Matthew 6:16-34 : Easy-to-Read Version  | SearchSearch | Next Version | Previous Page | Next Page |

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Jesus Teaches About Fasting

16"When you fast,* don't make yourselves look sad. The hypocrites* do that. Don't be like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. 17So when you fast, make yourself look nice. Wash your face. 18Then people will not know that you are fasting. But your Father that you cannot see will see you. Your Father sees the things that are done in secret. And he will reward you.

Serving God Is More Important than Money (Lk. 12:33-34; 11:34-36; 16:13)

19"Don't save treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. 20So save your treasure in heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in and steal that treasure. 21Your heart will be where your treasure is. 22"How you look at other people makes you the kind of person you are. 23If you look at people and want to help them, you will be full of light (goodness). But if you look at people in a selfish way, you will be full of darkness (evil). And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst kind of darkness.* 24"No person can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one master and love the other master. Or he will follow one master and refuse to follow the other master. So you cannot serve God and Money* at the same time.

Put God's Kingdom First (Lk. 12:22-34)

25"So I tell you, don't worry about the food you need to live. And don't worry about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. 26Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or save food in barns. But your heavenly Father feeds those birds. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. 27You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. 28"And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the flowers in the field. See how they grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. 29But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it is thrown into the fire to be burned. So you know that God will clothe you much more. Don't have so little faith! 31Don't worry and say, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 32All the people that don't know God try to get these things. Don't worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need these things. 33The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing the good things God wants you to do. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. 34So don't worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.

fast To live without food for a time of prayer or mourning. hypocrites Bad people that act like they are good. Verses 22, 23 Literally, "22The lamp of the body is the eye. So, if your eye is pure {(without envy)}, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. So, if the light in you is darkness, how much is the darkness." Money Or, mamona, an Aramaic word meaning "wealth."

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