Matthew 6:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having shewn that it is not right to be anxious about food, He passes to that which is less; (for raiment is not so necessary as food;) and asks, And why are ye careful wherewith ye shall be clothed? He uses not here the instance of the birds, when He might have drawn some to the point, as the peacock, or the swan, but brings forward the lilies, saying, Consider the lilies of the field. He would prove in two things the abundant goodness of God; to wit, the richness of the beauty with which they are clothed, and the mean value of the things so clothed with it.

This teaches us that we ought to disregard superficial decorations, which are characteristic of fleeting flowers, and that those who seek to embellish themselves resemble grass. However, you are endowed with understanding, as God has fashioned both your body and spirit. Those who are preoccupied with worldly concerns demonstrate weak faith; if their trust in God were truly complete, they would not be so easily distracted by such matters.

The things instanced are not to be allegorized so that we enquire what is denoted by the birds of the air, or the lilies of the field; they are only examples to prove God’s care for the greater from His care for the less.

For, in sooth, what regal purple, what silk, what web of divers colours from the loom, may vie with flowers? What work of man has the red blush of the rose? the pure white of the lily? How the Tyrian dye yields to the violet, sight alone and not words can express.

Observe how Christ diminishes the significance of the flowers by referring to them as grass and further states that they are here today but gone tomorrow, suggesting their fleeting nature. At the same time, emphasizing their beauty, He does not merely say that God adorns them, but uses the phrase "so clothes them," which conveys a heightened sense of their splendor. An oven serves as a place for baking bread, and the pronoun you implies a sense of reverence. He poses a rhetorical question, as if to ask: Is He not far greater than you, His cherished creation, in whom He has uplifted body, soul, and spirit, for whose sake He formed the world, and for whom He also sacrificed His only Son? He addresses them as "little believers," a term that carries a tone of reprimand.

Or; By the lilies are to be understood the eminences of the heavenly Angels, to whom a surpassing radiance of whiteness is communicated by God. They toil not, neither do they spin, because the angelic powers received in the very first allotment of their existence such a nature, that as they were made so they should ever continue to be; and when in the resurrection men shall be like unto Angels, He would have them look for a covering of angelic glory by this example of angelic excellence.

Spiritually, by the birds of the air are meant the Saints who are born again in the water of holy Baptisme; and by devotion raise themselves above the earth and seek the skies. The Apostles are said to be of more value than these, because they are the heads of the Saints. By the lilies also may be understood the Saints, who without the toil of legal ceremonies pleased God by faith alone; of whom it is said, My Beloved, who feedeth among the lilies. (Cant. 2:16.) Holy Church also is understood by the lilies, because of the whiteness of its faith, and the odour of its good conversation, of which it is said in the same place, As the lily among the thorns. By the grass are denoted the unbelievers, of whom it is said, The grass hath dried up, and the flowers thereof faded. (Is. 40:7.) By the oven eternal damnation; so that the sense be, If God bestows temporal goods on the unbelievers, how much more shall He bestow on you eternal goods!

If the Creator adorns even the most trivial of creations, will He withhold essential provisions from His faithful servants, who seek to be clothed in garments of purity, incorruption, immortality, and everlasting glory? The only-begotten Son of God willingly set aside His divine splendor to don our mortal flesh. Hence, our anxious concerns for basic necessities reveal a deficiency in our faith, in accordance with the very Truth. What can be said of our preoccupations with the excesses and alterations in the attire and embellishments of this perishable body, which consume so much of our attention and distract our hearts—hearts that ought to be devoted to pleasing our Lord and Savior?

What is the hay of the field? It represents the grasses and grains found in nature. When you observe it in the morning, it soon fades and is cast into the fire. For He declares, “O faithless generation, if God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and gone tomorrow, in such splendor that it outshines the garments of the magnificent Solomon, how much more will He care for you and your attire?” You are His eternal creations, singers of His glory, and forever devoted worshippers of His divine nature; for your sake, He delighted in establishing the law, anointed the prophets, sent His Son into the world, and prepared a never-ending kingdom.

Consider the grass of the field, which flourishes in beauty today and is cut down tomorrow, only to be withered and cast into the fire. If God clothes it so magnificently, how much more will He provide for you, the most cherished of His creations, destined for eternal life? If even the humble hay receives adornment it does not need—for does fire require its splendor?—how much more will the Lord care for your needs? If He decorates His final creation not out of necessity but for magnificence, how much greater must the adornment be for you, crafted with great purpose? Why should you burden yourself with anxieties as if God's providence is less attentive to you than to the fading grass?

While in this context Christ does not explicitly contrast His teachings with the lifestyles of the Pharisees as He did previously, it can be inferred that His message regarding generosity and detachment from worldly possessions may be directed toward them. This is fitting, considering their reputation for avarice (Luke 11:14). Additionally, in Luke, the proclamation about the impossibility of serving both God and wealth appears among Christ’s teachings on this very issue aimed at the Pharisees (16:1-31). Understanding the significance of the statement concerning the lamp of the body (22-23) in relation to the surrounding passage requires recognizing that in Scripture, the heart represents the core of one’s spiritual life, the wellspring of all spiritual activities (15:14).

They will be cast into the fire. It is emphasized that the purpose of these lovely lilies pales in comparison to the purpose of humanity. Today they blossom, captivating hearts with their splendor; tomorrow they may be uprooted, faded, and cast away, yet humanity is destined for eternity. If the Heavenly Father shows such concern for this grass, how much greater must His care be for mankind? If He adorns it, will He leave humanity in want? Why such worry over trivial matters?

By urging a moderation in anxious worries about earthly necessities, the Lord does not prohibit effort and labor aimed at securing sustenance and apparel, as elucidated by the Holy Father: “By stating: they do not sow, Christ did not disallow sowing, but rather excessive worry about food; and in saying: they do not toil, nor spin, He did not reject the work itself, but excessive anxiety about clothing” (St. John Chrysostom). A sole preoccupation with sustenance, beverages, and garments, all while neglecting other vital obligations pertaining to the spiritual dimensions of human nature, stands in stark contrast to the noble and celestial calling of the Gospel's disciples.