Matthew Chapter 6 (19-34)
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Matthew Chapter 6 (Necessities from God)
Matthew Chapter 6 (Necessities from God)
Intro: A couple of Sunday’s ago James went over the 1st half of Matthew Chapter 6, and we saw the Sermon of Jesus on the Mount, and how Christ was teaching us the instructions on prayer, and fasting and how to approach them,
This morning, going over the last half of this chapter, we are going to see Christ teaching and showing the importance over not loving materialistic things, how you cant serve God and mammon, (which we will break that word down) and to not worry about materialistic things, even our materialistic needs here in the flesh.
The first half of this chapter was almost like a “what to do and how” and the last half we are covering this morning is more of a “what NOT to do and why”
So lets get started,
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Christ is saying here,
“ Dont collect materialistic treasures here on earth, they will break down, they don't last forever,”
And not only that, its almost like putting an target on your home for thieves,
And I am the worlds worst at collecting little trinkets, and what not, but Why does Christ make it a point to teach this?
we will see in a couple verses the importance,
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Don’t focus on collecting worldly treasures, focus on the treasures in heaven,
what is our treasures in heaven?
Our faith, our works unto Christ, our reflection of Christs light onto others,
No man can steal your relationship with our Father, our works and faith which lead to eternal life will not breakdown, rust, or collect dust,
That's what we should be collecting, not materialistic worldly things that will NOT last forever,
But Why does Christ make a point NOT to collect worldly treasures?
Take a look at this very next verse here,
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
If we are focused on “ man I really want that new Car” or whatever it may be, subconsciously that’s what our focus is gonna be,
When we are strive for our treasures in heaven such as our faith, works, and reflection of Christ, then that is what our focus point will be,
and like it talks about thieves breaking and stealing our worldly treasures,
What it is talking about is having that stress and worry over materialistic things being taken,
Heavenly treasures can’t be taken away by thieves, the only worry we have from those are “are we doing what Christ has called us to do” and “am i studying and living by the true word of God”,
Which then leads us to be better focused on Him.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
The light and darkness is commonly used as metaphors in the Bible for Good and evil.
What is the light, the light of Christ,
What is the darkness, Satan, or evil,
Wherever Christ is, there can’t be darkness.
and what this verse here is telling us, is that when our eye or our focus is singled out unto Christ, our whole body or I take this as “character” our personality, our overall way of life will be full of light,
and what does light do? it reflects onto everything around it,
Just like we talked about with our works, sometimes when it comes to witnessing to others, it’s not just simply reciting the word unto them, but our very way of life, the way we portray ourselves, the way we love and care for others can be a way others get witnessed to,
Be that role model for others who may not know the word to follow,
Just like Christ did, he didn't just preach the gospel, he lived it,
Christ is the living word.
But lets take a look at the contrary of this,
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Read that last part again, “how great is that darkness” exclamation point, not a question mark.
This is Jesus speaking here, he used this punctuation to show emphasis on how great the darkness is in our lives when our focus is on flesh desires and not the desires for God.
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.
Lets look at that word mammon there,
Mammon or mammonas in the Greek, meaning personified wealth,
You can’t serve God when all you have on your mind is money, and wealth in the flesh,
and also, reading Christ’s analogy here, you can’t serve two masters,
reading it made me think back to when we talked about God gives us gifts,
whether your a Physician, a teacher, a banker, electrition, whatever the case may be, God gives us gifts and talents in our roles even here on earth,
When we are at work, if we only strive to please our bosses, or if we are a business owner, strive to have more and better buisness, we aren’t working for God,
Take your career, use your gifts to do the job at hand, but also use them as a way to witness to others and spread God’s light,
Even though we have bosses at our job’s we still are to respect them, but keep God as our focal point even in our careers, don't worry about striving to solely please your boss, or your business in order to get that promotion, or that pay raise,
Do honest work, and give your full honor to God and we will see He will bless us,
We just studied in Daniel on Thursday night Bible study, and we saw how Daniel always honored his superior in his job, but also gave his works and never strayed away from his belief and knowledge of the almighty,
They were beheading Jews at the time and we still saw Daniel prosper and work up the ranks in his career.
So don’t just focus on pleasing your boss at work, keep your eye singled on God, and HE WILL provide our every need, which leads to verse 25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
As a head provider of my household, this is a hard instruction to follow,
Don’t stress over food, water, even the clothes on your back, God WILL PROVIDE.
What Christ is telling us here, isn’t to not worry and use our common sense, but that if we are giving an honest days work, following the word of God, that HE WILL open and close doors as needed in order for our every needs to be met.
People who serve God faithfully can trust Him to meet their materialistic needs.
Sometimes it is needed to plan ahead, stock up on some drinking water, some non perishables, as a man of the house even woman of the house, we are to provide and protect our children,
But don’t stress over needs you can’t control if you are faithfully and honestly giving it all you have.
Have faith and God that we will be protected and provided for.
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
There is only one bird known for hibernating and that is the common poor will,
Christ is comparing to the fowls of the air here, the birds.
What do birds do during times of famine or hardships,
They migrate,
Migration isn’t just the cliche “flying south for the winter”
Migration for birds is when they come together with one another to search for food and even work together to make physical changes, psychological changes, in order to find the needs in which God provides for them during those times.
That’s what Christ is comparing us to here.
If God will provide the needs for them even during hard times, why wouldn’t he provide for us.
Look up the true migration of birds during the winter,
It isn’t just because it’s cold outside, it’s mainly because their food sources are dormant.
They come together with one another, or “fellowship” and work together to undergo hardships the same way WE should do as children of God.
Studying just this verse, studying the true reasoning and the how of migrations with birds is really neat, because in a way,
I feel like Christ references this not just to show importance in God providing for ALL His creations, but how the process even compares to how we should be during hard times.
Almost reveals to me yet another way how God’s guidance is again written and proven in nature.
IDK pretty neat but anyway back to Matthew.
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Christ, giving us another rhetorical question here,
He isn’t just meaning who can add height to your stature,
It is a metaphor for our lives,
Christ saying, who can add time to their life.
You can prepare all you want, see doctors, get supplements, exercise, eat right, but when it is your time it is your time, God is gonna call you home.
One of my best friends passed away last weekend,
about a year and a half ago he got hit on his motorcycle and didn’t know if he was going to make it or not,
He went through 18 surgeries, defying doctors expectation and then, a year and a half later, was working with his dad and just fell over, had a seizure and didn’t wake up.
No matter what we do, how much we prepare or strive to live a healthy lifestyle in the flesh, when God knows it’s our time He WILL call us home.
That’s what Christ is furthering here.
Don’t stress over needs in the flesh so much that your end up losing faith in Him and try and take matters in your own hands.
Study God’s word, strive to life His word and by His guidance, and leave the things we can’t control to him.
Have whole heart faith in our Christ that He WILL provide.
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Christ is comparing here our necessities of the flesh body, speaking about raiment.
our outlook on necessities should be like the very wildflowers that grow in a field,
Wildflowers don't need to be planted, they don't need to be watered or fertilized because God does that in nature,
Lilies of the field don't need a farmer constantly tending and planing ahead on what they need to survive and be nourished,
And when the winter comes and frosts over they go dormant and when spring time comes around, they blossom back out.
Just like us with Christ, we don't need to constantly be worrying out how we will be clothed and nourished, when we are following the guidance of God, HE WILL PROVIDE.
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Solomon was the king over the united kingdom of Israel, he was the Son of David.
Christ is using him as an example here to compare his royalty and abundance, his royal clothing, to the beauty and abundance in how God takes care of the lilies, the wildflowers of the field.
That saying, “consider the lilies” is meaning to not worry about how well you try to provide for yourself in the flesh, because no matter how wealthy or successful you are here on Earth, it has No comparison to the beauty, wealth, or success that God has in store in our lives.
This next verse, Christ gives us another rhetorical question over this,
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?
Take note on that phrase there, “ O ye of little faith?”
we will see Christ saying this in Matthew chapter 8,14, and 16 talking about his disciples when they doubt God’s ability to take care of them.
That first part of this verse where it says “tomorrow is cast into the oven”
Is talking about the grass in the field being used as fuel for fires in camps and all
Christ is saying here, God gives so much thought and effort in providing for the simple weeds and grass in the field who's purpose was to simply be burnt into ash, Why would he not use as much love and protection into providing for the very soldiers in His army.
His Children.
Don’t ever doubt God’s love in providing for us. He has a plan for our lives, we just have to study and listen and He will put us on the path we are to go.
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
The gentiles here are non Jewish people.
Remember that in Old testament, the Jews were God’s chosen people,
The gentiles were mainly pagans, idolaters ect ect.
that is what Christ is meaning here, the non believers or followers of Christ in this time were constantly seeking necessities of the flesh body because they didn’t have the knowledge that God was with them and providing,
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
This is what Christ is speaking on here, Greek in Galatians here meaning Gentile, or non Jewish people.
They are no more separated because we ALL have the chance to be the chosen of God.
Jesus is speaking here to not only his disciples but ALL of his followers saying, Don’t seek and stress over the needs in a way that doubts God’s ability to provide.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Very Very important verse here,
The word but, here is important because it is used as a conjunction from all of this chapter to this verse here.
This whole chapter is speaking on not stressing over the clothes on our backs, the food and water we need to survive and yet leads to this verse joining a contrasting clause,
(read verse)
All we need to be focused on, and worried about, is seeking the kingdom of God, seeking His righteousness, and God WILL provide all of these needs for us.
and to finish us off, look at verse 34 here.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We have looked at this verse IDK how many times before, I think we are ALL guilty of this at some point if not all the time.
Don’t worry about the future, Why?
Because tomorrow has enough problems and sin of it’s own.
Worry about the now, and seeking, growing, and engaging in your relationship with our creator for HE WILL PROVIDE.
Conclusion,
That’s what its all about,
Now remember, not stressing over needs or stressing over the future does NOT mean to not use common sense.
If we know we need food, clothes, a roof over our heads, then obviously we need to get out and work in order to provide for our families,
If there is a bad hurricane coming, that doesn’t mean to not prepare a little extra food for power outages, or the in ability to travel,
God gives us common sense for a reason,
But when we are keeping that relationship with God, striving every day to follow his commandments, and live the way he guides us to live, HE WILL provide those needs.
God opens and also closes doors in our lives in order to keep us on the path He has in store for us.
What this half of the chapter is telling us here is,
Don’t worry and stress over the things we can’t control.
God will provide for His followers,
BUT,
But we are to seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
Follow His word and keep our overall relationship with Him FIRST,
THEN all these needs will be provided unto us.
Matthew Chapter 6 (Necessities from God)
Matthew Chapter 6 (Necessities from God)
