Introduction: Jesus Christ took the time to discuss with His disciples what is wrong with mankind. What is really wrong.
            When He finished explaining what is wrong with mankind, and how they do not know it and can do nothing to fix it by themselves …He then told the disciples to not do that.

            Then He made it possible to have not only Godly compassion for humanity but to able to sacrifice ourselves for God’s creation, every last one of these misdirected creatures …AS HE DID.

Benefit Statement: Christ told us to love one another as He has loved us. By extension that is ultimately ALL of mankind. ALL of those who have not a clue about what is wrong with them.

SPS: We see God’s Priorities toward all Human Lives explained …in Matthew 6

Body:
1)    Mt 6:11Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 
"To do righteousness" is an expression found elsewhere (Ps 106:3; Isa 58:2; 1John 2:29; 3:7, 10). In 1 John 2:29, for instance, it is rendered by NIV "to do what is right"
Jesus is not so much dealing with a different kind of righteousness or with mere acts of righteousness as with the motives behind righteous living.
There is no contradiction with
Mt 5:14-16 14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Where disciples are told to let their light shine before men so that they may see their good deeds; there the motive is for men to praise the heavenly Father. Righteous conduct under kingdom norms must be visible so that God may be glorified. Yet it must never be visible in order to win man's acclaim.
Better by far to hide any righteous deed that may lead to ostentation. To trade the goal of pleasing the Father for the trivial and idolatrous goal of pleasing man will never do.
                       
                        Ostentation, not merit theology, is the point here.
Everything God made was “good”. But now there was something hidden that was wrong with mankind. Something hidden about humanity that makes sense to them and is not “good”. This is significant because the Pharisees were seen (as all righteous behaving humans) as the example of “good” But they and the rest of humanity had become not “good”.

The Pharisees' great weakness was that they loved men's praise more than God's praise
John 5:44 43I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
John 12:43 43For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Those who give out of this attitude receive their reward in full (such is the force of apechousin; cf. Deiss LAE, pp. 110-11). They win human plaudits, and that is all they get  
Ps 17:14 14    From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Mt 6:2  2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
The way to avoid hypocrisy is not to cease giving but to do so with such secrecy that we scarcely know what we have given. Jesus' disciples must themselves be so given to God (cf.
2 Cor 8:5 5And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
That their giving is prompted by obeying God and having compassion on men. Then their Father, who sees what is done in secret (
Heb 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.), will reward them. The verb "to reward" (apodidomai).
So it is clear that God sees what is wrong with mankind now, and is telling the disciples how to react. We have to remember that the disciples are men who are also blinded by life as humans. So they need to have superior Knowledge given them to be able to care for humanity as Christ does.
What is Christ telling them?

2)    First He explains how sincere contact with God really works.
Mt 6:55And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
To pray that God's will, which is "good, pleasing and perfect" (Rom 12:2  2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.), be done on earth as in heaven is to use language broad enough to embrace three requests.
 
1.         The first request is that God's will be done now on earth as it is now accomplished in heaven. The word thelema ("will") includes both God's righteous demands (7:21; 12:50;
Ps 40:8 8    I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
And his determination to bring about certain events in salvation history (18:14; 26:42; cf.
Acts 21:14 13Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. ). So for that will to be "done" includes both moral obedience and the bringing to pass of certain events, such as the Return of Christ and the Resurrection. This prayer corresponds to asking for the present extension of the messianic kingdom.
 
2.         The second request is that God's will may ultimately be as fully accomplished on earth as it is now accomplished in heaven. "Will" has the same range of meanings as before; and this prayer corresponds to asking for the consummation of the messianic kingdom.
 
3.         The third request is that God's will may ultimately be done on the earth in the same way as it is now accomplished in heaven. In the consummated kingdom it will not be necessary to discuss superior righteousness (
Mt 5:20-48 20For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. ) as antithetical to lust, hate, retaliatory face-slapping, divorce, and the like; for then God's will, construed now as his demands for righteousness, will be done as it is now done in heaven: freely, openly, spontaneously, and without the need to set it over against evil
 
    These first three petitions, though they focus on God's name, God's kingdom, and God's will, are nevertheless prayers that he may act in such a way that his people will hallow his name, submit to his reign, and do his will. It is therefore impossible to pray this prayer in sincerity without humbly committing oneself to such a course.

The last petitions explicitly request things for ourselves.

Mt 6:1111Give us this day our daily bread. 
The prayer is for our needs, not our greeds. It is for one day at a time ("today"), reflecting the precarious lifestyle of mankind.
                        Lk 11:3 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 
These two verses show the proper intent – to know life comes from God, and we are to look forward but only for a short time in this life. THAT is NOT the way of man.

Mt 6:1212And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
To look at humanity …all of them as blind to their self-centered lives, is to begin developing outgoing compassion and a Christ guided sacrificing approach to everyone.

Finally Christ has set up the disciples to understand what has become wrong with mankind. Commonly reasoned self-centered living. This is completely unapparent to humans. Even those humanity considers “good” examples of selflessness and Godliness.

3)    He then explains what Kingdom Perspectives for all life really ARE.
Mt 6:1919Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The present tense prohibition me thesaurizete could well be rendered "Stop storing up treasures" (Turner, Syntax, p. 76) rather than "Do not store up"; the time for a decisive break has come

Elsewhere the Scriptures require a man to provide for his relatives (1Tim 5:8), commend work and provision for the future (Prov 6:6-8), and encourage us to enjoy the good things the Creator has given us
1 Tim 4:3-43Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. ; 6:17). Jesus is concerned about selfishness in misplaced values. His disciples must not lay up treasure for themselves; they must honestly ask where their heart is (vv. 20-21).
This verse does not prohibit "being provident (making sensible provision for the future) but being covetous (like misers who hoard and materialists who always want more)" (Stott, p. 155). But it is folly to put oneself in the former category while acting and thinking in the latter (cf. France, "God and Mammon").
The words "treasures in heaven" refers to whatever is of good and eternal significance that comes out of what is done during human life. Doing righteous deeds, suffering for Christ's sake, forgiving one another--all have the promise of "reward" (see on 5:12; cf. 5:30, 46; 6:6, 15; 2Cor 4:17). Other deeds of kindness also store up treasure in heaven (Matt 10:42; 25:40), including willingness to sacrifice of our possessions for the welfare of others.
1 Tim 6:17-1917Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Mt 6:21 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Jesus is therefore saying either (1) that the man who "divides his interest and tries to focus on both God and possessions ... has no clear vision, and will live without clear orientation or direction" (Filson)--all interpretation nicely compatible with v. 24; or (2) that the man who is stingy and selfish cannot really see where he is going; he is morally and spiritually blind.

Mt 6:2323But 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! 24No man can serve two masters: 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.
The "light within you" is therefore the vision that the eye with divided loyalties provides, or the attitude characterized by selfishness, in both cases it is darkness indeed.
Christ now explains that behind the choice between two treasures (where we lay them up) and two visions (where we fix our eyes) lies the still more basic choice between two masters (whom we are going to serve.
Either God is served with a single-eyed devotion, or not served at all. Attempts at divided loyalty betray, not partial commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitment to idolatry.

Once Christ is sure He has laid out the difference between how men who consider that their way is “good”, and what is truly, actually in reality “good” as originally intended for mankind – He goes on to prohibit worry.
                                Clearly, this is because human worry is not aware of God being in the Plan He is working out.

THIS is what is wrong with mankind. The problem humans cannot see or repair of themselves. Self-protection and self-promotion above all else. Even sacrifice for others at the human level is not for the Kingdom of God and the God Family (unknown to mankind), but for some other human approach.

Mt 6:26  26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
To worry about food and drink is to have learned nothing from the natural creation. If the created order testifies to God's "eternal power and divine nature" (Rom 1:20), it testifies equally to his providence. The point is not that disciples need not work--birds do not simply wait for God to drop food into their beaks--but that they need not fret. Disciples may remember that God is in a special sense their Father (not the birds' Father), and that they are worth far more than birds ("you" is emphatic).

Mt 6:2727Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 
Worry is more likely to shorten life than prolong it, and ultimately such matters are in God's hands.
Luke 12:13-2113And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
To trust him is enough.

Mt 6:28-3028And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
The point is not that Jesus' disciples may opt for laziness but that God's providence and care are so rich that he clothes the grass with wildflowers that are neither productive nor enduring (v. 30). Even Solomon, the richest and most extravagant of Israel's monarchs, "in all his splendor" (v. 29) was not arrayed like one of these fields. Small wonder that Jesus gently chastises his disciples as oligopistoi ("people of little faith"; cf.8:26; 14:31; 16:8; and the abstract noun at17:20).
The root of anxiety is unbelief.
Mt 6:31-32  31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
In the light of God's bountiful care ("So"), the questions posed in v.31(cf. v.25) are unanswerable; and the underlying attitudes are thoughtless and an affront to God who knows the needs of his people (cf. v.8). Worse, they are essentially pagan (v. 32); for pagans "run after" (epizetousin, a strengthened form of "seek")these things, not God's kingdom and righteousness (v.33).
 
Jesus' disciples must live lives qualitatively different from those of people who have no trust in God's fatherly care and no fundamental goals beyond material things.

The Heart of the Matter – What is wrong with mankind now, and
what are WE to do about it for THEM and for God’s Family?

Mt 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
Jesus' disciples are not simply to refrain from the pursuit of temporal things as their primary goal in order to differentiate themselves from pagans. Instead, they are to replace such pursuits with goals of far greater significance. To seek first the kingdom ("of God" in some MSS) is to desire above all to enter into, submit to, and participate in spreading the news of the saving reign of God, the messianic kingdom already inaugurated by Jesus, and to live so as to store up treasures in heaven in the prospect of the kingdom's consummation. It is to pursue the things already prayed for in the first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer (6:9-10).
To seek God's righteousness is not, in this context, to seek justification (contra Filson, McNeile). "Righteousness" must be interpreted as in5:6, 10, 20;
Mt 6:1 1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
           
CLOSE:It is to pursue righteousness of life in full submission to the will of God, as prescribed by Jesus throughout this discourse. Christ has explained what is wrong with mankind, what we are to do about that, and NOW go on to sacrifice as He is doing for US and ALL mankind!

Mt 6:3434Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Mankind is now broken and cannot do this. God’s People CAN do this. We are to DO this for the Family of God …ALL the Family of God now and the final Family of 100s of billions
who are helpless before their human reasoning in this world.

Come out of her MY Children!