Matthew 6:1-4

The Doing of Righteousness and The Giving of Gifts To The Poor (6:1-4).

Analysis of Matthew 6:1.

In considering the following analyses the small letters indicate the chiasmus in each section, while the capital letters indicate a comparison with the sections that precede and follow, for from Matthew 6:1 to Matthew 7:6 all the sections follow a general pattern. They also indicate a progression in the argument in each small section.

a “Take care that you do not do your righteousness before men, to be seen of them, else you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 6:1).

b A When therefore you give on behalf of the poor (Matthew 6:2 a).

b B Do not sound a trumpet before you (Matthew 6:2 b).

c B As the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets (Matthew 6:2 c).

c C That they may have glory of men (Matthew 6:2 d).

c D Truly I say to you, they have received their reward (Matthew 6:2 e).

b E But when you do alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does (Matthew 6:3).

a F That your alms may be in secret (Matthew 6:4 a).

a G And your Father who sees in secret will recompense you (Matthew 6:4 b).

Note that in ‘a' wanting to be seen of men means that there will be no reward in Heaven and in the parallel, in contrast, doing right in secret results in a recompense from their Father. In ‘b' the command is not to sound a trumpet before them in giving alms, and in parallel they are not to let their left hand know what their right hand does. Central is ‘c' where those who receive glory on earth have already received their reward.