d) On the Three Principal Expressions of Life in the Christian State of God (6:1–18)
Just as in the preceding chapter, beginning with 5:20, the Savior confronted the hypocritical doctrine of the Pharisees and, over against them, set forth the true understanding of the Law of the Old Covenant according to its spirit and content, so now He proceeds to set forth true religious life in its three most prominent expressions — almsgiving, prayer, and fasting — in contrast to the hypocritical life of the Pharisees.
Mt 6:1
“Take heed that you do not practice your righteousness before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
The reading “your alms” (instead of “your righteousness”) which some witnesses have after προσέχετε (prosechete, “take heed”), is insufficiently attested. The reading of the Textus Receptus (δικαιοσύνην instead of ἐλεημοσύνην) must be regarded as a false reading, caused by verse 2. In Matthew 5:20, δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē, righteousness) designated the right understanding of the inner spirit of the Law; here the word designates the right manner and way in which the inner spirit of the Law is to express itself outwardly in good works.
Everything that the Christian does should proceed from humility and be done with constant reference to God; only then does it have true value before God. The Pharisees, however, did everything only κατὰ κενοδοξίαν (kata kenodoxian, “according to vainglory”), that is, out of vanity and self-seeking. Where egoism is the source of apparently good works, there can be no merit, and therefore no reward in the life to come.
The word “otherwise” (ἐὰν δὲ μή, ean de mē) is to be supplied from what precedes: otherwise, that is, if you act in this way, you have no reward.
Mt 6:2 ff. Application of the General Principle to Almsgiving
“When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
The word ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosynē) means first “mercy” or “charitable kindness” in general, and then more specifically what we call “alms.” The verb “to sound a trumpet” is not to be understood literally by some as an actual trumpet blast, but metaphorically, as in our expression “to trumpet something abroad,” that is, to act with ostentation.
By “hypocrites” are meant those who are charitable not out of sincere goodwill, but out of vanity, for the sake of outward appearance. These have their reward, that is, they have received it in full, insofar as they have attained the entire fruit of their charity — namely, honor among men — and thus have nothing more to expect.
Mt 6:3–4
“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.”
The particle δέ (de, “but”), which the Textus Receptus inserts here and in verses 6 and 18, is rightly omitted by Lachmann and Tischendorf on the basis of stronger manuscript authority. It is also lacking in the Vulgate.
In our works of mercy, not only should we avoid the intention of being seen and praised by men, but we should even conceal these works from ourselves as much as possible. We should not first calculate and reflect in our left hand what the right hand intends to give. In other words, we should perform works of mercy in childlike simplicity as something that happens, as it were, of itself, without long reflection upon it.
As soon as reflection enters, as soon as it becomes clear to ourselves that we are performing a good work, vanity most often slips in at the same moment. Only upon such a work of love, which we perform as secretly as possible before men and even before ourselves, does the all-seeing eye of God look with approval. Only such a work will be rewarded on the Day of Judgment (cf. Sirach 29:15).
An old Eastern proverb says: “If you do something good, cast it into the sea; if the fish do not know it, the Lord will know it.”
Mt 6:5-6. Application to Prayer
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But you, when you wish to pray, go into your room, and after you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
The Jews usually prayed standing, with their faces turned toward the Temple; this external posture easily favored ostentation. The inner chamber (ταμεῖον, tameion) is contrasted with synagogues and street corners.
This command is not to be pressed literally, as though Jesus were condemning all public prayer. He does not disapprove of participation in the public liturgical worship of the Church, but only hypocrisy and ostentation in public prayer.
In the public worship of the Church, it is the community of believers which presents and offers itself to the heavenly Father in and with Christ. Here there should be no special display, no self-presentation of the individual, no personal self-assertion; otherwise it would be Pharisaic hypocrisy and sinful play-acting.
But whoever has a special grace, a more outstanding gift, or a deeper inner need for prayer, conceals it with genuine Catholic humility as much as possible from the eyes of men. He withdraws his special interior life with God into solitude, into the chamber of his heart, where only the eyes of God behold it.
By the words “to your Father who is in secret,” we are also reminded that in prayer we should place ourselves vividly in the presence of God.
Mt 6:16 ff. Application to Fasting
“And when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, gloomy; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
Here it is naturally voluntary private fasting that is meant, not the public annual fast on the great Day of Atonement (cf. Lev. 16:29; 23:27). The Pharisees regularly fasted on Thursday, when Moses was believed to have gone up Mount Sinai, and on Monday, when he was believed to have come down again (cf. Luke 18:12). Fasting was also associated with mourning (cf. Isaiah 58:5; 61:3).
The word σκυθρωποί (skythrōpoi) means sullen, gloomy, or sad-looking. This is explained further by ἀφανίζουσιν (aphanizousin): they disfigure their faces, partly by sprinkling ashes and by neglecting to wash face and hair, and partly also by covering themselves in a way that made their appearance unattractive (cf. 2 Sam. 15:30; Esther 6:12).
Mt 5:17–18
“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
The command to anoint and wash on fast days is not to be taken literally in every detail. One ordinarily anointed oneself when going to festive banquets. The Savior’s meaning in general is this: avoid all ostentation in fasting; let people not notice that you are fasting; do not fast out of vanity.
True fasting either proceeds from a spirit of penance, or at least has as its purpose to awaken in oneself the true spirit of penance. Fasting out of vanity is a lie and hypocrisy.
CONTINUE
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