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 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.
The lilies grow without toiling or spinning to make their own clothing, but live and are clothed by receiving what God provides, and their God-given loveliness surpasses Solomon in all his glory, beyond anything human care or art can equal. The lesson therefore rebukes anxious worry and distrust about food and clothing and daily needs, since if God so clothes the temporary grass of the field He will far more care for human beings made in His image. Those who put His kingdom first may rest in His care and cast their cares upon Him, never absent from His mind. As flowers grow not by their own anxious effort, so spiritual life and character come by receiving Christ as light and rain, until God imparts His own beauty to the soul that yields to His free grace. This calls for simplicity and modesty rather than pride and display, dressing and living without costly adornment, and finding influence in kindness and a meek and quiet spirit.
Lilies' Beauty and Setting
The lilies grow without toiling or spinning and without making their own clothing, living and becoming clothed by receiving what God provides for their life. Their growth is a lesson against anxious striving, showing that God clothes simply and beautifully without human toil or display. Flowers do not grow through their own care, anxiety, or effort, but by receiving light, rain, and living water from God.
Their God-given beauty and perfection surpass Solomon in all his glory. Even when people care greatly and toil with weariness to make themselves objects of admiration by outward decoration, all their valued artificial adornments will not bear comparison in natural loveliness with the simple flowers of the field. No human art, skill, care, or splendor people can create or wear can equal the delicate colors, forms, and natural loveliness of flowers with God's adornment.
The lilies and grass are temporary field growth, today beautiful and tomorrow cut down and burned, and their beauty lasts though they are cut down in a day. They spring from the cold, dark earth or from the mud of the river bed, from a rough, brown bulb where no beauty would be expected. Yet they unfold in loveliness and fragrance when the life of God hidden within unfolds at His call in the rain and the sunshine.
Jesus taught this lesson outdoors in the open air, generally choosing the groves and the seaside where no walls enclosed the multitude and He had a commanding view of landscape and scenery. He used objects and scenes familiar to humble life to make His lessons plain, simple, and interesting, such as birds caroling without care, valley flowers growing in beauty, the lily resting and reposing in spotless purity on the bosom of the lake, lofty trees, cultivated lands, waving grain, barren soil, fruitless trees, everlasting hills, bubbling streams, and the setting sun tinting and gilding the heavens. He even placed a beautiful lily in the hands of children and youth while they looked into His own youthful face, pointing to something familiar in creation so that even children can learn spiritual truth in simplicity of natural beauty and loveliness. He connected God's works in the heavens and on earth with the words of life to lead the mind out to the open fields of nature, first to nature and then up through nature to nature's God who upholds the worlds by His power. In this way daily life and landscape would remind hearers of immortal truth and the spiritual and unseen, and landscape, trees, birds, valley flowers, hills, lake, and heavens would be associated in their minds with sacred truths and bring His lessons fresh to memory. At the same time He regarded surroundings and the bodily needs of a tired, hungry throng, even feeding five thousand so they could receive spiritual benefit.
Trust in God's Provision
Every lofty tree, shrub, blooming flower, lily of the field, and the earth clothed with living green is kept in order in its time and season to bear testimony that God loves man. If He gives such great attention to grass and flowers that neither toil nor spin nor make their clothing, clothing them with a beauty and perfection surpassing Solomon in all his glory which no human art can equal, He will give far more to human beings formed in His image and likeness. God as Master-Artist gives the lilies their beauty, makes them good, tends them and watches over them, and displays in them His care and love for what He has made. His care for flowers shows His loving care for His creatures, so people made in His image may have still greater confidence in His care, and those who suffer or feel discouraged can take courage and hope in Jesus as a sympathetic friend and bring all troubles and griefs to Him. The value of the human soul and heaven's attention to man cannot be exaggerated, removing doubtful worry about what to eat, drink and wear.
The lilies' growth without toiling or spinning is a lesson against anxious striving for food, clothing, dress and other daily needs, rebuking ingratitude, distrust, lack of faith and doubtful worry. It exposes the smallness of faith that lets concern for earthly needs dominate, though people have higher powers than other creatures and have chosen disobedience to their Creator. Consideration of this natural provision teaches that God clothes even temporary field grass and will care for His people's needs, helping people reason from what they see in nature to the importance of heavenly things.
Those who put Christ's kingdom first and seek it can rest in God's care for every need of this life, trusting Him rather than worrying. They are never absent from His mind. They are called to cast their cares on Him and live by heaven's principles.
As flowers grow not by their own care, anxiety or effort but by receiving what God provides for life, spiritual growth cannot be secured by anxiety or human effort but comes by receiving Christ who supplies life as light, rain and living water. As sunlight gives flowers their colors, God longs to impart the beauty of His own character to people. The life of God hidden within the rough brown bulb where no beauty would be expected unfolds in loveliness and fragrance at His call in rain and sunshine, springing even from cold dark earth or river mud, and in the same way the life of God will unfold in every human soul that yields itself to the ministry of His grace. The same word of God that creates the flowers will produce in the yielded soul the graces of His Spirit, for grace comes free as sunshine and rain with blessing to all.
Considering the lilies directs attention to God's care and beauty and should awaken reverence and love for God. Reading nature rightly so that earthly forms and images help grasp eternal realities requires natural simplicity, spirituality and faith and honors the God of nature.
Simplicity for Daily Living
The lily rebukes the pride of life, living to please self, and courting human praise and honor, yet it does not condemn grace and natural beauty but commends simplicity, natural loveliness, modesty and lowliness. Even when men and women care greatly and toil with weariness to make themselves objects of admiration by outward decoration, all their valued artificial adornments cannot bear comparison in natural loveliness with the simple flowers of the field, which with God's adornment outvie in loveliness even the gorgeous apparel of Solomon in all his glory, like the lily resting in spotless purity on the bosom of the lake. God clothes simply and beautifully without human toil or display, better than Solomon, so His people are to trust Him and live simply and dress modestly, without relying on jewelry, expensive clothes, needless adornment or ostentation for influence. Kindness, forethought, and a meek and quiet spirit are more precious and give true influence in Christ's service.
That trust means moving out by faith without debt, with self hidden and the heart guarded, hungering and thirsting after righteousness in lowliness and self-abasement through sanctification of the Spirit. As pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above, believers are to build only plain tabernacles, neat, tasteful, well built, and dedicated free from debt.
Christ points to something familiar in creation so that even children can learn spiritual truth from it, for the lily's beauty surpasses Solomon's royal splendor and displays God's artistry in nature. Children and youth are thus taught to turn from artificial display to value God's natural creation, to enjoy its beauty, to love what He has made, and to give Him their deepest affections. The lily's purity also teaches them to keep themselves uncontaminated by impurity.
The flowers display God's skill, loving care, generosity and tender protection without human labor, for He made them good and tends and watches over them. His care for flowers assures His children, made in His image, of still more tender protection, since He values people even more. Their purity and natural simplicity teach trust in God and call attention to the loveliness of Christlike character, showing a loving care and generosity that should awaken gratitude rather than be treated as chance or taken for granted.
The verse belongs to a message to a large congregation blessed with great light, including unbelievers and students, calling those who strive in a tame, listless way without religious interest to put the whole heart into the service of Christ through daily prayer and watchfulness. It calls them not only to claim to believe the truth but to live and practice the truth. Those who suffer or feel discouraged can take courage and hope in Jesus as a sympathetic friend and bring all their troubles and griefs to Him.