What does Matthew 6:31 Mean?

Study Notes

take no thought
Or, have no anxiety. Matthew 6:34 .

Context Summary

The Lord's tone is gentle and tender when He turns to address the poor. He says three times over, "Don't be anxious." He never forgot that He sprang, according to His human nature, from the ranks of poverty. His references to patching garments, using old bottle-skins, the price of sparrows, and the scanty pittance of a laborer's hire, indicate that He was habituated to the shifts of the poor.

There is all the difference between foresight and foreboding. It is the latter that Jesus chides. The farmer must sow in the autumn that he may reap in the summer, but there is no need for him to lie sleepless through the nights of winter, worrying about the yet distant harvest. Do not be anxious about the supply of your needs, whether of body, mind, or heart. God knows what you need. If He has given life, will He not maintain it? Does He not care for the birds and flowers? Did He not give His Son, and will He withhold any good? Trust Him and be at peace. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 6

¹  Giving to the Needy
⁵  The Lord's Prayer
¹⁶  Proper Fasting
¹⁹  Store up Treasures in Heaven
²⁵  Do Not Worry
³³  but seek God's kingdom