Matthew 6:1 (ASV)

Passage

Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 6:2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not 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 received their reward.

Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "take", "heed", "righteousness", "before", "seen", "else", "reward", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "take" and "heed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "When therefore thou doest alms sound not...", so "take" and "heed" should be read forward into that movement. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "take" and "heed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.