Matthew 6:30

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? WHEREFORE, IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS [THE 'HERBAGE' chorton (G5528 )] OF THE FIELD, WHICH TODAY IS, AND TOMORROW IS CAST INTO THE OVEN - wild flowers cut with the grass, withering by the heat, and used for fuel. (See James 1:11) SHALL HE NOT MUCH MORE CLOTHE YOU, O YE OF LITTLE, FAITH? The argument here is something fresh. 'Gorgeous as is the array of the flowers that deck the fields, surpassing all artificial human grandeur, it is for but a brief moment; you are ravished with it today, and tomorrow it is gone; your own hands have seized and cast it...

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 30. _IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS OF THE FIELD_] Christ confounds both the luxury of the _rich_ in their superfluities, and the distrust of the _poor_ as to the necessaries of life. Let man, who is made for God and eternity, learn from a flower of the field how low the care of Providence stoops. All our inquietudes and distrusts proceed from lack of faith: _that_ supplies all wants. The poor are not really such, but because they are destitute of faith. _TO-MORROW IS CAST INTO THE OVEN_] The inhabitants of the east, to this day, make use of _dry straw, withered herbs_, and _stubble_, to heat their _ovens_. Some have translated the original word κλιβανον, _a still_, and intimate that our Lord alludes to the _distillation of herbs_ for medicinal purposes; but this is certainly contrary to the scope of our Lord's argument, which runs thus: If God covers with so much _glory_ things of n...

WHEREFORE, IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS OF THE FIELD - What grows up in the field, or grows wild and without culture. The word “grass,” applied here to the lily, denotes merely that it is a vegetable production, or that it is among the things which grow wild, and which are used for fuel. WHICH TODAY IS - It lives today, or it lives for a day. It is short-lived, and seems to be a thing of no value, and is so treated. IS CAST INTO THE OVEN - The Jews had different modes of baking. In early times they frequently baked in the sand, warmed with the heat of the sun. They constructed, also, movable ovens made of clay, brick, or plates of iron. But the most common kind, and the one here probably referred to, was made by excavating the ground 2 1/2 feet in diameter, and from 5 to 6 feet deep. This kind of oven still exists in Persia. The bottom was paved with stones. It

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

WHEREFORE IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS OF THE FIELD..... These words are a conclusion from the former, and contain an argument from the lesser to the greater; that if God, for this is solely his work, so clothes the lilies, the flowers of the field, and whatever grows up out of the earth, in such a beautiful and splendid manner, as even to outdo Solomon, in his richest apparel; there's no doubt to be made of it, or at least ought not, but that he will much more provide clothing for men. The argument is illustrated, by the short continuance of the grass of the field, which is so clothed; and the use it is put to, when cut down; WHICH TODAY IS in being, but abides not long, as it were but for a day: it flourishes in the morning, continues for the day in its glory and verdure, is cut down at evening, and withers and dies, AND TOMORROW IS CAST INTO THE OVEN, to heat it with, or as the Syriac...

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...

IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS OF THE FIELD. Wild flowers belong to the herbage that is cut with the grass. In Palestine the forests in many localities disappeared thousands of years ago and in the scarcity of fuel dried grass and weeds are often used to heat the oven. The argument is plain. If God clothe the grass in such glory, the grass that is short-lived and to-morrow will be burned in the bake-oven, will he not be far more likely to see that you, created in his own image and his child, are clothed?...