Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 6:1-18
The Importance of Their Worship And ‘Religious’ Service Being Genuine (6:1-18). Among the Jews almsgiving, prayer and fasting were seen as the basics of a godly life, and as being evidence of a life that was pleasing to God. For example in Tob 12:8 (a Jewish writing) we read, ‘prayer is good when it is accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness’ (note the differing order from Jesus, Who valued righteousness and almsgiving above fasting). The principle in mind was clearly correct,... read more
James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 6:10
GOD’S WILL IN WORSHIP AND WORK‘Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ Matthew 6:10 Is not this impossible? Is it not impossible that God’s will should ever be done here on earth as it is in heaven? And yet we dare not have a lower ideal, or nothing can be accomplished, either individually or as a Church. I. Grounds of hope.—No words can exaggerate the awful evil of the world. Shall it make us Christian people despair? Can we still pray, in the face of all this hideous wrong, ‘Thy... read more