Treasures and Worry
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. Matthew 6:15 · Berean Standard Bible
If you hold on to bitterness and refuse to forgive others, that unforgiveness creates a wall between you and God's forgiveness too.
Jesus is being blunt because He knows how tempting it is to nurse grudges while still expecting God's grace.
Jesus, giving a loving but firm warning.
This is a wake-up call that God's forgiveness and your willingness to forgive are deeply connected.
The converse of the previous verse: withholding forgiveness from others blocks the reception of divine forgiveness, illustrating the reciprocal nature of kingdom ethics.
Jesus pairs this warning with the positive promise of v.14, creating a parallelism common in Jewish wisdom teaching.
Jesus, continuing His instruction on prayer and forgiveness.
This stark warning reinforces that the new covenant community must be defined by radical mercy, not legalistic scorekeeping.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
14For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
Read all of Matthew 6 — Jesus redefines wealth, prayer, and anxiety in a single breath. The lilies and the birds become his unlikely teachers.
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