Matthew 6:19-12

Three (or Four) Commands Which Concern The Attitude That His Disciples Should Take Up With Regard To The World Emphasising The Taking Up Of A Positive Spiritual Attitude And The Eschewing Of A Worldly Negative Attitude (6:19-7:12).

Having described how His disciples are to behave towards the Law (Matthew 5:21), and having considered their attitude towards charitable giving, prayer and fasting (Matthew 6:1), Jesus now turns to consider:

1). What they should do about material wealth (Matthew 6:19).

2). How they should provide for their necessities (Matthew 6:25).

3). How they should exercise judgment among themselves (Matthew 7:1).

A possible fourth is how they should approach what God has available to give them in Matthew 7:6) For just as in Matthew 6:1 the verses on the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:7 are a part of the series, and yet distinguished clearly from the other three, so here verse Matthew 7:6 is both an essential conclusion to the different chiasmi leading up to it, and an introduction to a final contrast which caps all that has gone before and finalises the central section of the Sermon.

In each case He warns against the negative approach, which can only lead to concern and worry, and emphasises the positive spiritually acceptable approach which will bring the approval of their Father. And this is then climaxed either by what their reaction should be towards the scornful and those who despise their message, who are fleshly (dogs and pigs) and therefore do not know the Father (Matthew 7:6), or by the final statement in Matthew 7:12 (or to some extent both).

In each of these cases the question is dealt with by contrasts, by a thesis followed by an antithesis (as previously from Matthew 5:21 onwards). Firstly they are not to lay up treasures on earth but to lay them up in Heaven, for they cannot serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:19). Secondly they are not to be anxiously seeking food and clothing, but are rather to be earnestly seeking the Kingly Rule of God and His righteousness, for a days earthly problems are quite sufficient for each day (Matthew 6:25). Thirdly they are not to judge each other in the state that they are, with a plank in their eye that prevents them from seeing properly and makes them behave harshly, but must do it, having removed the plank, so that they may see clearly in order to gently remove splinters from the eyes of their brethren, while at the same time being aware that they should not try in quite the same way to remove splinters from the eyes of outsiders or bring home to them deeper spiritual truths, as this could only cause problems, resentment and even persecution (Matthew 7:1), indicating that what can be done in the heavenly fellowship cannot be done in the world. Thus wisdom is required throughout.

This is then followed by the thesis in Matthew 7:6 concerning not offering what is holy to dogs, and the antithesis in Matthew 6:7 on instead receiving what is holy from their heavenly Father

This whole section may be analysed as follows:

a They must not lay up treasures on earth where they will corrupt, but must lay them up in Heaven where they will not corrupt, for their hearts will be where their treasures are (Matthew 6:19).

b They must ensure that their eyes are single, and fixed on what is good, for otherwise their eyes will be dark, and the darkness will be great (Matthew 6:22).

c They must judge wisely as to which master they will serve, for they cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24).

d They must not be constantly anxious about life, about what to eat and what to wear, but are to consider how God provides for His creatures abundantly (Matthew 6:25).

e They are to have the faith to recognise that God, Who provides even for the useless grass, will far more provide for their needs (Matthew 6:30).

d They are thus not to be constantly anxious about what to eat and what to wear, but are to seek first God's Kingly Rule and His righteousness, and to leave to each day the troubles of that day (Matthew 6:31).

c They must not pass superficial judgments about others who serve Him, otherwise that judgment will rebound on them (Matthew 7:1).

b Once they have removed the plank from their own eyes they will then be able helpfully to remover the splinters from their brothers' eyes (thus ensuring that their eyes too are single) (Matthew 7:3).

a They must not give what is holy (from their treasures in Heaven) to dogs, and must not give their pearls (what is uncorrupted and pure) to swine, lest they turn and trample their possessions into the mud and attack those who possess them (Matthew 7:6).

However, this must be with the proviso that Matthew 7:6 now also leads on into Matthew 7:7 which deals with how they are to receive from their heavenly Father all the spiritual gifts which will enable them to succeed.

Note that in ‘a' they must consider carefully how they make use of their earthly treasures, lest they become corrupted, and are attacked by predators (moth, rust, thieves), so that those earthly treasures then ‘attack' them where they are most vulnerable, in their hearts, and in the parallel they are to consider well how they use their spiritual treasures, lest they use them foolishly and find that they become vandalised, and they themselves persecuted, by earthly predators (dogs, pigs). In ‘b' their eyes are to be single, and in the parallel they are to assist each other to keep their eyes single. In ‘c' they are to make right judgments about Who or what they serve, and in the parallel are to make right judgments within that service. In ‘d' they are not to be anxious about necessities, and in the parallel the same. And centrally their faith must be turned towards God the Great Provider.