Matthew 6:25-34 teaches that followers of Jesus should not be consumed by worry about food, clothing, or the future. Jesus grounds this in the care of the Father, who feeds the birds and clothes the wildflowers, and he asks his listeners to put God’s kingdom first. The passage sits in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’s long teaching to his disciples and the crowds near the Sea of Galilee, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.
25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? 27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? 31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
Matthew 6:25-34 (WEB)
Matthew 6:25-34 Summary
Jesus begins with a direct command: do not be anxious about your life, your food, drink, or clothing. He then gives two images from nature. Birds neither sow nor store grain, yet they are fed, and flowers neither work nor spin, yet they are dressed more beautifully than King Solomon. If God cares for these creatures and plants, how much more will he care for people made in his image?
The argument then turns from observation to action. Worry cannot extend a single hour of life, and people who do not know God chase after these things, but the Father already knows what his children need. The passage ends by directing attention to God’s kingdom and righteousness, with the reminder that each day has enough trouble of its own without borrowing tomorrow’s.
Context of Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew, traditionally identified as the tax collector among Jesus’s twelve apostles, wrote this Gospel for a community that included Jewish followers of Jesus and probably many who had come from other backgrounds. The Sermon on the Mount, found in chapters 5 through 7, sets out the character and practices of the kingdom Jesus announces. Scholars debate exactly how the sermon was assembled, but its unity of theme is widely recognized.
The verses immediately before our passage, 6:22-24, use the image of a sound eye and the statement that no one can serve two masters. This prepares the reader for the choice in 6:25-34: a single loyalty, either to God or to wealth and security. The worry Jesus addresses is therefore not simply a psychological problem but a question of where a person’s heart is anchored.
Matthew 6:25-34 Verse by Verse
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
(WEB)
Paul gives a parallel instruction: bring every anxious thought into prayer with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will guard the heart and mind. The passage shows the same movement from worry to trust that Jesus describes in Matthew.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
(WEB)
Peter echoes the teaching by urging believers to cast all their anxiety on God, because he cares for them. The verse presents the Father’s care as the reason anxiety can be handed over rather than carried alone.
A Prayer Based on Matthew 6:25-34
Father, you know what I need before I ask, and you have already shown your care in ways I often overlook. I confess how quickly my mind runs ahead to food, money, clothes, and everything that might go wrong next week. Teach me to bring those fears to you honestly and to trust that you see the sparrows and the flowers and me. Help me seek your kingdom and your righteousness first, and give me grace to live faithfully in today’s troubles rather than borrowing tomorrow’s. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Matthew 6:25-34 mean Christians should never plan for the future?
No, the passage addresses anxiety rather than prudent planning. Jesus elsewhere commends wise stewardship, and the ant and the farmer appear in other teaching. The concern is with worry that sets the heart on provision in place of God.
Why does Jesus call people “of little faith” in verse 30?
The phrase describes a trust that is real but small, not a total absence of faith. Jesus uses it to point out that a person who believes God cares for the grass should be able to rely on him for much greater things. It is a gentle correction, not a condemnation.
What does “Each day’s own evil is sufficient” mean?
The statement recognizes that each day brings enough difficulty to occupy a person fully. Jesus encourages his listeners to face today’s trouble with God’s help instead of adding the weight of imagined future troubles. Many readers take this as permission to live one day at a time.
