Matthew 6:24-25

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:19-24

Worldly-mindedness is as common and as fatal a symptom of hypocrisy as any other, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a visible and passable profession of religion, than by this; and therefore Christ, having warned us against coveting the praise of men, proceeds next to warn us against coveting the wealth of the world; in this also we must take heed, lest we be as the hypocrites are, and do as they do: the fundamental error that they are guilty... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 6:25-34

There is scarcely any one sin against which our Lord Jesus more largely and earnestly warns his disciples, or against which he arms them with more variety of arguments, than the sin of disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of life, which are a bad sign that both the treasure and the heart are on the earth; and therefore he thus largely insists upon it. Here is, I. The prohibition laid down. It is the counsel and command of the Lord Jesus, that we take no thought about... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:24

6:24 No man can be a slave to two owners; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cleave to the one and despise the other. You cannot be a slave to God and to material things. To one brought up in the ancient world this is an even more vivid saying than it is to us. The Revised Standard Version translates it: No one can serve two masters. But that is not nearly strong enough. The word which the Revised Standard Version translates "serve" is douleuein ( Greek... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:24

This saying of Jesus is bound to turn our thoughts to the place which material possessions should have in life. At the basis of Jesus' teaching about possessions there are three great principles. (i) In the last analysis all things belong to God. Scripture makes that abundantly clear. "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein" ( Psalms 24:1 ). "For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.... If I were hungry I would... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:24

There are two great questions about possessions, and on the answer to these questions everything depends. (i) How did a man gain his possessions? Did he gain them in a way that he would be glad that Jesus Christ should see, or did he gain them in a way that he would wish to hide from Jesus Christ? A man may gain his possessions at the expense of honesty and honour. George Macdonald tells of a village shop-keeper who grew very rich. Whenever he was measuring cloth, he measured it with his... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:25-34

6:25-34 I tell you, therefore, do not worry about your life, about what you are to eat, or what you are to drink; and do not worry about your body, about what you are to wear. Is not your life more than food, and your body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, and see that they do not sow, or reap, or gather things into store-houses, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not better than they? Who of you can add one span to his life by worrying about it? And why do you... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:25-34

In these ten verses Jesus sets out seven different arguments and defences against worry. (i) He begins by pointing out ( Matthew 6:25 ) that God gave us life, and, if he gave us life, surely we can trust him for the lesser things. If God gave us life, surely we can trust him to give us food to sustain that life. If God gave us bodies, surely we can trust him for raiment to clothe these bodies. If anyone gives us a gift which is beyond price, surely we can be certain that such a giver will... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 6:25-34

Let us now see if we can gather up Jesus' arguments against worry. (i) Worry is needless, useless and even actively injurious. Worry cannot affect the past, for the past is past. Omar Khayyam was grimly right: "The moving finger writes, and, having writ, Moves on; nor all thy piety nor wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it." The past is past. It is not that a man can or ought to dissociate himself from his past; but he ought... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:24

No man can serve two masters ,.... Whose orders are directly contrary to one another: otherwise, if they were the same, or agreed, both might be served; but this is rarely the case, and seldom done. This is a proverbial expression, and is elsewhere used by Christ, Luke 16:13 . The Jews have sayings pretty much like it, and of the same sense as when they say F23 Praefat. Celi Jaker, fol. 3. 1. , "we have not found that כל אדם זוכה לשתי שולחנות , "any man is fit for two... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:25

Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life ,.... Since ye cannot serve both God and "mammon", obey one, and neglect the other. Christ does not forbid labour to maintain, support, and preserve, this animal life; nor does he forbid all thought and care about it, but all anxious, immoderate, perplexing, and distressing thoughts and cares; such as arise from diffidence and unbelief, and tend to despair; which are dishonourable to God, as the God of nature and providence, and... read more

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