Giving Alms, Treasure in Heaven, Kingdom of God

Today, we are going to look at Matthew chapter 6.

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
[Matthew 6:1]

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[Matthew 6:2]

When you give to poor, tell no one. It is strictly between you and God. Fight all temptations of telling others about it.

"If I tell others I may inspire them to give."

That's an unnecessary temptation; it's not worth the risk. Keep it secret. By giving alms, you are inspiring people to give. The very recipients themselves are the ones being inspired by you. Sometimes giving to the poor is the best ministry there is. Not telling anyone will help you focus only on the joy of giving, without distractions of vanity. If you give only for the purpose of recognition or praise of other people, then that is your only reward.

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
[Matthew 6:3]

Try to keep your charitable deeds secret from others, including yourself. Immediately after you have given to charity, forget about it, and leave it to God. He sees everything.

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
[Matthew 6:4]

Your reward is great when your charitable deeds are in secret. When you do it secretly, there is no opportunity for distraction -- fame, ego, greed, recognition, etc. Having no distraction means being totally connected with God.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[Matthew 6:5]

Ask yourself, are you praying to God, or to people? Prayer is strictly between you and God. If you do it for attention, your only reward will be attention from other people.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
[Matthew 6:6]

Do it in secret. Your prayer should be with pure undistracted motives.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
[Matthew 6:7]

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
[Matthew 6:8]

God reads your heart, not your words or actions. Your only job is to be aware of the things that you desire from God.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
[Matthew 6:9]

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
[Matthew 6:10]

Give us this day our daily bread.
[Matthew 6:11]

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
[Matthew 6:12]

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
[Matthew 6:13]

Make these requests in your heart. This is a simple prayer asking for heaven on earth, sufficient earthly substance to survive, forgiveness and guidance.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
[Matthew 6:14]

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
[Matthew 6:15]

If you sinned, and need to be forgiven, forgive yourself for whatever you did, and forgive others for whatever they done. No matter what you've done, if you forgive everyone, you will be forgiven. In other words, your state of being forgiven depends only on whether or not you forgive others and yourself.

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[Matthew 6:16]

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
[Matthew 6:17]

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
[Matthew 6:18]

When you fast, let it be known only between you and God, so that you don't tempt yourself into seeking attention and praise from others. If you get praised by people, then that will be your only reward. Do not provide yourself any opportunity to inflate your ego.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
[Matthew 6:19]

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
[Matthew 6:20]

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
[Matthew 6:21]

Do not hoard money and seek to be rich. Seek richness in heaven instead. How do you heap up treasure in heaven? By using your earthly resources -- time, money, possessions, knowledge -- to benefit others. Do it as secretly as possible, as mentioned earlier. Seek only the joy of giving. Don't 'give in order to get.' Keep your mind only on the joy of giving. If you think about reaping financial harvests, you distract and corrupt your motives. Your joy and peace of mind is the harvest itself. When you give, expect nothing in return. Whether or not you get any earthly substance in return is strictly up to God, not you. Focus only on the joy of giving.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
[Matthew 6:22]

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
[Matthew 6:23]

Make your intentions pure. Get rid of any ulterior motives. Make sure you have one desire or motive in mind. Multiple intentions will interfere with the results.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
[Matthew 6:24]

To serve God is to have your heart set on the invisible things, like love, compassion, faith, hope, joy, and so forth. To serve mammon is to have your heart set on the physical things of the earth, like money and goods. You cannot love God and the things of the earth at the same time.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
[Matthew 6:25]

Your life is not merely limited to food, shelter and clothes; it is much more than that. Your life is eternal; it is beyond your existence on this earth. Food, shelter and clothing are just things of the earth. Worrying about the things of the earth will trouble your soul; and your soul is far more important than your flesh.

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
[Matthew 6:26]

Birds don't do anything that would prepare them for the future. They don't plan their lives ahead, they don't save money, they don't invest in 401k plans. Yet God makes sure that they get taken care of. If God could do that for them, He surely would do much more for humans, who were created in His image.

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
[Matthew 6:27]

Have you ever spent days on end planning and preparing and worrying about something, only for a slight change of events to instantly render your efforts worthless? Likewise, thinking and worrying about what you are going to do will not in any shape or form benefit you. You're better off taking it easy and refraining from any thought whatsoever. You'll be surprised at how much that empowers you, as opposed to being anxious about the future.

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
[Matthew 6:28]

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
[Matthew 6:29]

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
[Matthew 6:30]

Flowers don't do any work; they just sit there and grow. Yet God makes sure that they are not only properly nourished, but also beautifully arrayed. Now, flowers and grass basically last a season, and then wither away and die as if they were never there. Still, God takes great measures to supply the grass and flowers with nourishment. If God can do that, just imagine what He will do for you, being much more valuable than grass and flowers.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
[Matthew 6:31]

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
[Matthew 6:32]

God already knows what you need. He knows when you are hungry, He knows when you are cold, He knows when you need shelter, He knows when you are poor. Remember Matthew 6:8? God knows what things you need before you even ask Him.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
[Matthew 6:33]

To get the earthly things that you desire, do not seek them. To the natural mind, this seems paradoxical. But we know that God is fully aware of your needs. Since God is the source, it is necessary to seek His kingdom. But the whole point of seeking His kingdom is not to get earthly things. The point of seeking His kingdom is to be enriched in joy and peace, the true riches. Your attitude should be "I don't care if I get my physical needs met or not; joy and peace are the only things I desire." Because remember, your life is far more than your existence on earth, whether you know it or not.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
[Matthew 6:34]

All you got is today. Limit all your thinking to this very day. Today is like a rock in outer space that you are precariously balanced on. Make the most of it. Do not allow the abstract concepts of 'yesterday' or 'tomorrow' to intefere, otherwise you'll lose your balance. Keep your mind fixed only on today. This kind of spiritual discipline will enrich your soul immeasurably, and that is what counts.