Matthew 6:29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
Yet I tell you
This phrase emphasizes the authority of Jesus as He speaks. In the Greek, "λέγω ὑμῖν" (legō hymin) is a direct assertion, indicating that what follows is a truth of great importance. Jesus often uses this phrase to introduce teachings that challenge conventional wisdom, urging His listeners to pay close attention. It underscores His role as a divine teacher, whose words carry the weight of divine revelation.

not even Solomon
Solomon, the son of David, was renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and the splendor of his kingdom. In the historical context, Solomon's reign (circa 970-931 BC) was considered the golden age of Israel, marked by prosperity and grand architectural achievements, including the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. By referencing Solomon, Jesus draws on a well-known symbol of earthly magnificence and human achievement, setting the stage for a powerful contrast.

in all his glory
The term "glory" (Greek: δόξα, doxa) refers to the visible manifestation of splendor and majesty. Solomon's glory was evident in his opulent lifestyle, his vast wealth, and the grandeur of his court. This phrase evokes images of the highest human accomplishments and the pinnacle of worldly success. However, Jesus uses it to highlight the limitations of human glory when compared to divine creation.

was adorned
The Greek word "περιεβάλετο" (periebaleto) means to be clothed or arrayed. It suggests an external covering or decoration, emphasizing the effort and artifice involved in human attempts to achieve beauty and splendor. This word choice highlights the contrast between human adornment, which is often superficial and temporary, and the inherent beauty of God's creation, which is effortless and enduring.

like one of these
"These" refers to the lilies of the field, mentioned in the preceding verse. The lilies symbolize the natural beauty and provision found in God's creation. Unlike Solomon's glory, which required human effort and resources, the lilies are effortlessly beautiful, clothed by God Himself. This comparison serves as a reminder of God's providence and the surpassing beauty of His creation, which outshines even the greatest human achievements.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, delivering the Sermon on the Mount, teaching about trust in God's provision.

2. Solomon
The son of King David, known for his wisdom, wealth, and the splendor of his kingdom, often seen as a symbol of earthly glory and success.

3. The Sermon on the Mount
A collection of teachings by Jesus found in Matthew chapters 5-7, addressing various aspects of righteous living and faith.

4. The Lilies of the Field
Used by Jesus as an example of God's provision and care, illustrating the beauty and simplicity of God's creation.

5. The Kingdom of God
The central theme of Jesus' teachings, emphasizing spiritual values over material wealth and earthly concerns.
Teaching Points
Trust in God's Provision
Jesus emphasizes that God's care for His creation surpasses even the greatest human achievements. Believers are called to trust in God's provision rather than being consumed by worry over material needs.

Value of Simplicity
The beauty of the lilies, which surpasses Solomon's glory, highlights the value of simplicity and contentment in God's creation. Christians are encouraged to find joy and satisfaction in the simple blessings of life.

Spiritual Over Material
The comparison between Solomon's glory and the lilies underscores the importance of prioritizing spiritual wealth over material possessions. Believers are reminded to seek first the Kingdom of God.

God's Sovereignty and Care
This passage reassures believers of God's sovereignty and intimate care for His creation. It invites Christians to rest in the knowledge that God is aware of their needs and is faithful to provide.

Living by Faith
The teaching encourages a lifestyle of faith, where believers rely on God's promises and live with the assurance that He will meet their needs according to His riches in glory.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the example of Solomon's glory help us understand the depth of God's provision and care for us?

2. In what ways can we apply the lesson of the lilies to our daily lives, especially in terms of contentment and simplicity?

3. How does trusting in God's provision change our perspective on material wealth and possessions?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to prioritize seeking the Kingdom of God in our lives?

5. How can we encourage others to rely on God's care and provision, especially during times of anxiety or need?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 10:4-7
Describes the wealth and splendor of Solomon's kingdom, providing context for Jesus' comparison.

Philippians 4:19
Speaks of God's promise to supply all needs, reinforcing the message of trust in divine provision.

Luke 12:27
A parallel passage to Matthew 6:29, reiterating the teaching on God's care for creation.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Encourages trust in the Lord rather than relying on one's own understanding, aligning with the call to trust in God's provision.

1 Peter 5:7
Invites believers to cast their anxieties on God, who cares for them, echoing the theme of reliance on divine care.
Sermon on the Mount: 5. Thought for the MorrowMarcus Dods Matthew 6:19-34
Christ's Remedy for AnxietyW.F. Adeney Matthew 6:25-30
Lessons of the FieldsJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 6:25-34
The Condemnation of the Toil of the WorldP.C. Barker Matthew 6:25-34
People
Jesus, Solomon
Places
Galilee
Topics
Array, Arrayed, Clothed, Dressed, Glory, Magnificence, Solomon, Splendor, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 6:29

     2333   Christ, attitude to OT
     5120   Solomon, character

Matthew 6:24-34

     1660   Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:25-29

     2363   Christ, preaching and teaching

Matthew 6:25-32

     5136   body
     7115   children of God

Matthew 6:25-33

     1330   God, the provider
     5003   human race, and God

Matthew 6:25-34

     4438   eating
     5057   rest, physical
     5503   rich, the
     5766   attitudes, to life

Matthew 6:26-30

     8472   respect, for environment

Matthew 6:28-29

     4060   nature

Matthew 6:28-30

     1305   God, activity of
     4446   flowers
     5145   clothing
     8026   faith, growth in

Matthew 6:28-31

     5853   experience, of life

Matthew 6:28-33

     8359   weakness, spiritual

Matthew 6:28-34

     4460   grass
     5178   running

Library
The Distracted Mind
Eversley. 1871. Matthew vi. 34. "Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Scholars will tell you that the words "take no thought" do not exactly express our Lord's meaning in this text. That they should rather stand, "Be not anxious about to-morrow." And doubtless they are right on the whole. But the truth is, that we have no word in English which exactly expresses the Greek word which St Matthew
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

The Lord's Prayer
Windsor Castle, 1867. Chester Cathedral, 1870. Matthew vi. 9, 10. "After this manner, therefore, pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Let us think for a while on these great words. Let us remember that some day or other they will certainly be fulfilled. Let us remember that Christ would not have bidden us use them, unless He intended that they should be fulfilled. And let us remember, likewise, that
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

June 16. "Ye Cannot Serve God and Mammon" (Matt. vi. 24).
"Ye cannot serve God and Mammon" (Matt. vi. 24). He does not say ye cannot very well serve God and mammon, but ye cannot serve two masters at all. Ye shall be sure to end by serving one. The man who thinks he is serving God a little is deceived; he is not serving God. God will not have his service. The devil will monopolize him before he gets through. A divided heart loses both worlds. Saul tried it. Balaam tried it. Judas tried it, and they all made a desperate failure. Mary had but one choice.
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

August 27. "Take no Thought for Your Life" (Matt. vi. 25).
"Take no thought for your life" (Matt. vi. 25). Still the Lord is using the things that are despised. The very names of Nazarene and Christian were once epithets of contempt. No man can have God's highest thought and be popular with his immediate generation. The most abused men are often most used. There are far greater calamities than to be unpopular and misunderstood. There are far worse things than to be found in the minority. Many of God's greatest blessings are lying behind the devil's scarecrows
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

November 21. "Consider the Lilies How they Grow" (Matt. vi. 28).
"Consider the lilies how they grow" (Matt. vi. 28). It is said that a little fellow was found one day by his mother, standing by a tall sunflower, with his feet stuck in the ground. When asked by her, "What in the world are you doing there?" he naively answered, "Why, I am trying to grow to be a man." His mother laughed heartily at the idea of his getting planted in the ground in order to grow, like the sunflower, and then, patting him gently on the head, "Why, Harry, that is not the way to grow.
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

June 10. "Your Heavenly Father Knoweth Ye have Need" (Matt. vi. 32).
"Your heavenly Father knoweth ye have need" (Matt. vi. 32). Christ makes no less of our trust for temporal things than He does for spiritual things. He places a good deal of emphasis upon it. Why? Simply because it is harder to trust God for them. In spiritual matters we can fool ourselves, and think that we are trusting when we are not; but we cannot do so about rent and food, and the needs of our body. They must come or our faith fails. It is easy to say that we trust Him in things that are a long
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

February 12. "But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You" (Matt. vi. 33).
"But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. vi. 33). For every heart that is seeking anything from the Lord this is a good watchword. That very thing, or the desire for it, may unconsciously separate you from the Lord, or at least from the singleness of your purpose unto Him. The thing we desire may be a right thing, but we may desire it in a distrusting and selfish spirit. Let us commit it to Him, and not cease to believe for
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Consider the Lilies of the Field
(Preached on Easter Day, 1867.) MATTHEW vi. 26, 28, 29. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? . . . And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. What has this text to do with Easter-day? Let us think
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

'Thy Kingdom Come'
'Thy kingdom come.--MATT. vi. 10. 'The Lord reigneth, let the earth be glad'; 'The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble,' was the burden of Jewish psalmist and prophet from the first to the last. They have no doubt of His present dominion. Neither man's forgetfulness and man's rebellion, nor all the dark crosses and woes of the world, can disturb their conviction that He is then and for ever the sole Lord. The kingdom is come, then. Yet John the Baptist broke the slumbers of that degenerate people
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Thy Will be Done'
'Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.'--MATT. vi. 10. It makes all the difference whether the thought of the name, or that of the will, of God be the prominent one. If men begin with the will, then their religion will be slavish, a dull, sullen resignation, or a painful, weary round of unwelcome duties and reluctant abstainings. The will of an unknown God will be in their thoughts a dark and tyrannous necessity, a mysterious, inscrutable force, which rules by virtue of being stronger, and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Cry for Bread
'Give us this day our daily bread.'--MATT. vi. 11. What a contrast there is between the two consecutive petitions, Thy will be done, and Give us this day! The one is so comprehensive, the other so narrow; the one loses self in the wide prospect of an obedient world, the other is engrossed with personal wants; the one rises to such a lofty, ideal height, the other is dragged down to the lowest animal wants. And yet this apparent bathos is apparent only, and the fact that so narrow and earthly a petition
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Forgive us Our Debts'
'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.'--MATT. vi. 12. The sequence of the petitions in the second half of the Lord's Prayer suggests that every man who needs to pray for daily bread needs also to pray for daily forgiveness. The supplication for the supply of our bodily needs precedes the others, because it deals with a need which is fundamental indeed, but of less importance than those which prompt the subsequent petitions. God made us to need bread, we have made ourselves to need pardon.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Lead us not into Temptation'
'And lead us not into temptation.'--MATT. vi. 13. The petition of the previous clause has to do with the past, this with the future; the one is the confession of sin, the other the supplication which comes from the consciousness of weakness. The best man needs both. Forgiveness does not break the bonds of evil by which we are held. But forgiveness increases our consciousness of weakness, and in the new desire which comes from it to walk in holiness, we are first rightly aware of the strength and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Deliver us from Evil'
'But deliver us from evil.'--MATT. vi. 13. The two halves of this prayer are like a calm sky with stars shining silently in its steadfast blue, and a troubled earth beneath, where storms sweep, and changes come, and tears are ever being shed. The one is so tranquil, the other so full of woe and want. What a dark picture of human conditions lies beneath the petitions of this second half! Hunger and sin and temptation, and wider still, that tragic word which includes them all--evil. Forgiveness and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Thine is the Kingdom'
'Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.' MATT. vi. 13. There is no reason to suppose that this doxology was spoken by Christ. It does not occur in any of the oldest and most authoritative manuscripts of Matthew's Gospel. It does not seem to have been known to the earliest Christian writers. Long association has for us intertwined the words inextricably with our Lord's Prayer, and it is a wound to reverential feeling to strike out what so many generations have used in
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Hearts and Treasures
'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'--MATT. vi. 21. 'Your treasure' is probably not the same as your neighbour's. It is yours, whether you possess it or not, because you love it. For what our Lord means here by 'treasure' is not merely money, or material good, but whatever each man thinks best, that which he most eagerly strives to attain, that which he most dreads to lose, that which, if he has, he thinks he will be blessed, that which, if he has it not, he knows he is discontented.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Solitary Prayer
'Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret,'--MATT. vi. 6. An old heathen who had come to a certain extent under the influence of Christ, called prayer 'the flight of the solitary to the Solitary.' There is a deep truth in that, though not all the truth. Prayer is not only the most intensely individual act that a man can perform, but it is also the highest social act. Christ came not to carry solitary souls by a solitary pathway to heaven, but
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Structure of the Lord's Prayer
'After this manner therefore pray ye.'--MATT. vi. 9. 'After this manner' may or may not imply that Christ meant this prayer to be a form, but He certainly meant it for a model. And they who drink in its spirit, and pray, seeking God's glory before their own satisfaction, and, while trustfully asking from His hand their daily bread, rise quickly to implore the supply of their spiritual hunger, do pray after this manner,' whether they use these words or no. All begins with the recognition of the Fatherhood
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Our Father'
'Our Father which art in heaven.'--Matt. vi. 9. The words of Christ, like the works of God, are inexhaustible. Their depth is concealed beneath an apparent simplicity which the child and the savage can understand. But as we gaze upon them and try to fathom all their meaning, they open as the skies above us do when we look steadily into their blue chambers, or as the sea at our feet does when we bend over to pierce its clear obscure. The poorest and weakest learns from them the lesson of divine love
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Hallowed be Thy Name'
'Hallowed be Thy name.'--Matt. vi. 9. Name is character so far as revealed. I. What is meaning of Petition? Hallowed means to make holy; or to show as holy; or to regard as holy. The second of these is God's hallowing of His Name. The third is men's. The prayer asks that God would so act as to show the holiness of His character, and that men, one and all, may see the holiness of His character. i.e. Hallowed by divine self-revelation. Hallowed by human recognition. Hallowed by human adoration and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Trumpets and Street Corners
'Take heed that ye do nob your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; 4. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Fasting
'Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.'--MATT. vi. 16-18. Fasting has gone out of fashion now, but in Christ's time it went along
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Two Kinds of Treasure
'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.'--MATT. vi. 19-20. The connection with the previous part is twofold. The warning against hypocritical fastings and formalism leads to the warning against worldly-mindedness and avarice. For what worldly-mindedness is greater than that which prostitutes even religious acts to worldly advantage, and is laying up treasure of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Anxious Care
'Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. 25. Therefore I say unto you. Take no thought for your life.'--Matt. vi. 24-25. Foresight and foreboding are two very different things. It is not that the one is the exaggeration of the other, but the one is opposed to the other. The more a man looks forward in the exercise of foresight, the less he does so in the exercise of foreboding. And the more he is tortured by anxious thoughts about a possible future, the less clear vision has he of a likely future, and the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

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