Trusting Your Heavenly Father (6:25 34) (Luke 12:22-32)

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1 Trusting Your Heavenly Father (6:25 34) (Luke 12:22-32) Introduction Anxiety is worry and fear and it is about the future. It is about not knowing what bad things might be in your future. In heaven we will not worry. That will not be because we will know the details of the future, it will be because although we don t know what is going to happen in the future, we do know that nothing bad will happen. Hence there will be nothing to fear or worry about. In fact, we know that the future will eternally consists of good things. As a result, we will not every worry. In this life, believers know something of the distant future. We know that we are the object of God s love and that we are destined to spend eternity with him in heaven. This knowledge alleviates a lot of distress about the distant future that unbelievers in fact do worry about, or at least should worry about. Our problem with worry deals not with the long run but with the short run, what bad things will happen to me soon. Worry is about bad things. With certainty, we know that bad things are in our short-term future. We know that at minimum we will die. Actually, we generally worry about things more immediate than even death. Will I lose my job? Will I be able to pay my bills? Will I go broke and not be able to provide for myself? Will I lose my health? Who will care for me if I become disabled? Will my family continue to love me? Will they leave me? Will I be alone? Will a loved one die? What will become of our country? Will I suffer persecution? Jail? Have my property confiscated? Have no place to live? And many other similar topics dominate in our minds. These are some of the primary topics of worry in our lives. We wring our hands over these things. In the Greek world a philosophy developed, Stoicism, which focused on living without emotions, especially negative ones. Stoics did, in fact, hold that emotions like fear or envy (or impassioned sexual attachments, or passionate love of anything whatsoever) either were, or arose from, false judgements and that the sage a person who had attained moral and intellectual perfection would not undergo them. The later Stoics of Roman Imperial times, Seneca and Epictetus, emphasise the doctrines that the sage is utterly immune to misfortune and that virtue is sufficient for happiness. 1 As a result, Stoicism became attractive to some Christians. They viewed it as a way to deal with worry. However, Stoicism was far from Christian. It was a philosophy that had no use for Christianity, and its solutions to life s problems were based solely on the discipline of the self-sufficient man, not a man dependent on God and under the authority of God s Word. But how does the believer deal with anxiety, worry, fear and the like? These are very real issues in this sin cursed world and in all our lives. Anxiety 1

2 Before we look into our present passage, let us take note on how our Greek word anxious 2 is used in the New Testament; it is used 28 times. It means to care, be anxious, troubled, or to take thought. The meaning of the term is close to that of Eng. care in that it can refer both to attentive concern or solicitude and to a state of disquiet or worry. 3 In the passage before us, it is used six times in five verses, all in a negative way. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6:28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Luke, covering the same material as Matthew uses it three times. Luke 12:22 And he said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Luke 12:26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? We have another group of four verses that illustrate the relationship that exist between the anxiety or cares of living in this world and our ultimate relationship with God. Our souls being fixed on riches, pleasures, dissipation and drunkenness have little interest in God. These verses are a commentary on the material we just discussed in the two treasures, two visions and two masters. Matthew 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Mark 4:19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 2 μεριμνάω To care, be anxious, troubled, to take thought. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000). 3 Moisés Silva, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014),

3 Luke 8:14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. Luke 21:34 But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. On several occasions, Jesus discusses an anxious concern to know exactly what to speak in a moment crisis, perhaps at a trial. The interesting thing about these three verses is that the disciples would be anxious concerning their ability to magnify Christ, not what might happen to them for that testimony. Matthew 10:19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. Mark 13:11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Luke 12:11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, Paul has a most interesting section on marriage using the word anxiety five times. Careful thought suggest that the word anxiety is in this context used in a positive sense. For ministry, the single state is desirable because it allows one to fully focus on ministry, as there is no need to concern oneself with the needs of a marriage partner. But if one were married, this anxiety is expected, it is a part of the giving relationship that exist in marriage. In this context, anxiety is not criticized, it is recognized as a proper part of a marriage caring about a life partner. 1 Corinthians 7:32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 1 Corinthians 7:34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. The following three verses also use this Greek word in a positive fashion. 1 Corinthians 12:25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 2 Corinthians 11:28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety [care] for all the churches.

4 Philippians 2:20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. This last group in the New Testament uses this word in a generally negative sense. Matthew 28:14 And if this comes to the governor s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. Luke 10:41 But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Some background: You can earn rewards in giving, praying and fasting (6:1-18), and you can earn treasure by working for eternal ends (6:19-24). However, if you do not lay up treasure on earth, how can you live? And that brings us to the subject of anxiety, we need food, drink and clothing as well as many other things to live. If one is so busy laying up treasure in heaven, where will this stuff come from? So, we are not done discussing mammon and this section on worry is in fact an extension on our prior topic. This is our context. The subject-matter continues the theme of the disciples attitude to material needs and possessions. 4 Therefore or on account of this or because of this The therefore suggests a connection with v. 24: those who accept the demand to be slaves of God rather than mammon might well wonder how their material needs are to be met if they have forgone the wealth that would provide for them. 5 There are many things to worry about but the focus of this section is about meeting material needs. Riches and treasures are one thing but this segment is not about treasures, it is about necessities, water, food and clothing. There is a big difference between riches and necessities. Why then are these two topics spoken of back to back? It is because one can be unfaithful to God through care as well as through covetousness. 6 Both minimize faith. It is in this light that Jesus now addresses anxiety. 4 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 265). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 5 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 267). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 6 Alexander Balmain Bruce, The Synoptic Gospels (New York: George H. Doran Company, n.d.), 125.

5 anxious 7 to be distracted, to have the mind drawn two ways. 8 to draw in different directions, distract, hence signifies that which causes this, a care, especially an anxious care. 9 So, anxious means to have the mind drawn two ways with the result that we are distracted. Food, Drink and Clothing The topic before us is anxiety, worry and fear and Matthew 6 deals with these in the context of anxiety. But, as a systematic topic, we worry about far more other issues than these few issues. We are like Martha and are anxious and troubled about many things, (Luke 10:41, ESV) Yet we must remember the 1 st century context to this passage. Of necessity, they would give far more concern to famine and nakedness than would our modern generation; let s not lose that element as we study this passage. At one time, these were far more common than they are today. Today we don t generally worry about food, drink and clothing. We worry about paying the bills. We worry about our jobs, finances, marriages, children, health, sickness and death. And why do we worry? Because we don t know what the future holds. The Result of Worry? Jesus said: As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22, ESV) This verse is particularly interesting in that it addresses our prior topic, riches, and our current one anxiety (cares) in one verse. Both these behaviors choke the word with the result the word proves unfruitful in our lives. This verse helps us anchor our thinking to the broader context. It is also an explanation on why we are so often unfruitful in our lives. Don t Worry About It! Is that absolutely true? Do not worry can be falsely absolutized by neglecting the limitations the context imposes and the curses on carelessness, apathy, indifference, laziness, and self-indulgence expressed elsewhere. 10 Let s look at this thought for a minute. Were there any that day who said to themselves, Great, I didn t want to go work in that hot Palestine sun anyway. Now I can quit working and just trust Jesus. I m thinking most people didn t take it that way. They 7 μεριμνάω to be apprehensive, have anxiety, be anxious, be (unduly) concerned. Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.) (632). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 8 Henry Alford, Alford s Greek Testament: An Exegetical and Critical Commentary (vol. 1; Grand Rapids, MI: Guardian Press, 1976), W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 179). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

6 understood they must work, but perhaps now they understood that they should and could trust Jesus to bless their work and provide for the food and clothing they needed. Take the godly woman of Proverbs 31; she is touted as one who makes considerable effort to provide food for her family, not because she is indifferent to these needs, but because she is driven to care for her family. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. (Proverbs 31:14 15, ESV) However, driven to look to the future, considering the various needs of one s family is not the same thing as acting like the future is in your nervous hands and not God s. So, ultimately, the blessing comes from God, it is not something we can guarantee with more work. life ψυχή is usually translated as life. But one could also take it to mean soul or self, whereby these meanings may simply be different aspects of the same thing. 11 It would seem that the next statement explains how this word should be understood. what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on The words eat, drink, body and the allusion to clothing appear to explain what life means in this context. It is the material life that Jesus here addresses. But what about its use in the next phrase? Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? In the last phrase we understood life to refer to the body. But here Jesus makes a distinction between life and the body, giving more importance to life than body. Therefore, one may conclude that in the SM ψυχή refers to a person s earthly soul/life/self, in contrast to the body (σῶμα) on the one hand, and to eternal life (ζωή) on the other hand. In the other world, one may further conclude, the whole person must appear before the divine judge, which means that the body (σῶμα) and not only the soul of a person is brought before God s throne. The ψυχή as soul/life/self belongs together with that person s body (σῶμα) and is not separable from it. 12 But for many, at a practical level, the answer to this question Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? is no; the material things of life are what life is all about. They are not in touch with the soul and conclude that the life of the body is all there is. such fretting suggests that our entire existence focuses on and is limited to such things Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3-7:27 and Luke 6:20-49) (ed. Adela Yarbro Collins; Hermeneia a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3-7:27 and Luke 6:20-49) (ed. Adela Yarbro Collins; Hermeneia a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 179). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

7 Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Look 14 at the birds of the air The point is not that disciples need not work birds do not simply wait for God to drop food into their beaks but that they need not fret. 15 birds have to work for their food by searching and hunting, even if not in the human way of sowing, reaping and storing. This is not a charter for laziness, for birds or for humans. 16 Proverbs clarifies this point by referencing another creature, the ant. Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. (Proverbs 6:6 8, ESV) your heavenly Father It does not say the birds heavenly Father. He is their creator but he is the Father of his children those who are believers. yet your heavenly Father feeds them Does he? Does God really provide so bountifully for the birds, which die or are killed in huge numbers every year, often for lack of suitable food, and many of which face the probability of extinction in our shrinking world? 17 If you sit back and consider the hunger, sickness and death common to birds and all animals, how would this help you deal with a tendency to worry? One might say after thinking about these birds, Before I was worried, but now that I ve looked I m downright terrified. Could not their fate be mine as well? Obviously, that is not what Jesus wants us to see when we look. In a fallen world, all these negative things are true. But they are not the only things that are true. In fact, God s supervision provides for multitudes every day. That is the point, God provides for others, he will provided even more for his children. Jesus didn't mean for this to be a comprehensive or definitive biology/zoology lesson. Rather, a simple anecdotal analogy: "Just look around you - right here in this moment and in this place - see these birds? They eat vegetation, berries and insects which are right there before them. It doesn't take any planning and little effort on their part. They simply eat what God has put before them. He cares for them, but He cares much more for you." 14 ἐμβλέπω To look in the face, fix the eyes upon, stare at.. In the sense of to look at or upon, meaning to contemplate, consider. Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers. 15 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 180). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 16 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 268). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 17 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (pp ). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.

8 He goes on to say in this paragraph that the grass of the field is very temporal - here today and gone tomorrow. So he doesn't deny the tenuous, fragile nature of life on planet earth. He simply says "Don't fret about your work or the weather - seek your heavenly Father. Don't let your thoughts be so earthbound by your immediate context - instead, ponder God and obey His expressed will." Jesus is pointing to the providence of God in these verses. Elsewhere he also deals with the subjects of illness, suffering, and death - but not here. At this moment he has another lesson. Are you not of more value than they? The fact that we face various and severe difficulties in a sin cursed world does not mean that God does not value us greatly. We must remember that Calvary is the supreme evidence on how much he loves us. He entered into our misery. He will someday remove us from all misery. But in the meantime we must live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us (Galatians 2:20). There are two creatures that we need to consider, one, the birds, which do not prepare their food in season, the other, the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8), which does just that. This is not a criticism of those who work for their food; it is a criticism of those who do so because they incorrectly think that it is only in their efforts that success is possible. For them, there is no faith in God, no trust in his love. Matthew 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? hour 18 The word literally means one half a cubit or 18. The cubit is being used here to represent the extension of life beyond the allotted span an equally physical measure of length which in English also serves to indicate length of time; cf. the similar idiom in Ps 39:5. 19 It is commonly thought that this refers to a short length of time and is therefore translated hour. However, there is a way in which Jesus may have been most literal referring to an actual 18 inches. This could be a reference to the growth of the human body from infancy to maturity. By that insensible process, accomplished through the aid of food, God adds to every human body more than one cubit. How impossible for you to do what God has done without your thinking of it! And if He fed you during the period of growth, can you not trust Him now when you have ceased to grow? Such is the thought of Jesus. 20 Either way, the message is the same, you cannot add time to your life, you cannot not add measure to your size, God does all this in his providential care without you giving a thought to it. So, what is the relationship between being anxious about food and clothing and about being anxious about adding to one s life? Generally, the purpose in giving care to the body is to add both quality and quantity to life as much as possible. 18 πῆχυς cubit or hour traditionally the distance from the elbow to the end of the fingers, about eighteen inches or one-half meter cubit, eighteen inches, half meter. Most modern translations, however, interpret πῆχυς in this context as a reference to length of life rather than as a measurement of height. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies. 19 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 269). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 20 Alexander Balmain Bruce, The Synoptic Gospels (New York: George H. Doran Company, n.d.), 126.

9 Yet, the anxiety generated in doing so will not add hours or inches. From the start, it was a wasted effort. And in fact, anxiety may actually shorten your life. The thought is, can you not trust God to do what he has in fact been doing all your life, imperceptibly providing for your needs? Matthew 6:28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, Matthew 6:29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. lilies 21 or wild flowers any one of several types of flowers, usually uncultivated wild flower The point is a little different from the first illustration, where birds work but do not worry. The flowers neither toil nor spin. The point is not that Jesus disciples may opt for laziness but that God s providence and care are so rich that he clothes the grass with wild flowers that are neither productive nor enduring (v. 30). 22 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these If it is the purple anemone that Jesus is looking at, then the image of Solomon s purple robes could be in mind. Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? and tomorrow is thrown into the oven 21 κρίνον any one of several types of flowers, usually uncultivated wild flower. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies. 22 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, pp ). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

10 If God creates with such extravagant and loving care something which is destined so soon for such an ignoble end, his care for his higher creation (see on v. 26) may confidently be expected to be much more. 23 because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (James 1:10 11, ESV) James use of rich man fits our context here very well. Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? Matthew 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Therefore This word follows right after the comment O you of little faith. Therefore do not be anxious. The purpose of faith, increased faith, more faith, is to address anxiety, the anxiety created by little faith. Gentiles 24 or pagans or nations the Gentiles, here is a negative word, referring to those outside the family of faith, i.e., the pagans. 25 It is interesting to compare this word Gentile with its use in Matthew 5:47 and 6:7. And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (Matthew 5:47, ESV) And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. (Matthew 6:7, ESV) Gentiles, that is, pagans, which are normally characterized by hate, in fact show more love than do (pagan) Jews (5:47). They are also characterized by worry. That is the reason for their constant babbling in prayer, badgering a reluctant deity to take notice of them (v. 7). 26 This is an interesting point. The idea here is that one ought to be able to do better than the pagans! 27 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8, ESV) 23 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 270). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 24 ἔθνος In the Jewish sense, tá éthnē, the nations, means the Gentile nations or the Gentiles in general as spoken of all who are not Israelites and implying idolatry and ignorance of the true God. Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers. 25 Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1 13 (vol. 33A; Word Biblical Commentary; Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 270). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 27 Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (313). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

11 seek after 28 This is a heightened form of the word seek found in 6:33 and means something like strive after. It is the Gentiles, pagans or nations that strive after material rewards which is defined as the cause of anxiety. Jesus disciples must live lives qualitatively different from those of people who have no trust in God s fatherly care and no fundamental goals beyond material things. 29 knows that you need 30 them all Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8, ESV) In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says don t pray like the Gentiles. Here in 6:32, Jesus says don t seek like the Gentiles. It is not wrong to pray or seek; but it is wrong to do either like the Gentiles, pagans or nations do. In the Lord s prayer Jesus gave us instructions on how and what to pray. Here we are given instructions on how and what to seek. As it was not a matter of praying or not praying, neither is it here a matter of seeking or not seeking. We need to do both but to do so in the right way. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. first 31 The kingdom of God is to be made our highest priority. As is so often the case, many of life s dilemmas are resolved in priorities. It is not that the second is evil in itself, it is evil because it is put first. The language of priority which underlies vv [two treasures] and 24 [two masters] is now again made explicit by the call to make it your priority to find (literally seek first ) God s kingship and righteousness. 32 The kingdom of God is the reign of God on earth as it is in heaven (6:10). God s kingship means God s people living under God s rule. 33 It begins with the reign or rule of God in our lives. How does one go about seeking the kingdom of God? presumably one knows how to seek the kingdom from the whole drift of the Sermon 28 ἐπιζητέω making an effort to get what one wants demand, strive for, require Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Baker s Greek New Testament Library; Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 181). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 30 χρῄζω to lack something which is necessary and particularly needed to need, to lack, to be without. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), πρῶτος first in a series involving time, space, or set first. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 271.

12 on the Mount. 34 Learning and living the Sermon on the Mount is what is meant be seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. his αὐτός In what sense is this righteousness his? righteousness 35 In Matthew 5:6, there is a blessing for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. In 5:10, persecution for righteousness sake is blessed. In 5:20, we are told that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. In 6:1, we are warned of the danger of practicing our righteousness before others. Now in 6:33, we are instructed to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 6:1 Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. We have already seen righteousness used several times for living in the way God requires. In 5:10, 20 it represents the distinctive lifestyle of disciples. As such it is something which is done (3:15; 6:1). 36 The phrase and his righteousness in verse 33 is an explanation of the kingdom of God. How do I seek first the kingdom of God? By seeking first his righteousness. But, how does one seek first his righteousness? There is room for confusion here; many will identify this righteousness as being active in working in church or in some other Christian ministry. All of that is quite good of course but, it is not to be equated with his righteousness. The righteousness of God is the obedience of the believer to the law/word of God. Defined this way, the righteousness of God is more likely to be found in the home, work, shopping, interacting with neighbors, giving, praying and meditating, comparing one s life against the backdrop of the Word. And for the person who does this first we find the words all these things. In other words, to seek his righteousness is to seek to live the Sermon on the Mount. 34 Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (314). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. 35 δικαιοσύνη the act of doing what God requires righteousness, doing what God requires, doing what is right. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 271). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.

13 The kingdom of God and his righteousness is the concrete practice of righteousness as the Sermon on the Mount develops it. 37 As we have noted before, so here again, this is about priorities and this is THE priority of the Christian s life. Food, drink and clothing are important. No one is advocating a cessation of work. But work only? That is being criticized. There is something more important than drink, food and clothing. The writer of Hebrews gives us a glimpse of that. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated of whom the world was not worthy wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:35 40, ESV) That thing is a life of faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave his life for us (Galatians 2:20). There is in wisdom literature, Proverbs and the Sermon on the Mount for instance, a phrase that is essential to understand the broad, unmodified statements often heard in this genre. It is this: on the average and in the long run. This means that not every statement works out exactly how the sage states it every time. But it does on the average and in the long run. Are there times that are not average and not the long run when evil prevails? Yes there is. That appears to be the idea here. On the average and in the long run all these things will be added to you. But sometimes under God s providence evil wins and all this things are not added, not yet. For the most part we live and plan for the average and for the long run. This is the advice of the sage. But sometimes in the short run They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated (Hebrews 11:37, ESV) We must remember this, on the average good things happen to people living for God. But some periods in history are not average. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (Philippians 1:29, ESV) all these things All these other things refers to the material needs which are not to be the object of worry (v. 31). 38 added To set, add, put, lay unto or with something Ulrich Luz, Matthew 1 7: A Commentary on Matthew 1 7 (ed. Helmut Koester; Rev. ed.; Hermeneia a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2007), France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 272). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 39 προστίθημι Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

14 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:27, ESV) In 6:27 it was observed that one cannot add to the length of one s life. Here we are told that God will do the adding, he will take responsibility to add the food, the drink and the clothes, symbols of the material things we all need. In view of vv , this verse makes it clear that Jesus disciples are not simply to refrain from the pursuit of temporal things as their primary goal in order to differentiate themselves from pagans. Instead, they are to replace such pursuits with goals of far greater significance. 40 That would be the material found in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. To this point, we have been talking about anxiety as it addresses food, drink and clothing. At this point, Jesus broadens the exhortation to include anything that might make people fearful of tomorrow. 41 Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:13 14, ESV) trouble κακία bad. Wickedness as an evil habit of the mind. 42 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Because today has problems that need to be addressed, if we are instead focused on tomorrow s trouble, we will not be doing today s work properly. But does this mean we should not consider what problems we may face tomorrow? Would a wise man ignore a brewing storm? The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. (Proverbs 22:3, ESV) Part of living life well today is to consider the problems one may face tomorrow and prepare for them. So, Jesus is not saying that we should not consider the future or that we should no prepare for the future but that we should not worry about the future, that is to look to the future faithlessly. its own trouble 40 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 181). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 41 Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1 13 (vol. 33A; Word Biblical Commentary; Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

15 God s care and provision are assured, but that does not mean that the disciple life is to be one long picnic. Each day will still have its troubles; the preceding verses simply provide the assurance that by the grace of God they can be survived. 43 he is implicitly teaching that even for his disciples today s grace is sufficient only for today and should not be wasted on tomorrow. If tomorrow does bring new trouble, there will be new grace to meet it. 44 Following the expansion of Matthew 6:34 to address other areas of anxiety, Paul and Peter add additional information. Conclusion do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6, ESV) casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7, ESV) The section has generated a lot of discussion. However, we want to summarize this material so that we have something to take away from all this. 1) On the Average and in the Long Run There is in wisdom literature, Proverbs and the Sermon on the Mount are examples, a phrase that is essential to understand the broad, unmodified statements often heard in this genre. It is this: on the average and in the long run. This means that not every statement works out exactly how the sage states it every time. But it does on the average and in the long run. Are there times that are not average and not the long run when evil prevails? Yes there is. That appears to be the idea here. For instance, on the average and in the long run all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). But sometimes under God s providence evil wins and all these things are not added, not yet. For the most part we live and plan for the average and for the long run. This is the advice of the sage, and it is how we should live. But sometimes in the short run we read, They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated (Hebrews 11:37, ESV). We must remember this, on the average good things happen to people living for God. But some periods in history are not average. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (Philippians 1:29, ESV) Living the Sermon on the Mount is the first priority, working for a living is the second. And on the average and in the long run God abundantly supplies. 43 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 182). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

16 2) O you of little faith? In Matthew 6:30 Jesus said something of importance when he addressed those that were failing in this endeavor saying O you of little faith? Apparently that was the essence of the problem. That also makes it the starting point to a solution. To some large degree worry is a faith issue, or a little faith issue. That apparently is the problem. It is not the first time this issue will come up. And he said to them, Why are you afraid, O you of little faith? Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26, ESV) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:31, ESV) But Jesus, aware of this, said, O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? (Matthew 16:8, ESV) Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast it out? He said to them, Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:19 20, ESV) In the Book of Habakkuk we come across a phrase the righteous shall live by faith. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV) Paul addresses that verse twice in the New Testament. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17, ESV) Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for The righteous shall live by faith. (Galatians 3:11, ESV) The author of the Book of Hebrews makes reference to it just before he writes the great faith chapter in Hebrews. but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. (Hebrews 10:38, ESV) Of course, to have faith in God means to believe in God or to trust God. The one Greek word can be translated faith, believe, or trust. We read in Ephesians, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8, ESV)

17 So, our entry point into Christ and the Christian life is by means of faith. We exercise faith in becoming a child of God, but we also exercise faith in our walk with God. Without faith in God, the creator of heaven and earth, there is neither salvation nor sanctification, both are essential to our spiritual health. Fortunately, the faith that we so desperately need is given to us as a gift from God. We don t have to work it up in order to get saved or get sanctified; God delights in giving it to us. That is an important point to remember. That being the case, let us consider anxiety again. Living by faith is not an option for the believer it is a requirement. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, ESV) Since it is impossible to please God without faith, it must be our determined duty to acquire this freely given gift, faith. In doing so anxiety, worry and fear of life are increasingly addressed. John makes a point of great value that speaks to this issue as well. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18, ESV) To have faith in God is to love God. If that love weakens, our faith weakens and is replaced with fear. See the relationship of fear, doubt and faith in following verses: And he said to them, Why are you afraid, O you of little faith? Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26, ESV) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:31, ESV) Notice the connection between the words afraid and doubt, they are used here as synonyms in the context of little faith. 3) Knows 45 In Matthew 6:32 we read that your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. The Greek word here for know comes from a word meaning to see. This knowledge is as a result of careful observation. It has a facet to it embracing affection. That may be the major thought in its use here. It is not simply that God is aware of the issues of our life that allows us to trust him in crisis, it is because he knows us with an affectionate care; we are the object of his love. The idea would then be because he knows, cares or loves us, we can trust him to supply our needs. Simple prescience would provide no reason to be comforted but an affectionate gaze would. 45 οἶδα to have information about, know.be intimately acquainted with or stand in a close relation to. William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 693.

18 4) Victim? One of the interesting things to be noted in this passage is that those here dealing with anxiety are not viewed as a victims, but instead, as someone who can do something about their own condition. How? 5) Seek 46 Much of Jesus solution to the problem of anxiety is found in this word and phrase. It is an action word and action is expected. It appears to be an illustration of the put off/put on instruction commonly found in Paul. You put off anxiety by putting on the seeking of God s kingdom and his righteousness. It s impossible to put off a bad behavior or habit without putting something in its place. The kingdom of God, meaning righteousness, is what is put on in the place of anxiety. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1, ESV) 6) Do Not Sin Do not be anxious is much like a command to not sin. A righteous God requires both. He calls us to holiness. While recognizing the truth of this, we still recognize how difficult it is for fallen man to stop sinning. Like any sin, we must not make excuses. Yet, we realize that the fullness of this holiness will not be ours until we are glorified in heaven. Sadly, both sin and anxiety will continue to play some part in our life here on earth. 46 ζητέω to try to obtain something from someone to try to obtain, to attempt to get, to seek. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (564). New York: United Bible Societies.