“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 6:31 Mean?
Jesus directly addresses the anxiety cycle: what will we eat, what will we drink, what will we wear? Three basic human needs — food, water, clothing — are the subjects of the worry he's prohibiting. The phrase "take no thought" (merimnao — to be anxious, to be pulled apart by worry) doesn't mean don't plan. It means don't be consumed by anxiety about basic provision.
The three questions represent the escalating panic of someone who can't trust God for the next meal. Each question is more fundamental than the last: food (daily), drink (essential), clothing (ongoing). Together they cover immediate, essential, and sustained need. Jesus addresses the full spectrum of survival anxiety.
The "therefore" connects this prohibition to the preceding argument: God feeds the birds (verse 26), clothes the lilies (verse 28-29), and knows what you need before you ask (verse 32). The prohibition against worry isn't a command to be irresponsible — it's the logical conclusion of a God who already provides for lesser creatures.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which of the three questions (eat, drink, wear) generates the most anxiety for you right now?
- 2.What's the difference between responsible planning and the kind of anxiety Jesus prohibits?
- 3.How does the 'lesser to greater' logic (birds → you) address your specific worries?
- 4.What would it feel like to genuinely believe your Father knows what you need before you ask?
Devotional
What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? Jesus names the three questions that keep you up at 3 AM. The basic survival anxieties that circle in your mind when faith is low and fear is high.
The command isn't "don't eat, don't drink, don't wear clothes." It's "don't be consumed by anxiety about these things." The Greek word for "take thought" means to be pulled apart — to have your mind divided by worry until you can't function. Jesus isn't prohibiting planning. He's prohibiting the kind of anxiety that dismantles you from the inside.
The three questions are deliberately basic. Jesus isn't talking about luxury anxiety — will I get the promotion, will I afford the vacation. He's talking about survival anxiety — will there be food. Will there be water. Will there be clothing. The most fundamental human needs are the ones he says not to worry about. If God has the basics covered, everything above basic is certainly handled.
The logic is from lesser to greater. God feeds birds that don't farm. God clothes flowers that don't sew. You are worth more than birds and flowers. Therefore, the God who provides for lesser creatures will certainly provide for his greater ones. The anxiety isn't just unnecessary — it's illogical. It doesn't compute when you factor in who your Father is.
The next time the 3 AM questions circle — what will I eat, what will I drink, what will I wear — Jesus says: your Father knows. And what your Father knows, your Father handles.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek,.... Or "the nations of the world", as in Luk 12:30. The Syriac reads it…
There is scarcely any one sin against which our Lord Jesus more largely and earnestly warns his disciples, or against…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture