Mat 6:25, 20:28, Mar 3:4, Luk 12:22-23 | Barnes | STEP | Verses 25-34. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought , etc. The general design of this paragraph, which closes the chapter, is to warn his disciples against avarice and anxiety about the supply of their wants. This he does by four arguments or considerations, expressing, by unequalled beauty and force, the duty of depending for the things which we need on the providence of God. The first is stated in the 25th verse: "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" In the beginning of the verse he charged his disciples to take no thought --that is, not to be anxious --about the supply of their wants. God will take care of these. He has given life , a far greater blessing than meat ; he has created the body , of far more consequence than raiment. Shall not he, who has conferred the greater blessing, be willing to confer the less ? Shall not he, who has formed the body so curiously, and made such a display of power and goodness, see that it is properly protected and clothed? He who has displayed so great goodness as to form the body, and breathe into it the breath of life, will surely follow up the blessing, and confer the smaller favour of providing that that body should be clothed, and that life preserved. No thought . The word thought , when the Bible was translated, meant anxiety, and is so used frequently in old English authors. Thus Bacon says, "Haweis died with thought and anguish before his business came to an end." As such it is here used by our translators, and it answers exactly to the meaning of the original. Like many other words, it has since somewhat changed its signification, and would convey to most readers an improper idea. The word anxiety would now exactly express the sense, and is exactly the thing against which the Saviour would guard us. See . Thought about the future is right; anxiety, solicitude, trouble , is wrong. There is a degree of thinking and industry about the things of this life which is proper. See . But it should not be our supreme concern; it should not lead to solicitude or anxiety; it should not take time that ought to be devoted to religion. For your life . For what will support your life. Meat . This word here means food in general, as it does commonly in the Bible. We confine it now to animal food, or the food of animals. When the Bible was translated, it denoted all kinds of food, and is so used in the old English writers. It is one of the words which has changed its meaning since the translation of the Bible was made. Raiment . Clothing. (l) "no thought for your life"

Matthew 6:25

Verses 25-34. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought, etc. The general design of this paragraph, which closes the chapter, is to warn his disciples against avarice and anxiety about the supply of their wants. This he does by four arguments or considerations, expressing, by unequalled beauty and force, the duty of depending for the things which we need on the providence of God. The first is stated in the 25th verse: "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" In the beginning of the verse he charged his disciples to take no thought--that is, not to be anxious--about the supply of their wants. God will take care of these. He has given life, a far greater blessing than meat; he has created the body, of far more consequence than raiment. Shall not he, who has conferred the greater blessing, be willing to confer the less? Shall not he, who has formed the body so curiously, and made such a display of power and goodness, see that it is properly protected and clothed? He who has displayed so great goodness as to form the body, and breathe into it the breath of life, will surely follow up the blessing, and confer the smaller favour of providing that that body should be clothed, and that life preserved.

No thought. The word thought, when the Bible was translated, meant anxiety, and is so used frequently in old English authors. Thus Bacon says, "Haweis died with thought and anguish before his business came to an end." As such it is here used by our translators, and it answers exactly to the meaning of the original. Like many other words, it has since somewhat changed its signification, and would convey to most readers an improper idea. The word anxiety would now exactly express the sense, and is exactly the thing against which the Saviour would guard us. See Lk 8:14, 21:34, Php 4:6. Thought about the future is right; anxiety, solicitude, trouble, is wrong. There is a degree of thinking and industry about the things of this life which is proper. See 1Timm 5:8, 2Thes 3:10, Rom 12:11. But it should not be our supreme concern; it should not lead to solicitude or anxiety; it should not take time that ought to be devoted to religion.

For your life. For what will support your life.

Meat. This word here means food in general, as it does commonly in the Bible. We confine it now to animal food, or the food of animals. When the Bible was translated, it denoted all kinds of food, and is so used in the old English writers. It is one of the words which has changed its meaning since the translation of the Bible was made.

Raiment. Clothing.

(l) "no thought for your life" 1Cor 7:32, Php 4:6

Matthew 20:28

Verse 28. Even as the Son of man, Mt 8:20. Jesus points them to his own example. He was in the form of God in heaven, Php 2:6. He came to men in the form of a servant, Php 2:7. He came not with pomp and glory, but as a man in humble life. And since he came, he had not required them to minister to him. He laboured for them. He strove to do them good. He provided for their wants, fared as poorly as they did, went before them in dangers and sufferings, practised self-denial on their account, and for them was about to lay down his life. See Jn 13:4,5.

To give his life a ransom for many. The word ransom means, literally, a price paid for the redemption of captives. In war, when prisoners are taken by an enemy, the money demanded for their release is called a ransom. That is, it is the means by which they are set at liberty. So anything that releases any one from a state of punishment, or suffering, or sin, is called a ransom. Men are by nature captives to sin. They are sold under it. They are under condemnation, Eph 2:3, Rom 3:9-20,23, 1Jn 5:19. They are under a curse, Gal 3:10. They are in love with sin. They are under its withering dominion, and are exposed to death eternal, Eze 18:4, Ps 9:17; Ps 11:6, 68:2, 139:19, Mt 25:46, Rom 2:6-9. They must have perished unless there had been some way by which they could be rescued. This was done by the death of Jesus; by giving his life a ransom. The meaning is, that he died in the place of sinners, and that God was willing to accept the pains of his death in the place of the eternal suffering of the redeemed. The reasons why such a ransom was necessary are,

1st. that God had declared that the sinner should die--that is, that he would punish, or show his hatred to all sin.

2nd. That all men had sinned; and if justice was to take its regular course, all must perish.

3rd. That man could make no atonement for his own sins. All that he could do, were he holy would be only to do his duty, and would make no amends for the past. Repentance and future obedience would not blot away one sin.

4th. No man was pure, and no angel could make atonement. God was pleased, therefore, to appoint his only-begotten Son to make such a ransom. See Jn 16:10, 1Jn 4:10, 1Pet 1:18,19, Rev 13:8; Jn 1:29, Eph 5:2, Heb 7:27, Isa 53:1-12. This is commonly called the atonement. Rom 5:11.

(t) "but to minister" Lk 22:27, Jn 13:1-38, 4:14, Php 2:7 (u) "and to give" Isa 53:5,8,11, Dan 9:24,26, 1Timm 2:6, Tit 2:14, Heb 9:28 1Pet 1:18,19, Rev 1:5

Mark 3:4

Verse 4. Or to do evil? to saw life, or to kill?. It seems to have been a maxim with the Jews, that not to do good, when we have an opportunity, was to do evil; not to save life was to kill, or to be guilty of murder. If a man has an opportunity of saving a man's life when he is in danger, and does not do it, he is evidently guilty of his death. On this principle our Saviour puts this question to the Jews, whether it was better for him, having the power to heal this man, to do it, or to suffer him to remain in this suffering condition. And he illustrates it by an example, showing that in a matter of much less importance--that respecting their cattle--they would do on the Sabbath just as he would if he should heal this man. The same remark may apply to all opportunities of doing good. "The ability to do good imposes an obligation to do it."--Cotton Mather. He that has the means of feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, and instructing the ignorant, and sending the gospel to the destitute, and that does it not, is guilty; for he is practically doing evil; he is suffering evils to exist which he might remove, So the wicked will be condemned in the day of judgment, because "they did it not," Mt 25:45. If this be true, what an obligation rests on the rich to do good!

Luke 12:22-23

Verses 22-31. Mt 6:25. See also Mt 6:26-6:33.

Verse 22.

(x) "Take no thought for your life" Mt 6:25 Verses 22-31. Mt 6:25. See also Mt 6:26-6:33.

Verse 23.