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14 For if you forgive others their wrongs, your Heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your wrongs.

16 When you fast, do not appear gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on sad faces so that they may be seen by others to be fasting. Amen I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you will not appear to others to be fasting, but only to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will repay you.

19 Do not store up treasure for yourself on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in to steal. 20 Instead, store up treasure for yourself in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in to steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be as well.

22 The lamp of the body is the eye, so if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be illuminated. 23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be darkened. If then the light within you is darkness, how great will that darkness be!

24 No one can serve two masters. Either they will hate one and love the other, or they will be loyal to one and despise the other. It is not possible to serve God and mammon.

Comments

In 14-15, Jesus concludes his teaching of the Lord’s Prayer by remind his disciples that forgiveness from God is contingent on willingness to forgive others in turn. In 16-18, Jesus completes his triple warning to avoid performative almsgiving, prayer, or fasting.

Starting at 19, Jesus warns his followers against fixation on material wealth. He reminds them that earthly possessions are transitory, and only heaven is eternal. Envy (which is called the “evil eye” in many cultures, including Judaism) can distort one’s whole view of reality. It is not possible to dedicate one’s life both to God and “mammon” (the Aramaic word for wealth): in the end, one must choose one or the other.