Matthew 6:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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?

NIV: If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?

NASB: But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

CSB: If that's how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won't he do much more for you--you of little faith?

NLT: And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

KJV: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

NKJV: Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Jesus is teaching even the poorest among His listeners that worrying about money and serving God do not go together. For one thing, worry is ineffective. It doesn't fix anything (Matthew 6:27). More than that, though, is that God's children can trust their Father in heaven to provide what they need. He asked in the previous verses why they worry about what they will wear (Matthew 6:28–29); it's likely some in His original audience literally did not know where the money would come from to replace their tattered garments. He asked them to think about lilies, clothed in splendor despite doing nothing equivalent to human work.

Now He brings the point of that illustration home. God cares much more deeply about His children than He does about birds (Matthew 6:26) or about flowers. The wild lilies are considered only "grass" here. They spring up, bloom in splendor, and quickly die before being raked up and burned. If God provides "clothing" for them, Jesus says, don't you think He will clothe you? Christ has already pointed out that God's blessing does not always mean worldly comfort (Matthew 5:3–12), so His provision can sometimes involve lacking things we think of as "needs."

Jesus ends by addressing those who worry as "you of little faith." That might sound harsh to us; it's important to remember that Jesus is speaking to people He loves, seeking to free them of the burden of fear. Their trust in God should provide peace of mind. That's a strong contrast to those who rely on material wealth to provide what they need.

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.

Chapter 5 began Matthew's telling of the Sermon on the Mount. In that passage, Jesus pointed out that thoughts and attitudes are part of righteousness, just as much as actions. In Chapter 6, He explains how good deeds are only righteous when done out of sincere devotion to God, rather than for other people's approval. He also provides a model for prayer. Jesus explains how excessive worry, such as over money, interferes with faith in God. Knowing that God loves us should lead believers to trust Him, not to be anxious. Chapter 6 is one of the few chapters of the New Testament entirely composed of the words of Christ. In chapter 7 Jesus will introduce additional themes such as appropriate judgment, trust in God, and treatment of others.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.