The cycle of Sunday liturgical readings unfortunately omits Mt 6:1-23, which gives an important development of Jesus’ teaching on law as a matter of the heart rather than mere external practice. Good works (vv 1-4), prayer (vv 5-15), and other religious practices (vv 16-18) take their value as expressions of inner intention. These commands of Jesus cannot be seen as simply exchanging one style of behavior for another, such as praying in your room rather than in public. They probe the heart of religious practices and emphasize that to do things for the sake of appearances or in order to buy divine or human favor is an unworthy motive.

Forgiveness in imitation of God’s forgiveness (vv 15-16) is the first step to put into practice the command to love one’s enemies (5:44), and is the only way that leads to true prayer. Singleness of intention before God is the greatest possible treasure and is to be preferred above all material goods (vv 19-23).

Thus the person who is confident in the possession of what is of true spiritual value can adopt an attitude of detachment toward the things of this world , even what we often consider necessities (vv 24-34). Trust in God as Father is far removed from a "Big Daddy" approach that expects him to give us whatever we want or think we need. Nor does trust in God call us to shirk our responsibilities or think that God will rescue us from our own foolish behavior. Trust is rather an attitude that looks to his will first and all else second, and is willing to say "yes" to him even if our own needs as we see them do not seem to be filled.

The ideal of the kingdom of God as presented by Jesus is that we take one anothers’ needs upon ourselves as our own. It is only by accepting and caring for one another as brothers and sisters under one Father that our own true needs can begin to be met.

This passage is a strikingly beautiful allusion to God’s motherly care for his people, and a good reminder that the reality of God is beyond whatever names or concepts we use to describe him — including the maleness of most of our images and words.

This is a song of trust by one who was being attacked by enemies. Response: "Rest in God alone, my soul."

The Corinthians had received instruction in the Lord Jesus from a number of teachers, but many people seemed more attached to the particular mentality of one or another of them than to their common shared faith in Jesus (see 1:10-17). This is a temptation still very much alive among us — to try to make Christianity serve lesser ideals, political attitudes, class rivalries, personal claims to superiority, etc. Paul emphasized that even he, with real claim to be an apostle, must step into the background and allow God to be the final judge, to bring forth light from darkness.

1 Corinthians will be continued in Year B (Second through Sixth Sundays), and concluded in Year C (Second through Eighth Sundays).

1. What does it mean to "to give yourself to money"? . . . "to give yourself to God"?

2. What do Paul’s words about himself say about the way we should teach and serve others?