What does Matthew 6:27 mean?
Jesus is teaching about money's place in the hearts and minds of God's people. To live for the purpose of building wealth on earth for oneself, He has said, is like living with bad eyes. It creates moral darkness inside a person. Instead, God's people should live in light by serving Him, not money (Matthew 6:19–24). Next, Jesus commanded His followers to reject anxiety about money, even if they don't know what they will eat or wear. Worrying about money when you don't have any still amounts to serving money instead of God. Those who serve God trust God to provide all they truly need. Worry is evidence of faulty faith (Matthew 6:25–26).Here Jesus points out another problem with anxiety, fear, and worry: they're useless. They don't work. They don't help. Those emotions are powerless, so far as those actual needs are concerned. Anxiety is a natural human response—especially when you're wondering how to feed your family. Still, it's a brute fact that worry, in and of itself, can't add a single hour to anyone's life. Worry is ineffective.
Of course, many will protest that anxiety is not like a hat: it's not simply something we can remove. God knows this, and understands how difficult it is to put trust in God when times are difficult. In fact, this is why these reminders are in Scripture. If being a born-again believer made all our fears and doubts disappear, there would be no reason for God to remind us not to worry! Jesus will continue in this passage to show why it is essential for God's people to make an effort to shed worry.
Matthew 6:25–34 concludes this part of the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus' teaching about anxiety. Even to the very poor, Jesus says not to worry about food or clothes. God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies beautifully, and His children are far more valuable than birds. Anxious emotions can't add even an hour to a person's life. Instead, Jesus tells His followers to trust God to provide what they truly need. The context of what we ''need,'' however, is the will of God—which might look very different from what we would prefer (Matthew 5:3–12).
The Sermon on the Mount continues in chapter 6, which is entirely composed of the words of Christ. Jesus teaches that God rewards deeds motivated by sincere devotion to Him, not by approval from other people. He teaches a simple and authentic model prayer. Christ warns against stockpiling money and possessions on earth. Instead, believers should make choices that store up treasure in heaven. A person's top priority can either be God, or money, but cannot be both. Along with that, Jesus says believers should fight against anxiety about daily needs. The heavenly Father knows what we need. All we need to do is pursue His kingdom and righteousness; He will take care of our needs, one day at a time.
