And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Christ forbids anxious pursuit of food and drink and forbids living with a wavering, unsettled mind over material needs. The command belongs to an extended teaching in Luke 12:22-40, given through the foolish rich man and the lilies of the field, that makes the kingdom of heaven the first consideration. Such worry rebukes little faith, for God sustains every breath and heartbeat, feeds the ravens that neither sow nor reap, and clothes the lilies and grass of the field more gloriously than Solomon, and He will much more feed and clothe men made in His image. While these material things are what the nations of the world seek, the Father knows His children need them, so they are to seek the kingdom of God instead with the assurance that all these things will be added and that it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to the little flock. The heart of the teaching is to cast every care on God in full trust, and then to move forward in faith, giving self and means to His work and using what is entrusted for alms and heavenly treasure rather than holding back for fear of want.
Words and Context
Luke 12:29 belongs to an extended instruction running from Luke 12:22 to Luke 12:40. That instruction is taught through the parable of the foolish rich man and the lilies of the field, and it impresses making the kingdom of heaven the first consideration.
The verse commands not to anxiously seek what to eat or drink and not to live with a doubtful, wavering, unsettled mind about temporal and material needs. It forbids being consumed by anxious pursuit of food and drink or being unsettled by worry about such needs. It forbids letting concern for necessities govern those who serve God, warning against making chief concern what people without faith seek. The sons and daughters of God are instead to move out by faith, living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above.
The command is a rebuke to little faith, since man is dependent on God for every breath, for the beating heart and throbbing pulse, and for every nerve and muscle kept in order by the power of an infinite God. Christ leads the mind first to nature and then through nature to nature's God who upholds the worlds by His power. He who feeds the ravens that neither sow nor reap and have neither storehouse nor barn, and who clothes the lilies and the grass of the field that toil not and spin not more gloriously than Solomon, will much more feed and clothe men. For if God gives such attention to birds and to grass that today lives and tomorrow is cast into the oven, men who are better than fowls, formed in His image and of far greater value in the scale of creation, may trust His care.
All these material things are what the nations of the world seek after, but the Father knows His children need them. They are therefore to seek the kingdom of God instead, trusting that their needs will be provided. To this is joined the assurance that all these things will be added and that it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to the little flock. Considering how God provides for growing things in nature helps recognize the greater importance of heavenly things.
Faith and Faithful Living
Anxious fear that obeying the truth will bring hardship on oneself or one's family is lack of faith in God, for those who serve Him are not to let concern for obtaining food and drink govern them but to trust Him who knows their needs and to seek His kingdom instead. The warning against anxious uncertainty about daily needs is a call to cast every care upon God and to trust the Saviour fully, because He cares and answers confidence. Not to be of doubtful mind is to remain settled and firm in truth, even when companions and children refuse to join the self-denying path.
The Father's knowledge of His children's need for food and drink frees them from anxious preoccupation with securing provision and undergirds moving forward in faith, giving self and means to God's work rather than holding back for fear of want. Where one hundred workers are needed and only one is now laboring, as in the Southern field, moving forward in faith to establish the work brings the Lord's care, for while the nations of the world seek after all these material things, the Father knows they are needed and will add them to those who seek the kingdom, and it is His good pleasure to give the kingdom to the little flock. In building a house of worship this same faith moves God's sons and daughters forward rather than letting anxiety rule, living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above. That house is to be plain, neat, and tasteful, in harmony with faith, free from debt and needless adornment, devoted to educating adults, children, and youth not to live to please self or to court praise and human honor but to guard the heart with vigilance, to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to hide self in Jesus, and to walk in self-abasement, lowliness, and sanctification.
The chapter turns the mind from troubled anxiety over material needs to faithful use of what is entrusted, so that the Lord's money is not spent on unnecessary things but given in alms and invested in His work and in heavenly treasure. Considering how God provides for growing things in nature helps recognize the far greater importance of heavenly things. Freedom from anxious thought about food, drink, and clothing supports living and working simply and dressing modestly, without depending on jewelry or expensive clothes for influence, while a meek and quiet spirit formed by service, with kindness and forethought for others, is precious in heaven. For those blessed with great light this means putting the whole heart into service instead of striving in a tame, listless way without religious interest, through daily prayer and watchfulness and earnest seeking of the Lord, not merely claiming to believe the truth but living and practicing it, with the love of God in the heart and supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died.
Christ forbids anxious pursuit of food and drink and forbids living with a wavering, unsettled mind over material needs. The command belongs to an extended teaching in Luke 12:22-40, given through the foolish rich man and the lilies of the field, that makes the kingdom of heaven the first consideration. Such worry rebukes little faith, for God sustains every breath and heartbeat, feeds the ravens that neither sow nor reap, and clothes the lilies and grass of the field more gloriously than Solomon, and He will much more feed and clothe men made in His image. While these material things are what the nations of the world seek, the Father knows His children need them, so they are to seek the kingdom of God instead with the assurance that all these things will be added and that it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to the little flock. The heart of the teaching is to cast every care on God in full trust, and then to move forward in faith, giving self and means to His work and using what is entrusted for alms and heavenly treasure rather than holding back for fear of want.
Words and Context
Luke 12:29 belongs to an extended instruction running from Luke 12:22 to Luke 12:40. That instruction is taught through the parable of the foolish rich man and the lilies of the field, and it impresses making the kingdom of heaven the first consideration.
The verse commands not to anxiously seek what to eat or drink and not to live with a doubtful, wavering, unsettled mind about temporal and material needs. It forbids being consumed by anxious pursuit of food and drink or being unsettled by worry about such needs. It forbids letting concern for necessities govern those who serve God, warning against making chief concern what people without faith seek. The sons and daughters of God are instead to move out by faith, living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above.
The command is a rebuke to little faith, since man is dependent on God for every breath, for the beating heart and throbbing pulse, and for every nerve and muscle kept in order by the power of an infinite God. Christ leads the mind first to nature and then through nature to nature's God who upholds the worlds by His power. He who feeds the ravens that neither sow nor reap and have neither storehouse nor barn, and who clothes the lilies and the grass of the field that toil not and spin not more gloriously than Solomon, will much more feed and clothe men. For if God gives such attention to birds and to grass that today lives and tomorrow is cast into the oven, men who are better than fowls, formed in His image and of far greater value in the scale of creation, may trust His care.
All these material things are what the nations of the world seek after, but the Father knows His children need them. They are therefore to seek the kingdom of God instead, trusting that their needs will be provided. To this is joined the assurance that all these things will be added and that it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to the little flock. Considering how God provides for growing things in nature helps recognize the greater importance of heavenly things.
Faith and Faithful Living
Anxious fear that obeying the truth will bring hardship on oneself or one's family is lack of faith in God, for those who serve Him are not to let concern for obtaining food and drink govern them but to trust Him who knows their needs and to seek His kingdom instead. The warning against anxious uncertainty about daily needs is a call to cast every care upon God and to trust the Saviour fully, because He cares and answers confidence. Not to be of doubtful mind is to remain settled and firm in truth, even when companions and children refuse to join the self-denying path.
The Father's knowledge of His children's need for food and drink frees them from anxious preoccupation with securing provision and undergirds moving forward in faith, giving self and means to God's work rather than holding back for fear of want. Where one hundred workers are needed and only one is now laboring, as in the Southern field, moving forward in faith to establish the work brings the Lord's care, for while the nations of the world seek after all these material things, the Father knows they are needed and will add them to those who seek the kingdom, and it is His good pleasure to give the kingdom to the little flock. In building a house of worship this same faith moves God's sons and daughters forward rather than letting anxiety rule, living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above. That house is to be plain, neat, and tasteful, in harmony with faith, free from debt and needless adornment, devoted to educating adults, children, and youth not to live to please self or to court praise and human honor but to guard the heart with vigilance, to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to hide self in Jesus, and to walk in self-abasement, lowliness, and sanctification.
The chapter turns the mind from troubled anxiety over material needs to faithful use of what is entrusted, so that the Lord's money is not spent on unnecessary things but given in alms and invested in His work and in heavenly treasure. Considering how God provides for growing things in nature helps recognize the far greater importance of heavenly things. Freedom from anxious thought about food, drink, and clothing supports living and working simply and dressing modestly, without depending on jewelry or expensive clothes for influence, while a meek and quiet spirit formed by service, with kindness and forethought for others, is precious in heaven. For those blessed with great light this means putting the whole heart into service instead of striving in a tame, listless way without religious interest, through daily prayer and watchfulness and earnest seeking of the Lord, not merely claiming to believe the truth but living and practicing it, with the love of God in the heart and supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died.