True Righteousness in Relation to Wealth. The Sermon here passes from the shortcomings of the Scribes and Pharisees. There are scattered parallels to this section in Lk.
Matthew 6:19-21. Treasure (Luke 12:33 f.). Jesus has already spoken of earthly and heavenly reward; here the theme is earthly and heavenly wealth. Note the Hebraic parallelism and tautology in this thumbnail sketch of Oriental wealth, consisting largely of garments (cf. James 5:2 f.). rust (Matthew 6:19 f.) is literally eating, and refers to the mice and other vermin that play havoc in the granary. dig through (mg.): see Exodus 12:22 *.
Matthew 6:22 f. The Single Eye (Luke 11:34 ff.). If the eye, the outer lamp of the body, is healthy, the body is wholly lit up; if it is out of order, the body is wholly dark. In the same way, if the inner light be extinguished, how great is the darkness! By putting the saying here, Mt. seems to have interpreted it of a right and wrong attitude towards material possessions. Single often means liberal; evil, grudging, or niggardly. Dark was a colloquialism for uncharitable. The verses are a warning against covetousness.
Matthew 6:24. The Single Service (Luke 16:13). The papyri show cases where a third as well as half a slave is bequeathed in a will. Such a usage may have been in our Lord's mind, and the strife it engendered may have given point and force to His saying. hold to: stand by, or look to for support and help. mammon: an Aramaic word (meaning gain or wealth) preserved by Mt. probably because it is personified. Either God or wealth must be loved and held to or hated and despised. The principle is stated, as usual, in the most absolute way.
Matthew 6:25-34. Earthly Anxiety (Luke 12:22-31). As the service of wealth only causes anxiety, we should give it up. Life (psuche) is the life-principle embodied in the body; it needs food as the body needs clothes. If God has given the greater things (life and body), He can surely provide the less (food and raiment). Learn from the birds, not idleness, but freedom from worry; if God provides food for them, He will surely provide food for you.
Matthew 6:27-30 returns to the question of the body. To add a cubit to one's height (less probably age) is beyond man's most anxious effort. But God can do it why then worry about the smaller matter, clothing? lilies: rather blossoms, in-eluding gladioli and irises, whose stems are used as fuel (Matthew 6:30). The flowers neither toil (like men in the field) nor spin (like women in the house).
Matthew 6:31 ff. Anxiety is not only unreasonable and useless, it is irreligious natural perhaps in Gentiles (note how Lk. adds of the world to him many Gentiles were the Father's children), but not for sons of God. With Matthew 6:33 cf. the Lord's Prayer, where God's name, kingdom, and will take precedence of the request for food. The thought of Matthew 6:34 is different from that of Matthew 6:25-33, where no day will have its trouble because God will provide. Here we are not to worry about to-morrow, because to-morrow will bear its own worry; and, further, there is enough worry for to-day. Cf. Matthew 10:9 f.