on Matthew 4:23). It might mean, however, any collection of people for any purpose. And it is not improbable that it has that meaning here. It does not appear that they made a noise when bestowing charity in the synagogues, or that it was commonly bestowed there; but it was probably done on the occasion of any great assemblage, in any public gathering place, and at the corners of the streets, where it could be seen by many.

They have their reward. That is, they obtain the applause they seek, the reputation of being charitable; and as this applause was all they wished, there is, of course, no further reward to be looked for or obtained.

Let not your left hand know, etc. This is a proverbial expression, signifying that the action should be done as secretly as possible. The Hebrews often attribute actions to members which properly belong to persons.

The encouragement for doing this is that it will be pleasing to God; He will see the act, however secret it may be, and will openly reward it. If the reward is not greater in this life, it will be in the life to come.

In many cases, however, alms given to the poor are lent to the Lord, (Proverbs 19:17) and will be repaid in this life. Rarely, perhaps never, has it been found that the man who is liberal to the poor has ever suffered by it in his worldly circumstances.

And when you pray, etc. Hypocrites manifested the same spirit about prayer as alms-giving: it was done in public places.

The word synagogues, here, clearly means not the place of worship of that name, but places where many were accustomed to assemble—near the markets or courts, where they could be seen by many. Our Lord evidently could not mean to condemn prayers in the synagogues. It might be said that he condemned ostentatious prayer there, while they neglected secret prayer; but this does not appear to be his design.

The Jews were much in the habit of praying in public places. At certain times of the day they always offered their prayers. Wherever they were, they suspended their employment and paid their devotions. This is also practiced now everywhere by Muslims, and in many places by Roman Catholics.

It seems, also, that they sought publicity and regarded it as proof of great piety.

Enter into your closet. Every Jewish house had a place for secret devotion. The roofs of their houses were flat places for walking, conversation, and meditation, in the cool of the evening. (See Barnes on Matthew 9:2).

Over the porch, or entrance of the house, was, however, a small room, the size of the porch, raised a story above the rest of the house, expressly appropriated as a place of retirement. Here, in secrecy and solitude, the pious Jew could offer his prayers, unseen by any but the Searcher of hearts.

To this place, or to some similar place, our Savior directed His disciples to go when they wished to hold communion with God. This is the place commonly mentioned in the New Testament as the upper room, or the place for secret prayer. The meaning of the Savior is that there should be some place where we may be in secret—where we may be alone with God.

There should be some place to which we can resort where no ear will hear us but His ear, and no eye can see us but His eye. Unless there is such a place, secret prayer will not be long or strictly maintained. It is often said that we have no such place, and can secure none.

We are away from home; we are traveling; we are among strangers; we are in stagecoaches and steamboats, and how can we find such places of retirement? I answer, the desire to pray, and the love of prayer, will create such places in abundance. The Savior had all the difficulties which we can have, yet He lived in the practice of secret prayer.

To be alone, He rose up a great while before day, and went into a solitary place and prayed. With Him, a grove, a mountain, a garden, provided such a place; and though a traveler, and among strangers, and without a house, He lived in the habit of secret prayer.

What excuse have they who have a home, and who spend the precious hours of the morning in sleep, and who will practice no self-denial that they may be alone with God? O Christian! Your Savior would have broken in upon these hours and would have trodden His solitary way to the mountain or the grove, so He could pray there. He did do it. He did it to pray for you, who are too indolent and too unconcerned about your own salvation and that of the world to practice the least self-denial in order to commune with God! How can religion live this way? How can such a soul be saved?

The Savior does not specify the times when we should pray in secret. He does not say how often it should be done. The reasons may have been:

1. That He designed that His religion should be voluntary—and there is not a better test of true piety than a disposition to engage often in secret prayer. He designed to leave it to His people to show attachment to Him by coming to God often—and as often as they chose.
2. An attempt to specify the times when this should be done would tend to make religion formal and heartless. Mohammed undertook to regulate this, and the consequence is a cold and formal prostration at the appointed hours of prayer all over the land where his religion has spread.
3. The periods are so numerous, and the seasons for secret prayer vary so much, that it would not be easy to fix rules when this should be done. Yet without giving rules—where the Savior has given none—we may suggest the following as times when secret prayer is proper:
   1. In the morning. Nothing can be more appropriate when we have been preserved through the night, and when we are about to enter upon the duties and dangers of another day, than to render Him thanks, and to commit ourselves to His fatherly care.
   2. In the evening. When the day has closed, what more natural than to render thanks and to implore forgiveness for what we have said or done amiss, and to pray for a blessing on the labors of the day; and when about to lie down again to sleep, not knowing but it may be our last sleep, and that we may awake in eternity, what more proper than to commend ourselves to the care of Him who never slumbers nor sleeps.
   3. We should pray in times of embarrassment and perplexity. Such times occur in every person's life, and it is then a privilege and a duty to go to God and seek His direction. In the most difficult and embarrassed time of the American Revolution, Washington was seen to retire daily to a grove in the vicinity of the camp at Valley Forge. Curiosity led a man to observe him on one occasion, and the father of his country was seen on his knees supplicating the God of Hosts in prayer. Who can tell how much the liberty of this nation is owing to the answer to the secret prayer of Washington?
   4. We should pray when we are beset with strong temptations. So the Savior prayed in the garden of Gethsemane , and so we should pray when we are tempted.
   5. We should pray when the Spirit prompts us to pray; when we feel just like praying; when nothing can satisfy the soul but prayer. Such times occur in the life of every Christian, and they are "springtimes" of piety—favorable gales to waft us on to heaven. Prayer to the Christian, at such times, is just as congenial as conversation with a friend when the bosom is filled with love; as the society of father, mother, sister, or child is, when the heart glows with attachment; as the strains of sweet music are to the ear best attuned to the love of harmony; as the most exquisite poetry is to the heart enamored with the Muses; and as the most delicious banquet is to the hungry.

Prayer, then, is the element of being; the breath; the vital air; and then the Christian must and should pray. He is the most eminent Christian who is most favored with such strong emotions urging him to prayer. The heart is then full. The soul is tender. The sun of glory shines with unusual splendor. No cloud intervenes. The Christian rises from the earth and pants for glory. Then we may go alone with God. We may enter the closet and breathe forth our warm desires into the ever-open ear of God, and He who sees in secret will reward us openly.

In secret. Who is unseen.

Who sees in secret. Who sees what the human eye cannot see; who sees the secret real designs and desires of the heart. Prayer should always be offered, remembering that God is acquainted with our real desires; and that it is those real desires, and not the words of prayer, that He will answer.