Matthew 6:18 (WEB)

Passage

so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

Matthew 6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

Matthew 6:18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

Matthew 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "But you when you fast anoint your..." into verse 19's "Don t lay up treasures for yourselves...", so "seen" and "fasting" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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