Continuing a study of the Gospels:
(Matthew 6:16) "Moreover, when you fast, do not be as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Verily, I say to you, they have their reward."
Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount. He had been teaching the right intention and manner in things like giving to the needy and prayer. He continued now with the right intention and manner of fasting. As with their charitable giving and prayer, they were not to make a big public show of their fasting, by putting on a pitiful expression so that all would know they were fasting. If they did so because they sought the admiration of men, then that is all the reward they would receive.
(17) "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, (18) That you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret, shall reward you openly."
Jesus instructed men to fast so that only their heavenly Father knew they were fasting. Fasting was to be the humbling of the soul before God, and was to be done in secret before Him. If it was done for admiration of men, it was worthless to God. However, God would see in secret and reward accordingly.
(19) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break through and steal."
Jesus dissuaded from storing up worldly treasures, where they were subject to the elements or to theft. Those treasures could so easily vanish, and one would be left with nothing.
(20) "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break through and steal."
Rather than storing up earthly treasures for oneself, Jesus encouraged storing up treasures in heaven. These would be acts of love and mercy and charity to others; those treasures were not subject to decay, nor could they be stolen.
(21) "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also."
One's treasure is what he values most. Whatever is valued most will certainly be one's heart's desire. If God is the treasure of one's soul, then his affections and desires will be on heavenly things. If personal wealth, fame, or power is what a man values most, then his treasures will be built up on earth.
(22) "The light of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is single, your whole body shall be full of light."
The light of the body is the eye. The eye sees and directs the body. If the eye singularly focuses on light, then the whole body is filled with light. If the eye sees singularly and clearly, and is focused on the things of God, then so the whole body will be directed and will therefore be full of light. This is applied to the mind's eye and intention. Light represents what is good, true, and holy. If the mind and its intention is on the things of God, then the entire body will be full of God's light.
(23) "But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
If the mind's eye is set on darkness, the opposite of what is good, true, and holy, the body will follow where it is directed, and will be full of darkness. Therefore if the light of the body is only darkness, and that darkness fills the entire body, how great is that darkness and what awful deeds of darkness will the body perform!
(24) "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
If the mind's eye is always looking two ways, looking at two different ends, it might be said to be trying to serve two different or opposing masters or purposes. Jesus said that was not possible. Even if both the "masters" were of similar mind and purpose, only one could truly be served, as a servant must obey the law of one over the other. God's law must be obeyed and cannot be compromised in order to serve mammon, that is wealth, money, and worldly riches. Whichever is treasured most is the master.
(25) "Therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"
Obviously, man must eat and drink to survive, and he must dress his body, but Jesus's point was to not worry about those worldly things. Life is much more than food and clothes. God knows what man needs for life. How much more important are the things that truly support and sustain life than food and clothes! If God is trustworthy in supplying all our truly important needs, is there any need to worry about the less important things?
(26) "Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?"
Jesus told His disciples to consider the birds of the air. They didn't work to store up food for themselves. Their heavenly Father knew what they needed and supplied it for them. His point was that His disciples would be of more value to Him than small animals, so wouldn't it reasonably follow that He would take care of all their needs?
(27) "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"
A cubit was a measure of length equal to a man's forearm, from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, about 18 inches. Most scholars believe what was intended here was age, not stature, "age" being the primary definition of the original word "helikia" and "stature" is the secondary meaning. Lengths of measure have been used to measure time, especially with regard to life. Psalm 39:5 says, "Behold, You have made my days as a handbreadth..." Since this follows Jesus's instruction to take no thought for one's life, it seems reasonable to assume He meant here that one could not add so much as a cubit to his life's journey by worrying. Even if stature was meant, the same conclusion applies. No one could change either by worrying. However, when Luke recorded this same account in Luke 12:25-26, he added the question, "If you then are not able to do that thing which is least, why worry about the rest?" The fact that Luke called this the least thing, does make it sound as if it refers to adding one small cubit to one's life's journey, rather than adding 18 inches to one's stature, which would be a huge thing!
(28) "And why take thought for clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. (29) And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Having shown what folly it was to worry about food or prolonging life, Jesus asked why then would one worry about clothing? Just as God fed the birds, He demonstrated how God took care of the flowers in nature that did not labor or spin cloth to array themselves with such beauty, that magnificent natural beauty that could only be created by God, and only to a limited extent imitated by man.
(30) "Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the furnace, shall He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Jesus continued the thought started in verse 28. If God took such care to beautifully adorn the lilies, grass, and anything that grew in the fields, things that lasted such a short time and then withered and died and were burned, then how much more would He clothe His people, who are of much longer life and who are designed for much greater purposes and service to God? He called them of little faith if they should so worry about clothing, and not trust that God Himself always provided what they needed. It must be noted that it is what we need, maybe not always what we want, and that is not to be viewed as a deprivation, but the all good and just God gives us just the right things for just the right time. Anything that is seen by us as deprivation should rather be seen as for our own good, for God is always about good and fulfilling His good purposes:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
"And we know all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
(31) "Therefore, take no thought saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we be clothed?'"
This is a repetition of what Jesus said in verse 25, after explaining why one should not worry about these things. John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, showed how this verse was so much more than just a repetition. This was actually a very loving and kind reminder to take anxiety away, a "cure" for anxiety, if you will. When we put our faith in God, we have nothing to worry about! Worry is actually a result of lack of faith in God's providence. When we truly know in our hearts that God is all good, and that He works everything to the good, it's easy to let go, and "let God." Just because we don't always get what we think we need, doesn't mean God wasn't good to us. He knows far better than we do what is best for us, and we can trust Him, because in the end, He is always right and just and good.
(32) "(For after all these things the Gentiles seek); for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things."
As an aside, but also a very important distinction for His followers, Jesus told them that the pagan nations of the world sought after these worldly things. However, His disciples had their heavenly Father who knew that they needed these things. What a blessing they had in their assurance in God, that the rest of the world did not have and had to constantly worry and strive for their needs.
(33) "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Back to the eye in verse 22, if one will look to God first and singularly, to the things of God and His righteousness, he will receive all the things he needs. Actually, this statement by Jesus is a great summary of the entire chapter. If one has the right state of heart, on God, and not on earthly things, he will receive all he needs, and actually be rewarded. What this reward is, I don't know. Is it "things added" in this earthly life? Is it a reward of those heavenly treasures that are stored up in heaven? Is it reward in heaven itself, or greater rewards in heaven? I say, what a reward it is to not have to worry as the world does! How sad is it that worldly people only have the things of the world to reward them? How sad is it that they must claw and fight their way to achieve those earthly rewards? How sad is it that they have no real hope for their future eternity and that all they have are their earthly rewards that they cannot take with them? "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37)
(34) "Therefore, take no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for its own things. Sufficient for today is its own evil."
This goes back to the Lord's model prayer in which we ask only for our daily needs, and take no thought for tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own anxieties. As my husband used to say, "Don't borrow trouble," as we had enough to deal with that current day. However, if you trust God to take care of your day's needs, and you daily ask and remain dependent on only Him for those needs, you never have to think about tomorrow. As another saying goes, every day brings its own cares, so to worry about tomorrow only doubles those cares and anxieties. Trusting the Lord alleviates anxiety and fear. Truly, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). How easy it is to rest in Him and not have the constant cares and anxieties of the world!
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