As we turn the page from Matthew chapter five to chapter six in the Sermon on the Mount, we find a shift in focus. Having just concluded His teaching on the righteousness of the heart, Jesus now addresses the way we express righteousness through acts of worship. The first four verses of Matthew 6 introduce this new section:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. When, therefore, you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1–4)
In the previous chapter, Jesus opened His sermon by describing the character of those who belong to the Kingdom of God—the Beatitudes. These inner qualities, such as meekness, purity of heart, and hunger for righteousness, mark the life of a true disciple. Then, through the Similitudes—His call for us to be salt and light—Jesus moved from inward character to outward influence.
From there, He turned to contrast superficial righteousness with true righteousness, confronting six ways the Pharisees misinterpreted the Law. They attempted to narrow the Law’s demands while broadening its permissions, focusing on external behaviors rather than inner transformation.
Jesus ends chapter five with this sweeping command: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Though the immediate context concerns love for enemies, this call to perfection encompasses the entirety of God’s moral vision—a standard we cannot meet through human effort. As I’ve said before, and it bears repeating: The righteousness God requires is the righteousness His own righteousness requires Him to require. In other words, God does not grade on a curve. His perfect character demands perfect righteousness. That standard is met not through our efforts, but through Christ alone.
When we read Matthew 5–7 honestly, we come away with a sobering realization: we cannot live this life in our own strength. That’s precisely the point. This life can only be lived through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not lower the bar; instead, He drives us to the Spirit. We are called to live not by the law of external conformity, but by the internal transformation made possible through union with Christ.