Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 6:31-33

"Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." — Matthew 6:31-33 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: Having in this way expressly cut off all anxiety concerning food and clothing by an argument drawn from observing the lesser creation, He follows it up with a further prohibition: “Be not ye therefore careful, saying, What shall we eat, what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?” ¹

Remigius of Auxerre: The Lord repeated this so that He might show how highly necessary this precept is, and so that He might impress it more strongly on our hearts.

Rabanus Maurus: It should be observed that He does not say, “Do not seek or be thoughtful for food, drink, and clothing,” but rather, “what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed.” In this, it seems to me, they are convicted who, while using common food and clothing themselves, demand from those with whom they live either greater lavishness or greater severity in both.

Glossa Ordinaria: There is also a further needless anxiety by which people sin, when they store up produce or money beyond what is necessary. Neglecting spiritual things, they are focused on these material things, as if despairing of God's goodness. This is what is forbidden, “for after all these things do the Gentiles seek.” ²

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Since they believe that Fortune, not Providence, governs human affairs, and do not think that their lives are directed by God's counsel, they follow uncertain chance. Accordingly, they fear and despair, having no one to guide them. But the one who believes he is guided by God's counsel entrusts his provision of food to God's hand, as it follows, “for your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.”

St. John Chrysostom: He did not say, “God knows,” but, “Your Father knows,” in order to lead them to a higher hope. For if He is their Father, He will not bear to forget His children, since not even human fathers could do so. He says, “That ye have need of all these things,” so that for that very reason—because they are necessary—you may all the more lay aside anxiety. For in what way is he a father who denies his son bare necessities? But they have no right to expect superfluities with the same confidence.

St. Augustine of Hippo: God did not gain this knowledge at any particular time. Rather, before all time and without a beginning of knowledge, He foreknew that the things of the world would come to be—and among them, what we would ask of Him and when. ³

As for what some say—that these things are so numerous they cannot be comprehended by God's knowledge—they should, by the same reasoning, also maintain that God cannot know all numbers, which are certainly infinite. But the infinity of numbers is not beyond the comprehension of His understanding, for He Himself is infinite. ⁴

Therefore, if whatever is comprehended by knowledge is bounded by the one who knows it, then all of infinity is, in a certain unspeakable way, bounded by God, because it is not incomprehensible to His knowledge.

Nemesius of Emesa: That Providence exists is shown by signs such as these: the continuance of all things (especially those in a state of decay and reproduction), and the fact that the place and order of all existing things are always preserved in the same state. How could this be done unless some power presides over it? However, some affirm that God does indeed care for the general continuance of all things in the universe and provides for this, but that all particular events depend on contingency. ⁵

Now, only three reasons can be alleged for God not exercising providence over particular events: either God is ignorant that it is good to have knowledge of particular things, or He is unwilling, or He is unable. But ignorance is altogether foreign to the divine nature. For how could God not know what every wise person knows: that if the particulars were destroyed, the whole would be destroyed? And nothing prevents all individuals from perishing when no power watches over them.

If, on the other hand, He is unwilling, this must be for one of two reasons: inactivity or the perceived lowliness of the task. But inactivity is caused by two things: either being drawn aside by some pleasure or being hindered by some fear, neither of which can be piously attributed to God. If they affirm that it would be unbecoming because it is beneath such blessedness to stoop to such trivial things, how is it not inconsistent? A craftsman overseeing an entire machine gives attention to every part, no matter how insignificant, knowing the whole is made up of its parts. To suggest otherwise is to pronounce God, the Creator of all things, less wise than human craftsmen.

But if He is unable, then He is also unable to bestow benefits on us. However, just because we are unable to comprehend the manner of His special providence, we have no right to deny its operation. We might as well say that because we do not know the number of all people, people therefore do not exist.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Therefore, let the one who believes himself to be under the rule of God's counsel commit his provision into God's hand. But let him meditate on good and evil, for if he does not, he will neither shun evil nor take hold of what is good. Therefore it is added, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”

The kingdom of God is the reward for good works; His righteousness is the path of piety by which we travel to that kingdom. If you consider how great the glory of the saints is, you will either depart from evil through fear of punishment or hasten to what is good through a desire for glory. And if you consider what the righteousness of God is—what He loves and what He hates—that righteousness itself will show you His ways, as it accompanies those who love it. The account we will have to give is not whether we were poor or rich, but whether we have done well or poorly, which is in our own power.

Glossa Ordinaria: Or, He says “his righteousness,” as if to say, “You are made righteous through Him, and not through yourselves.” ⁶

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For man's sin, the earth is accursed so that it should not produce fruit, according to that in Genesis: “Cursed is the ground in thy works” (Genesis 3:17). But when we do well, it is blessed. Therefore, seek righteousness, and you shall not lack food. This is why it follows, “and all these things shall be added unto you.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: That is to say, these temporal goods are clearly shown not to be the kind of goods for whose sake we ought to do right; and yet, they are necessary. The kingdom of God and His righteousness is our good, which we ought to make our ultimate goal. ⁷

But since we are militant in this life in order to attain that goal—a life that cannot be lived without a supply of these necessities—He promises, “These things shall be added unto you.” That He says, “first,” implies that these other things are to be sought second, not in time, but in importance; the one is our good, the other is our necessity.

For example, we should not preach in order to eat, for then we would be treating the Gospel as less valuable than our food. Instead, we should eat in order to preach the Gospel. But if we “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”—that is, if we put this before all other things and seek other things for its sake—we should not be anxious that we might lack necessities. And therefore He says, “All these things shall be added unto you,” that is, of course, without being a hindrance to you, so that in seeking them you are not turned away from your primary goal and thus set two goals before yourselves.

St. John Chrysostom: And He did not say, “Shall be given,” but, “Shall be added,” so that you may learn that present things are nothing compared to the greatness of the things that are to come.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But when we read that the Apostle suffered hunger and thirst, we should not think that God's promises failed him, for these hardships are actually aids. That Physician, to whom we have entirely entrusted ourselves, knows when to give and when to withhold, as He judges what is most for our benefit. So if these things should ever be lacking to us (as God often permits, in order to test us), it will not weaken our fixed purpose but will instead confirm it when it is wavering. ⁸

1. non occ.
2. non occ.
3. De Trin., xv, 13
4. City of God, xii, 18
5. De Nat. Hom., 42
6. interlin.
7. Serm. in Mont., ii, 16
8. Serm. in Mont., ii, 17