⭐WEB · Matthew 6:16
What does Matthew 6:16 mean?
"“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 6:16 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
“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.
But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;
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.
“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;
Explanation
In this verse, Jesus addresses the practice of fasting—voluntarily going without food for a period of time as an act of spiritual devotion. He tells his listeners that when they fast, they should not put on a gloomy, downcast appearance the way the hypocrites do. These hypocrites deliberately make themselves look miserable, even disfiguring their faces (likely through unwashed skin, ashes, or exaggerated expressions of grief), so that everyone around them will notice and be impressed that they are fasting. Jesus concludes with a sobering statement: such people have already received their reward—meaning the admiration and attention of others is the only payoff they will ever get, since their motive was human approval rather than genuine devotion to God.
This teaching comes from the Sermon on the Mount, one of Jesus's most extensive teachings, recorded in Matthew 5-7. It was addressed primarily to his disciples and the crowds following him, many of whom were Jewish and familiar with religious practices like fasting, prayer, and almsgiving as expressions of piety under the Law and Jewish tradition. The "hypocrites" Jesus references were likely certain religious leaders, particularly among the Pharisees, who had turned these private spiritual disciplines into public performances. Fasting was a legitimate and expected practice in Jewish religious life, often tied to repentance, mourning, or seeking God's favor, but by Jesus's time some had corrupted it into a show of self-righteousness. This verse is part of a triad in Matthew 6 where Jesus add
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