Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 6:34

"Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." — Matthew 6:34 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: Having forbidden anxiety for the things of today, He now forbids anxiety for future things—a fruitless care that proceeds from human fault—in these words: Do not be anxious about tomorrow.¹

St. Jerome: In Scripture, "tomorrow" signifies future time, as Jacob says in Genesis, Tomorrow shall my righteousness hear me (Genesis 35:33). And in the apparition of Samuel, the witch of Endor says to Saul, Tomorrow you shall be with me (1 Samuel 28:19).

He therefore allows them to care for present things, though He forbids them to be anxious about the future. The thought of the present time is sufficient for us; let us leave the uncertain future to God. This is what He means when He says, The morrow will be anxious for itself; that is, it will bring its own anxiety with it. For sufficient for the day is its own evil. Here, by "evil" He does not mean that which is contrary to virtue, but rather toil, affliction, and the hardships of life.

St. John Chrysostom: Nothing brings so much pain to the spirit as anxiety and worry. That He says, The morrow will be anxious for itself, is said out of a desire to make His meaning clearer. To that end, He employs a personification of time, as many do when speaking to the common people. To impress them more, He presents the day itself as complaining of its heavy cares. Does not every day have a sufficient burden of its own cares? Why then do you add to them by piling on the cares that belong to another day?

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, by "today" is signified what is necessary for us in this present life; "tomorrow" denotes those things that are superfluous. Do not be anxious for the morrow, therefore, means, "Do not seek to have anything beyond what is necessary for your daily life, for that which is extra—that is, 'tomorrow'—will take care of itself."

Tomorrow will be anxious for itself, is as if to say, when you have heaped up superfluous things, they will take care of themselves. You will not enjoy them; instead, they will find many other masters to care for them. Why then should you be anxious about those things which you must give up ownership of?

Sufficient for the day is its own evil, is as if to say, the toil you undergo for necessities is enough; do not toil for superfluous things.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, "tomorrow" refers only to time where the future follows the past. Therefore, when we do any good work, we are not thinking of earthly things but of heavenly things. The morrow will be anxious for itself, means that you should take food and other necessities only when you ought to—that is, when the need arises. For sufficient for the day is its own evil, means it is enough that necessity compels us to take these things. He calls this necessity "evil" because it is a penalty, pertaining to the mortality we earned by sinning. Do not add further weight to this necessity of worldly punishment, so that you may not only fulfill it, but fulfill it in a way that shows you are God's soldier.

However, we must be careful not to immediately judge a servant of God for sinning against this command when we see them trying to provide necessities for themselves or for those in their care. For the Lord Himself, to whom angels ministered, chose to carry a money bag for the sake of example. And in the Acts of the Apostles, it is written that food necessary for life was provided for a future time when a famine threatened. Therefore, what the Lord condemns is not providing for these things in a human way, but doing so in a way that prevents a person from fighting as God's soldier.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: This is further understood within the full meaning of the divine words. We are commanded not to be anxious about the future, because the evil of the days in which we live—that is to say, our sins—is sufficient for our life, so that all our thought and effort should be occupied with cleansing this away. And if our care is slack, the future will still be cared for, in that a harvest of eternal love, provided by God, is held out to us.

1. ap. Anselm