QT 08/02/2026 Sun. Matthew 6. Facing Your Actions: Up or Down? 你做事的目标：向上还是向下？
QT 08/02/2026 Sun. Matthew 6. Facing Your Actions: Up or Down?
READ http://www.esv.org/matthew6
Matthew 6 calls Kingdom people to a radical re-centering of life. Those who now belong to the Kingdom of Heaven no longer live for the gaze of earth but for the pleasure of the Father above. The central question that governs this chapter is not what we do, but for whom we do it.
Jesus repeatedly confronts us with a choice of orientation: Are our actions facing upward toward God, or downward toward human approval?
(1) Giving to the Needy: Whose Reward Are You Seeking? (6:1–4)
Jesus warns against practicing righteousness “before other people in order to be seen by them” (6:1). Giving can be done with hands open yet hearts curved inward—seeking applause, recognition, and praise “by others” (6:2).
Kingdom giving is different. It is done quietly, intentionally, and before “your Father who sees in secret” (6:4). The motivation is not public recognition but divine reward. Earthly praise is fleeting; the Father’s reward is eternal.
Orientation check: Are your acts of generosity aimed downward for human approval, or upward toward the Father?
(2) Praying: Who Is Your Audience? (6:5–15)
Prayer exposes our true spiritual orientation. Some pray to impress those down here—in synagogues, churches, or crowded street corners—where visibility replaces sincerity.
Jesus redirects prayer upward: “Go into your room… and pray to your Father who is in secret” (6:6).
This is not about isolation but intimacy. There is no need for verbose, anxious repetition, for “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (6:8).
Prayer also realigns our relationships horizontally. Our upward plea—“forgive us our debts” (6:12)—must be reflected downward in our willingness to forgive others (6:14–15). A heart reconciled to God cannot remain hardened toward people.
Orientation check: Is your prayer shaped by performance, or by trust in a knowing Father?
(3) Fasting: Who Are You Trying to Convince? (6:16–18)
Fasting, like giving and praying, can become a performance. Hypocrites advertise their devotion with gloomy faces and outward disfigurement so that others will notice their sacrifice.
But Kingdom participants fast before the Father, not the crowd. Jesus calls His followers to anoint their heads and wash their faces—symbols of normalcy, dignity, and joy. Fasting is not spiritual misery on display but quiet dependence on God.
Those who belong to the Kingdom from above live not as spiritual showpieces, but as confident children of a gracious King.
(4) Treasure, Vision, and Loyalty: What Owns Your Heart? (6:19–24)
The same up-or-down orientation governs economic life.
Kingdom participants are called to invest in “treasures in heaven” (6:20), not in the fragile wealth of earth. Jesus presses the issue further: “You cannot serve God and money” (6:24).
Our eyes reveal our allegiance. If our vision is fixed downward—on wealth, status, and security—our lives will be filled with darkness (6:22–23). If our eyes are lifted upward, our whole being is illuminated by God’s reign.
Orientation check: What captures your attention—and therefore your devotion?
(5) Trust and Anxiety: Who Holds Your Future? (6:25–34)
Anxiety is ultimately a worship issue. It asks whether our lives are secured by earthly resources or by a heavenly Father.
Twice Jesus reminds us: “Your heavenly Father knows” (6:32; cf. 6:8).
Kingdom citizens do not deny their needs; they entrust them upward. Therefore, they are called to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (6:33), confident that the Father will supply what is necessary.
Conclusion: Your True Orientation
Matthew 6 exposes the inner compass of the heart. Giving, praying, fasting, earning, and trusting all answer the same question: Are you living for what is seen below, or for the Father who reigns above?
More important than the north–south or east–west orientation of properties we hope to buy is the direction of our hearts as we live as Kingdom participants here and now. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) reveals the character, priorities, and practices of those who live under God’s reign—calling us not to self-righteousness, but to wholehearted trust and obedience flowing from grace.
So today, as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, ask yourself: Are my actions facing up—or down?
QT 08/02/2026 星期日 马太福音6. 你做事的目标：向上还是向下？
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/mat/6/
马太福音第六章呼召天国子民彻底重塑生命重心。属天国之人不再为世俗眼光而活，唯求取悦天上的父。本章核心问题不在于我们做了什么，而在于为谁而行。
耶稣反复质问我们选择何种方向：我们的行为是仰望上帝，还是追求世人认可？
(1) 赈济穷人：你寻求的是谁的赏赐？（6:1-4）
耶稣警告不可 “在众人面前行你们的义，让他们看见”（6:1）。施舍时手掌张开，心却向内弯曲——只为 “众人” 的喝彩、认可与赞美（6:2）。
天国的施予截然不同。“你父在隐密中察看”（6:4），动机不是世俗的认可，而是神的赏赐。世人的赞美转瞬即逝，天父的赏赐却永恒长存。
方向检验：你的慷慨之举是为博取世人眼光而向下倾斜，还是为仰望天父而向上仰望？
(2) 祷告：你的听众是谁？（6:5-15）
祷告暴露我们真实的属灵取向。有人为取悦世人而祷告——在会堂、教堂或拥挤街角——以曝光度取代真诚。
耶稣将祷告指向天父：“要进到密室里去，关上门，向在隐密中的父祈祷”（6:6）。
这并非关乎隔绝，而是关乎亲密。无需冗长焦虑的重复，因为 “...在你们祈求以先，你们的父已经知道你们的需要了”（6:8）。
祷告也重新调整了我们横向的关系。我们向上求告的 “赦免我们的罪”（6:12），必须在我们愿意饶恕他人时向下反映出来（6:14-15）。与神和好之心，岂能对人仍存刚硬？
方向检验：你的祷告是出于表演，还是出于对深知万事的父神的信靠？
(3) 禁食：你试图说服谁？（6:16-18）
禁食如同施舍与祷告，都可能沦为表演。伪善者以阴沉面容和外在畸形彰显虔诚，只为博取他人对牺牲的关注。但天国的子民在父面前禁食，而非在人群中。耶稣呼召门徒抹油抹头、洗净面容——这些象征着常态、尊严与喜乐。禁食不是展示属灵苦行，而是静默倚靠上帝。
属天国的人不作属灵的陈列品，而是活出恩典之王儿女的坦然无惧。
(4) 财宝、视野与忠诚：谁拥有你的心？（6:19-24）
同样的上下取向也支配着经济生活。天国参与者被召投资于 “天上的财宝”（6:20），而非尘世脆弱的财富。耶稣进一步强调：“你们不能服事 神，又服事金钱”（6:24）。
我们的目光揭示了我们的忠诚。若目光始终向下——盯着财富、地位与安全——生命便充满黑暗（6:22-23）。若目光向上仰望，整个生命便被神的国度照亮。
方向检验：什么吸引了你的注意力——也因此吸引了你的奉献？
(5) 信靠与忧虑：谁掌管你的未来？（6:25-34）
忧虑本质上是敬拜的问题。它问的是：我们的人生是由地上的资源保障，还是由天上的父保障？耶稣两次提醒我们：“你们的天父知道”（6:32；参6:8）。天国的子民不否认需求，却将需求托付向上。因此他们蒙召 “先求他的国和他的义”（6:33），确信父必供应所需。
结论：你真正的方向
马太福音第六章揭示了心灵的内在指南针。施舍、祷告、禁食、谋生、信靠——这些行为都在回答同一个问题：你活着是为了眼见的地上的事物，还是为了掌权在天上的父？
比起我们渴望购置的房产朝向南北或东西，更重要的是我们此刻作为天国参与者所活出的心灵方向。登山宝训（马太福音5-7章）揭示了活在神国度中的人的品格、优先次序与实践——呼召我们不自以为义，而是凭着恩典流露全心信靠与顺服。
因此今日，作为天国的子民，请自问：我的行为是仰望天父——还是俯视尘世？
