Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
This passage could be a compilation of sayings of Jesus that Matthew grouped into a short discourse centered on the theme of absolute dependence on God. Jesus taught that human beings should not be preoccupied with the present or the future by trying to amass wealth to secure the basic necessities of life. They should be free of anxiety by setting their hearts on God and everything else will fall into place. The best way to be secure is to amass treasure that secures a place in heaven. It is man’s interior attitude towards God that is most important since man can take nothing else of this world with him when he dies.
Followers of Christ should not be preoccupied with things that preserve life such as food, drink, and clothing. Food and drink keep the body alive, and clothing protects the body, but God who created the body sustains it. Worrying about the future cannot extend one’s life span. If God takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers in the field, which are more beautiful than the splendor of Israel’s most powerful ruler, how much more will God provide for his children who trust in him?
Human life is more complex with many more issues than birds and flowers, but Jesus often used exaggeration and simplification to make a point about the attitude disciples should have towards God. They should not be like the pagans who do not know God and worry about preserving their worldly lives. God knows that food, drink, and clothing are necessities, but disciples of Christ should seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness that the kingdom requires such as keeping God’s commandments (Jn. 14:15) and living the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:17-48). If they do so God will take care of all their needs. Leave in God’s care all worries about tomorrow and the evil it might bring because only God has control over the future.
Almighty God, author and guide of everything that has been created, strengthen our will that we may seek and serve your kingdom with our whole being in the sure and certain faith that you will take care of all our needs. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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