Matthew 6:29

6:25-34 There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often insnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich. But there is a carefulness about temporal things which is a duty, though we must not carry these lawful cares too far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but refer it to God to lengthen or shorten it as he pleases; our times are in his hand, and they are in a good hand. Not about the comforts of this life; but leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as he pleases. Food and raiment God has promised, therefore we may expect them. Take no thought for the morrow, for the time to come. Be not anxious for the future, how you shall live next year, or when you are old, or what you shall leave behind you. As we must not boast of tomorrow, so we must not care for to-morrow, or the events of it. God has given us life, and has given us the body. And what can he not do for us, who did that? If we take care about our souls and for eternity, which are more than the body and its life, we may leave it to God to provide for us food and raiment, which are less. Improve this as an encouragement to trust in God. We must reconcile ourselves to our worldly estate, as we do to our stature. We cannot alter the disposals of Providence, therefore we must submit and resign ourselves to them.

Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world. Seek first the kingdom of God, and make religion your business: say not that this is the way to starve; no, it is the way to be well provided for, even in this world. The conclusion of the whole matter is, that it is the will and command of the Lord Jesus, that by daily prayers we may get strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, and to arm us against the temptations that attend them, and then let none of these things move us. Happy are those who take the Lord for their God, and make full proof of it by trusting themselves wholly to his wise disposal. Let thy Spirit convince us of sin in the want of this disposition, and take away the worldliness of our hearts.

Matthew 6:29 . λέγω δὲ : the speaker is conscious He makes a strong statement, but He means it.— οὐδὲ , not even Solomon the magnificent, most glorious of the kings of Israel, and on state occasions most gorgeously attired.— ἓν τούτων : the lilies are in view, and one of them is singled out to vie with Solomon.

(29) I say unto you. —The formula of emphasis is not without a special force here (comp. Matthew 18:10 ; Matthew 18:19 ). Man’s gaze was drawn to the “gorgeous apparel,” the gold-embroidered robes of kings and emperors. Jewish traditions as to the glory of Solomon represented even his attendants as clothed in purple, and with hair glittering with gold-dust. He, the true Son of David, saw in the simplest flower that grows a glory above them all. “The lily shames the king.”

Matthew 6:29 . Δέγω , I say ) Christ truly knew the dress of Solomon.— ὡς , as) sc. is clothed , or is .— ἓν , one ) any one, not to say a whole garland.[287]— ΤΟΎΤΩΝ , of these ) The pronoun is used demonstratively. [287] Kings were wont to wear white robes; but these are surpassed by the whiteness of the lilies.—V. g.

Matthew 6:29 . Ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ ] Not even ( οὐδέ ) Solomon when he appeared in all his glory , not merely in his royal robes (Kuinoel); it is in περιεβάλετο that the special part of the whole δόξα is first mentioned. On the δόξα of Solomon, see 2 Chronicles 9:15 ff. αὐτοῦ , not αὑτοῦ . Observe further the ἕν : his glorious apparel was not equal to any one of these.

Consider the lilies of the field - The fourth consideration is taken from the care which God bestows on lilies. Watch the growing of the lily. It toils not, and it spins not; yet night and day it grows. With a beauty with which the most splendid monarch of the East was never adorned. it expands its blossom and fills the air with fragrance. Yet this beauty is of short continuance. Soon it will fade, and the beautiful flower will be cut down and burned. God "so little" regards the bestowment of beauty and ornament as to give the highest adorning to this which is soon to perish. When He thus clothes a lily - a fair flower, soon to perish - will he be unmindful of his children? Shall they dear to His heart and imbued with immortality - lack that which is proper for them, and shall they in vain trust the God that decks the lily of the valley? Even Solomon in all his glory ... - The common dress of Eastern kings was purple, but they sometimes wore white robes. See Esther 8:15; Daniel 7:9. It is to this that Christ refers. Solomon, says he, the richest and most magnificent king of Israel, was not clothed in a robe of "so pure a white" as the lily that grows wild in the field.

Verse 29. - Luke 12:27 b almost verbally. Even Solomon... was not . The Greek lays still more stress: "not even Solomon." Arrayed . The idea of splendour, which in modern usage is often attached to "array," is wanting in περιεβάλετο . The simple rendering in Wickliffe, "was covered" (Vulgate, coopertus est ), is less misleading. And so in ver. 31. Perhaps ( vide Cart) the middle voice has its full reflexive meaning: Solomon with all his efforts failed. Like one of these . Even one, much less like all taken together. "Horum, demonstrativum" (Bengel). Matthew 6:29