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Matthew 6:25,31
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? …

Matthew 10:10
Nor scrip foryour journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

Luke 3:11
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

the lilies.

Luke 12:27
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Consider how the lilies of the field grow:
Lilies, likely referring to wildflowers common in the region of Galilee, symbolize beauty and simplicity. These flowers grow naturally without human intervention, illustrating God's care for His creation. This imagery connects to the wisdom literature, such as Proverbs, which often uses nature to teach about God's order and provision. The lilies' growth without human effort serves as a metaphor for divine providence, encouraging believers to trust in God's care.

They do not labor or spin.
In ancient times, spinning was a common task for women, essential for making clothing. By stating that lilies do not labor or spin, Jesus highlights the effortless beauty and provision found in nature, contrasting it with human anxiety and toil. This phrase underscores the futility of excessive worry and aligns with the biblical principle that God provides for His creation, as seen inPsalm 104:14-15. It also points to the idea that human effort, while necessary, should not overshadow trust in God's provision.

“ And why do you worry about clothes? ” (Matthew 6:28)

• Jesus follows His command not to be anxious (Matthew 6:25) by targeting a specific area of daily concern: clothing.

• Worry here is not simple planning; it is an anxious preoccupation that crowds out trust in the Father. ComparePhilippians 4:6—“Be anxious for nothing”—and1 Peter 5:7, which calls believers to cast every care on the Lord.

• The question exposes misplaced priorities. Earlier, Jesus pointed to life and body being “more than food” (Matthew 6:25). Clothing is likewise subordinate to the kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

• By asking “why,” Jesus invites self-examination: if God has already provided the greater gift of life, will He neglect necessary covering? (cf.Romans 8:32).

“ Consider how the lilies of the field grow ” (Matthew 6:28)

• “Consider” means stop and deliberately observe. Faith is strengthened when we look at God’s handiwork, just asPsalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.”

• Lilies thrive in an uncultivated field—God’s open classroom illustrating providence.Luke 12:27 repeats the same lesson, underscoring its importance.

• Growth is a silent witness: lilies neither plan nor store yet flourish season after season.Psalm 104:24 notes that the earth is “full of Your creatures,” each supplied by the Creator.

• Creation’s rhythm reassures us that the Father is active in ordinary processes (Colossians 1:17). If He sustains wildflowers, how much more His redeemed children?

“ They do not labor or spin ” (Matthew 6:28)

• Labor and spinning describe the human effort required for making garments (Proverbs 31:13). Lilies skip the entire process, yet display beauty surpassing Solomon’s robes (Matthew 6:29).

• Jesus is not condemning work (see2 Thessalonians 3:10); He is correcting anxious toil driven by self-reliance (Psalm 127:2).

• The contrast highlights grace: what flowers receive effortlessly pictures the spiritual garments God freely provides—His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10) and daily provision (Matthew 6:31-32).

• Resting in God’s care frees believers to focus on kingdom pursuits rather than survival anxieties, echoingExodus 16 where manna arrived without Israel’s cultivation.

Matthew 6:28 exposes the futility of fretting over necessities by directing our gaze to God-tended lilies. Their carefree growth and effortless adornment illustrate a Father who reliably clothes even transient flowers. Since we are worth infinitely more, we can exchange worry for confident trust, pursue His kingdom first, and watch Him supply every need.

Consider the lilies of the field.--Here again we may think of the lesson as drawn immediately from the surrounding objects. The hill-sides of Galilee are clothed in spring with the crown imperial, and the golden amaryllis, and crimson tulips, and anemones of all shades from scarlet to white, to say nothing of the commoner buttercups and dandelions and daisies; and all these are probably classed roughly together under the generic name of "lilies." And these, with what we may reverently speak of as a love of Nature, the Lord tells His disciples to "consider,"i.e., not merely to look at with a passing glance, but to study--to learn, as it were, by heart--till they have realised every beauty of structure and form and hue.