Matthew 6:27

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? WHICH OF YOU, BY TAKING THOUGHT ('ANXIOUS SOLICITUDE') CAN ADD ONE CUBIT UNTO HIS STATURE, [ heelikian (G2244)]? "Stature" can hardly be the thing intended here: first, because the subject is the prolongation of life, by the supply of its necessaries of food and clothing; and next, because no one would dream of adding a cubit-or a foot and a half-to his stature, while in the corresponding passage in Luke (Luke 12:25), the thing intended is represented as "that thing which is least." But if we take the word in its primary sense of 'age' (for 'stature' is but a secondary sense) the idea will be this, 'Which of you, however anxiously you vex yourselves about it, can add so much as a step to the length of...

27._Which of you by anxious care, etc ? _Here our Lord condemns another fault, which is almost always connected with immoderate anxiety about food: and that is, when a mortal man, claiming more than he has a right to do, does not hesitate, in sacrilegious hardihood, to go beyond his limits. “O Lord, I know (says Jeremiah) that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,” (Jeremiah 10:23.) You scarcely meet with one person in a hundred, who does not venture to make any promises that he thinks fit on his own industry and power. The consequence is, that those who take credit to themselves for their prosperity, do not hesitate to lose sight of God, when they enter into any undertaking. To restrain this mad rashness, Christ tells us, that whatever contributes to the support of our li

25-34 There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often insnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich. But there is a carefulness about temporal things which is a duty, though we must not carry these lawful cares too far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but refer it to God to lengthen or shorten it as he pleases; our times are in his hand, and they are in a good hand. Not about the comforts of this life; but leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as he pleases. Food and raiment God has promised, therefore we may expect them. Take no thought for the morrow, for the time to come. Be not anxious for the future, how you shall live next year, or when you are old, or what you shall leave behind you. As we must not boast of tom...

Verse Matthew 6:27. _WHICH OF YOU BY TAKING THOUGHT CAN ADD ONE CUBIT UNTO_ _HIS STATURE?_] The _third_ reason against these carking cares is the unprofitableness of human solicitude, unless God vouchsafe to bless it. What can our _uneasiness_ do but render us still more unworthy of the Divine care? The passage from distrust to apostasy is very short and easy; and a man is not far from murmuring against Providence, who is dissatisfied with its conduct. We should depend as fully upon God for the _preservation_ of his _gifts_ as for the _gifts_ themselves. _CUBIT UNTO HIS STATURE?_] I think ηλικιαν should be rendered _age_ here, and so our translators have rendered the word in John 9:21, αυτος ηλικιαν εχει _he is of age_. A

WHICH OF YOU, BY TAKING THOUGHT - The third argument is taken from their extreme weakness and helplessness. With all your care you cannot increase your stature a single cubit. God has ordered your height. Beyond his appointment your powers are of no avail, and you can do nothing. So of raiment. He, by His providence, orders and arranges the circumstances of your life. “Beyond” that appointment of His providence, beyond his care for you, your efforts avail nothing. Seeing, then, that he alike orders your growth and the supply of your needs, how obvious is the duty of depending upon him, and of beginning all your efforts, feeling that He only can grant you the means of preserving life. ONE CUBIT - The cubit was originally the length from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. The cubit of the Scriptures is not far from 22 inches. Terms of “length” are often applied to life, and it is t...

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 6:1 _The_ _relation of our Lord and his disciples to the religion of the day _(_continued_);_ vide _Matthew 5:17, note. (_b_) Our Lord turns from cases which could be directly deduced from the Law to those which belonged only to recognized religious duty. Of these he instances three: alms (Matthew 5:2), prayer (Matthew 5:5, Matthew 5:9), fasting (Matthew 5:16). It is, indeed, true

WHICH OF YOU BY TAKING THOUGHT,.... As Christ argued before, from the unnecessariness of anxious thoughts and cares, about the provisions of life; so here, from the unprofitableness of them; it being impossible for a man, with all his care and thought, to ADD ONE CUBIT UNTO HIS STATURE, or "to his age"; so the word is rendered, John 9:21 to the days of his life, he is so solicitous about; for a cubit may as well be applied to a man's age, as an "hand's breadth" is to his days, Psalms 39:5. Nor is it so reasonable to think, that Christ should be speaking of making such an addition to a man's height; though that, to be sure, is an impossible thing: since the far greater part of Christ's hearers must be come to their full growth, and could not hope to have any addition made to their height; though th

Matthew 6:5. _And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men._ We ought to pray in the synagogue, and we may pray at the corners of the streets; but the wrong is to do it to «be seen of men,» that is, to be looking for some present reward in the praises that fall from human lips. Matthew 6:5. _Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking._...

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The Better Righteousness.(Matthew 6:1 .) 2. Kept in the World; Single-eyed; Trusting God.(Matthew 6:19 .)_ Our Lord said: “For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in nowise enter into the kingdom of the heavens” (Matthew 5:20). This righteousness He had taught in His confirmation and expansion of the law, but now He speaks of something higher still. He makes known the motive of this true righteousness, which the heir of the kingdom is not alone to possess but also to practice. The motive is in all to act in the presence of the Father. The first eighteen verses of the sixth chapter shows this in a threefold relation. First, in rel

TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS IN RELATION TO WEALTH. The Sermon here passes from the shortcomings of the Scribes and Pharisees. There are scattered parallels to this section in Lk. MATTHEW 6:19. TREASURE (Luke 12:33 f.). Jesus has already spoken of earthly and heavenly reward; here the theme is earthly and heavenly wealth. Note the Hebraic parallelism and tautology in this thumbnail sketch of Oriental wealth, consisting largely of garments (_cf._ James 5:2 f.). rust (Matthew 6:19 f.) is literally eating, and refers to the mice and other vermin that play havoc in the granary. DIG THROUGH (_mg.):_ see...