a “Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious for your life,
b What you shall eat, or what you shall drink,
b Nor yet for your body, what you shall put on.
b Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the clothing?
c Behold the birds of the heaven,
b That they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns,
b And your heavenly Father feeds them.
b Are you not of much more value then they?
a And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his measure (of his life or of his stature')?
There is here a secondary analysis for in ‘a' being anxious for their lives parallels their inability to increase the length of their lives by being anxious, in ‘b' concern about food and clothing, followed by a question about the value of life parallels their Father feeding the birds followed by a question about their value, while in ‘c' interest is centred on the basis of the illustration.
This brings out that the next thing that the disciples have to beware of is being anxious about relatively unimportant matters. They are to consider that there is much more to life than food and clothing, and that their inner life is much more important than both. Thus they should not be clamouring about a seeming shortage of food and clothing (as Israel did in the wilderness), but concentrating on the satisfactory maintenance of their inner life. We can compare here Matthew 4:4 where the food that gives life is the word that comes from God's mouth. Thus they must consider that to some extent this temptation to be concerned about food and clothing is the same as the one He overcame. And He will then go on to explain that just as God fed and clothed His people at the time when those words were said (Deuteronomy 2:7), so He will feed His people now. Note the relation of life to eating and the body to clothing. Food sustains the inner life, clothing covers the outer body. But both inward and outward needs physical need can be left to God for provide at the time when He feels suitable. They should rather be concerned about the inward food of the word of God (Matthew 4:4), and the outer clothing of righteousness (Matthew 6:33). To be consumed with anxiety can only hinder the effects of both
Let them rather then consider the birds of the heaven. They neither sow, nor reap, nor harvest. But the disciples' heavenly Father feeds them. There may be a play here on the term ‘heaven'. The birds are in a sense ‘of heaven', but those in the Kingly Rule of Heaven under their ‘Heavenly' Father are to be seen as even more important than they. They are the true sons of Heaven. But whether that inference is there or not the basic idea is there, for they are certainly seen to be of more value than the birds of heaven. Thus they can be sure that their Heavenly Father Who takes such care of the birds, who do nothing in order to produce their food (most present would no doubt visualise the picture of the birds flying down and picking up the seed as they sowed (Matthew 13:4), just like the poor are allowed to do with the grain that results - Deuteronomy 23:25. God thus makes provision for all), will equally certainly take good care of them, as they work hard for their daily provision. The emphasis is on ‘not being anxious' because their Father will provide, not on their working or not working to obtain their food and clothing. It is on the fact that in the end all things come from above, from the One Who gives sun and rain to ripen the Harvest.
Behind these words may also be the thought of how in the Old Testament God fed Elijah by means of the birds of Heaven (1 Kings 17:4; 1 Kings 17:6), who were thus so well provided for that they could feed Elijah. And also how He twice fed His people in the wilderness by bringing the birds of Heaven to them (Exodus 16:13; Numbers 11:31-32), which demonstrated that His people were of more value than the quails.
And the whole then ends with a reminder to them that they cannot change the length of their lives, for their lives are in His hands (while the implication is that He can). What then is the point of their being anxious about their physical lives?
‘Can add one cubit to his life (or his stature)'? Helikia can refer to either age (e.g. Hebrews 11:11) or stature (Luke 19:2; compare Luke 2:52 where it can be either). ‘Cubit' (a length measurement) may seem to suggest the length of an object, but outside sources do in fact speak of a ‘cubit of time'; and we can compare with this Psalms 39:5 where ‘a handbreadth' is used to describe the length of days. So the usage for length of life would not be unique, and this interpretation fits better with the parallel, ‘Do not be anxious for your life' (Mark 3:27 compare Luke 11:22). And it is with mighty power that He proclaims His message and heals the sick (Luke 4:14; Luke 4:32). It is a power that He is able to pass on to others on His own authority (Mark 3:15; Luke 9:1). But it may be that here John mainly has in mind thween the baptism which he can himself administer, which is but a picture of what is to come, as compared with that which Jesus will administer, which will be the supreme ‘baptism', the ‘drenching in Holy Spirit', that which is the prerogative of God.