1 Timothy 6:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We must eat what is needed for nourishment, and in the measure needed for satisfaction. We must put on what is able to protect us from bad weather and cover nakedness. There must be nothing excessive. Simple clothing can accomplish this.

A wife can help her husband not by her adornments, luxury, requests to her husband for money, pomp, or extravagance. She helps when she rises above all present things and imprints in herself the apostolic life.

Then she shows great meekness, great modesty, great contempt for money, and patience. Then she will be able to support him when she says, "Having food and clothing, let us be content with these." She will confirm such philosophy by deeds.

Here he defines in what contentment should be placed. He says it is in having as much as is sufficient only for nourishment, and not for enjoyment. One should be clothed in what protects the body, and simple clothing can accomplish this.

“Give us this day our daily bread” (Mt 6:11). These words can be understood simply. We say this prayer for daily nourishment, that it may be abundant. And if it is not abundant, that there may be no lack of it. But Jesus called it daily because it is asked for today. Daily we live, daily we rise, daily we thirst, daily we hunger. Let Him give us daily bread. In Augustine, the word is quotidianum, literally “daily,” while in the Vulgate it is supersubstantialem, that is, “supersubstantial.”

If a man wishes to care carefully even for the body, as the soul’s only possession necessary to it and as its fellow worker for life on earth, he will care a little for its needs. He will care only enough to maintain it and keep it strong for service to the soul through moderate attention. Certainly he will not allow it to riot through satiety.

Let us also speak separately about the inner man. A wheel does not stand long with one side on the ground. It not only stands, but seems to rush on. It does not stand, but touches the earth and runs from it. In the end, moved by desire, it always strives higher. So also the holy man, since he remains in the body, necessarily has to think about something earthly. When he cares for food, clothing, and such things, and receives food and clothing, he is content with them. He flees the earth and hastens to what is higher.

“Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content,” because we need only measured food and suitable coverings. But the Apostle also teaches the harm of insatiability.

Food not for pleasure, but for maintaining health. Likewise clothing not satisfying luxury and vainglory, but what is necessary.

Those who grow rich in visible goods and have acquired many of them are poor in soul. For the more they gather, the more they are tormented by desire for goods they do not have. But the faithful man, most wondrously, is rich even in poverty. For knowing that he needs only clothing and food, and being content with these, he despises wealth.

Perfect victory over the love of money is won by not allowing even a spark of desire for any acquisition, however small, to remain in our heart. We must be assured that we will no longer be able to extinguish it if we feed this spark within us even slightly. We can preserve this virtue inviolate only if, living in the monastery, according to the Apostle, “having food and clothing,” we are content with these.

Let us not lose precious time for corruption, lest we lose our only treasure, Christ. Let us direct both mind and heart toward Him. Having food and clothing, let us be content with these. Let us not admit excesses and whims to ourselves. Little by little they attract our love to themselves and deprive us of Christ.

“Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” This does not forbid seeking satisfaction of other needs, but it limits the very seeking. It makes one feel that all the most varied needs of the human body are reduced to food and clothing. After these come other, higher and better needs, but for them the goods of the earth are no longer necessary.

On the contrary, the basic Christian rule for earthly well-being is to be content with little, or even only with what is necessary: “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” For the root of all evils is the love of money.

Someone will say: although we bring nothing here and shall take nothing away from here, nevertheless we must live while we are here. To live, we must have food and clothing. Therefore it is impossible to get by without having anything.

But this alone, says the Apostle, is what we need to have. There is food, there is clothing, and that is enough. "Here he defines where contentment should be placed, of which he had spoken" (Blessed Theophylact).

"We must eat what is needed for nourishment, and in the measure needed for satisfaction. We must clothe ourselves with what can protect us from bad weather and cover nakedness. Simple clothing can do this. There must be nothing excessive" (St. Chrysostom).