74 matching verse commentaries
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. They seemed to say to everyone who looked at them, “We have been so engrossed with our devotions that we have not found time even to wash our faces.” But the Saviour says to his followers, “Do not imitate...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But thou, when thou fastest,.... Christ allows of fasting, but what is of a quite different kind from that of the Jews; which lay not in an outward abstinence from food, and other conveniences of life, and refreshments of nature; but in an abstinence from sin, in acknowledgment and confession of it; and in the exercise of faith and hope in God, as...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face: That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Yet have I heard persons speak of certain emaciated ecclesiastics as being such wonderfully holy men. “How they must have fasted! They...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. May God give us that modest, unselfish spirit which lives unto him, and does not want to walk in the sham light of men’s esteem! What...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
That thou appear not unto men to fast,.... Which is just the reverse of the hypocrites, the Scribes and Pharisees; and quite contrary to the customs of the Jews, who when they fasted, particularly on their noted fasts (l), "brought out the ark into the street of the city, and put burnt ashes upon it, and upon the head of the prince, and upon the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,.... Meaning either treasures that are of an earthly nature and kind, the more valuable and excellent things of the earth, worldly wealth and riches; or the things and places, in which these are laid up, as bags, chests, or coffers, barns and other treasuries, private or public. Christ here dissuades...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. There is many a way of...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Bbut lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: Christ here first teaches us how to pray, and then teaches us how really to live. He...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven,.... That is, either be concerned for, and seek after heavenly treasure, the riches of glory, the joys and glories of another world, which infinitely excel everything that is valuable on earth; and which can never be corrupted, or taken away: or rather, lay up your earthly treasures in heaven; that is,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. This seems to be a proverbial expression, and contains in it another reason, dissuading from worldly mindedness; because of the danger the heart is in of being ensnared and ruined thereby: and the sense of it is, if your treasure is on earth, and lies in earthly things, your hearts will be...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. It is sure to be so: your heart will follow your treasure. Send it away therefore up to the everlasting hills, lay up treasure in that blessed land before you go there yourself.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The light of the body is the eye,.... Or, the "candle of the body is the eye"; for the eye is that in the body, as a candle is in the house; by the light of it, the several members of the body perform their office; and what is said of the eye of the body, is transferred to the eye of the mind: if therefore thine eye be single: that is, if thy mind...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, If thy motive be single — if thou hast only one motive, and that a right one — the master one of glorifying God — if thy eye be single.
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! When a man’s highest motive is himself, what a dark and selfish nature he has; but when his highest motive is his God, what brightness of light will shine upon...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! If thine eye be brooked up with gold dust, or if thou art living for self and this world, thy...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But if thine eye be evil,.... If thou art of a sordid disposition, of an avaricious temper, if the sin of covetousness prevails over thee, thy whole body will be full of darkness: thy judgment will be so influenced by that sordid principle, that thou wilt not be able to discern what is agreeable to the law of God, or human reason; what is fitting...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
No man can serve two masters,.... Whose orders are directly contrary to one another: otherwise, if they were the same, or agreed, both might be served; but this is rarely the case, and seldom done. This is a proverbial expression, and is elsewhere used by Christ, Lu 16:13. The Jews have sayings pretty much like it, and of the same sense as when...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
No man can serve two masters: He can serve two persons very readily. For the matter of that, he can serve twenty, but not two masters. There cannot be two master principles in a man’s heart, or master passions in a man’s soul. “No man can serve two masters.” Mat_6:24. For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
No man can serve two masters: He may serve two individuals, who have conflicting interests but they cannot both be his masters. Mat_6:24. For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Either the one or the other will be master, they are so opposed to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life,.... Since ye cannot serve both God and "mammon", obey one, and neglect the other. Christ does not forbid labour to maintain, support, and preserve, this animal life; nor does he forbid all thought and care about it, but all anxious, immoderate, perplexing, and distressing thoughts and cares;...