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Answer
In the midst of His profound Sermon on the Mount, the Lord shifts to the subject of anxiety or worry, urging His disciples to rely on God as their provider. He questions His followers, “Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendor was not clothed like one of these. 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?” (Matthew 6:28-30;ESV).
This portion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34) could be aptly named “Cease Worrying!” Jesus mentions the word worry or worries at least five times. The Lord had just finished discussing wealth, contrasting fleeting earthly riches with everlasting heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19-24). He emphasizes that true servants of the kingdom should not seek temporary recognition on earth, but should focus on heaven and the rewards awaiting them in eternity. Jesus reveals that the purpose of this life is to prepare us for the world to come.
Expanding on this idea, Christ teaches that the pursuit of wealth may be the primary competitor for our allegiance to God: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” « 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. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. », (Matthew 6:25). The devoted servant who is fully dedicated to the King does not need to worry about daily life. The purpose of our existence transcends mere concerns about sustenance and clothing.
Jesus uses food and clothing as general illustrations of our fundamental needs. We could just as easily substitute “the rent,” “the power bill,” “the grocery budget,” or any number of daily worries that cause us anxiety.
Jesus prompts us to observe the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store in barns. Yet, their heavenly Father provides for them. “Are you not much more valuable than they?” Jesus inquires «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? », (Matthew 6:26, NLT). Worrying about our basic needs is futile. Jesus questions, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (verse 27). Trusting God as our provider entails believing that He will supply our necessities. God holds the power of life and death, and He will sustain His servants for as long as necessary to endure (Matthew 6:28). “Yet I tell you,” Jesus stresses, “that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (verse 29). The lilies of the field are here today and gone tomorrow, explains Jesus. If God cares so tenderly for short-lived wildflowers, how much more will He care for us who are of great value to Him (verse 30)? Not only does Jesus encourage us to trust in our heavenly Father, but He also affirms our great worth in God’s eyes.
Nearing the close of this section on worry, Jesus asks, “Why do you have so little faith?” “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”, (Matthew 6:30, ESV). Bible commentaries suggest that Jesus’ tone here is not condescending or scolding, but persuading and reasoning. He punctuates His main point with a penetrating question: “Do you truly trust your Heavenly Father?” Jesus encourages the disciples to look up and look beyond this life, just as Paul urges the Corinthians: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”, (2 Corinthians 4:18). If our priorities are in proper order, if we “seek first…”
In the Bible, it is written, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” then “all these things” (our basic needs for this life) will be provided for us by the King. «But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. », (Matthew 6:33).
We should reflect on the lilies of the field because they remind us to trust our Heavenly Father to care for us and provide for our everyday needs. God loves us deeply and will therefore feed and clothe us. “In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind,” says Job 12:10. We don’t have to worry because our lives are in God’s hands. We should also contemplate the lilies of the field because they symbolize the transient nature of our time on this earth (see Isaiah 40:8). Our focus must remain on eternity and our true purpose in this life. Lastly, we should consider the lilies of the field because they serve as a reminder of how precious we are in God’s eyes.
