I read this funny quip in a book of sermon illustrations:
For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. “Good evening,” said the man of the house. “I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you” (William Marshall, “Eternity Shut in a Span”).
We laugh at this because we’ve likely had certain fears that have taken up an anxious space in our minds and hearts.
But when anxiety takes up these spaces it’s filling a place that could be occupied by something far more beneficial. Think of all that this woman lost by her worrying about a burglar for those 10 years.
Yet, we are persistent in our belief that worry is preparatory. We assume it helps us prepare for an inevitable disaster. We carry with us the mistaken notion that worry can keep us safe and add something to our lives. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus tells us the opposite is true.
What Is the Context?
Matthew 6:27 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, he is outlining for his hearers what life in the kingdom is all about.
He tackles wide themes like anger, lust, divorce, and lying. He also gives a positive vision for caring for the needy, loving our neighbors, not judging others, and refusing the path of retaliation.
We’re also taught how to pray, how to fast, and what is the ultimate meaning of life. In this sermon, we’re shown the way to live the “blessed” life, reorienting our lives around the kingdom. Part of this sermon is a lengthy section on worry and anxiety.
This tells us that worry, and anxiety rob us from kingdom living. Why is this the case?
Verse 25 begins with a “therefore.” What comes after the “therefore” will be an inference from the previous verse or passage.
In verse 24, we read: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
The worry of Matthew 6:25-34 is connected to worrying about money. It’s really a battle of whether we will trust our own provision (money) or the provision of God.
Matthew 6:25-34 is Jesus’ argument for why it is better to trust in God’s provision rather than anxiously toil in an attempt to find security in your own ability to provide. He gives several arguments as to why this is the case.
In verse 25, he tells us that we shouldn’t worry about these provisions because life is “more than food” and “your body more than clothing.”
Besides, Jesus says, look at how God provides for the birds of the air. Don’t you think He can take care of you? He clothes the lilies; can’t He clothe you? Worrying about these things is what the Gentiles do — this is the pattern of another kingdom.
Verse 27 is one of Jesus’ arguments against worry; namely, it doesn’t accomplish anything. But what does he mean by this? Why doesn’t worry accomplish anything?
What Does it Mean?
If you compare this verse in a modern translation with the KJV you’ll notice a difference. The KJV says, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”
That sounds like worrying won’t make you taller. That’s a little different than how the ESV reads, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Why is there a difference here?
A cubit is a measurement. It’s about the length of the forearm. Have you ever been without a tape measure and so you use your arms or fingers to measure the length of something? There wasn’t a massive divergence in height in biblical times.
Thus, a cubit was the typical length of a grown man’s forearm. This same word is used in John 9:21 by the parents of the man who had been born blind when he was healed by Jesus. They literally say, “You should ask him, he’s of enough cubits.”
But we run into a difficulty when we get to the final word of the sentence. The word translated as “span of life” or “his stature” (ἡλικία) typically refers to the length of one’s life.
Though in some instances, it can mean bodily stature — the predominant meaning is that of length of life. But we don’t measure life by inches, we measure it by time.
Jesus could be saying that you can’t even an add a single inch to your height. And in the next verse he does speak of the growing lilies in the field. But it’s also possible, and perhaps making more sense in the context of worry, that he is speaking of adding an hour to your life.
Either option can fit with the overall point being made. Worrying doesn’t add anything to you. Growing isn’t something you can control, and neither are the length of your days. Worrying adds nothing.
How Does This Help Us with Worry?
When I was a little kid, I planted a Snickers bar into the ground. I’d watched my grandparents plant seeds into the ground and a few months later in that same spot would be a tomato plant, a corn stalk, or a row of beans.
I’m not much of a vegetable eater. As such, I wasn’t incredibly passionate about planting something I’d only have to labor to avoid months later. But Snickers, I’ll eat a whole mess of Snickers. Can you imagine how wonderful it’d be if I had a Snickers tree?
I buried a bit of my candy bar into the ground. Sacrificing a bit of joy today for an entire bounty tomorrow. I did all the things I saw my family members doing with their gardens. I raked it.
I pulled weeds around it. And the most amazing thing happened, a little shoot began to rise up out of the ground. My Snickers tree was coming to life. I nurtured that little shoot until it was a very tall….weed.
It was just a stupid little weed. I dug up my Snickers bar and found most of it intact. A few bugs had been enjoying it, but it was still there. There was no new life growing out of it.
I was incredibly disappointed, and I never planted a Snickers tree again. Why waste all of that precious time on something that isn’t going to produce life?
That is what Jesus was showing his disciples about worry. It doesn’t have life in it. It can’t produce anything but weeds in your life.
You can labor and sweat and try to pretend that by doing this thing you’ll have a harvest later, but in reality, its going to reap a big batch of nothingness. It’s best to give up the foolish endeavor now.
If I wanted more Snickers, I’d have been far better served to help my family plant tomatoes and sell them. Then I could use the proceeds to buy my candy bar.
This also relates to what Jesus is saying here. The whole point is about provision. Will we trust in God’s provision or anxiously toil to provide for ourselves?
The key here is that you don’t solve anxiety by telling yourself, “Stop being anxious, it’s pointless.” The key is to truly believe that worry is pointless because you are firmly convinced of God’s gracious care.
This is the heart of what Jesus is saying in Matthew 6:27. Worry doesn’t add anything to your life, because lasting provision doesn’t come from the hands of anxious toil. Lasting provision comes from our gracious Father.
For further reading:
What Does the Bible Say about Worry?
What Does it Mean ‘Be Anxious for Nothing’?
5 Reasons You're Full of Worry (and How to Stop)
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/fizkes
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.
