Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they?

“It may be said, that under the name of birds, He exhorts us by the example of the unclean spirits, to whom, without any trouble of their own in seeking and collecting it, provision of life is given by the power of the Eternal Wisdom. And to lead us to refer this to the unclean spirits, He suitably adds, Are not ye of much more value than they? Thus shewing the great interval between piety and wickedness.”

“There be some who, seeking to go beyond the limits of their fathers, and to soar into the air, sink into the deep and are drowned. These will have the birds of the air to mean the Angels, and the other powers in the ministry of God, who without any care of their own are fed by God’s providence. But if this be indeed as they would have it, how follows it, said to men, Are not ye of more worth than they? It must be taken then in the plain sense; If birds that to-day are, and to-morrow are not, be nourished by God’s providence, without thought or toil of their own, how much more men to whom eternity is promised!”

“(De Op. Monach. 23.) Some argue that they ought not to labour, because the fowls of the air neither sow nor reap. Why then do they not attend to that which follows, neither gather into barns? Why do they seek to have their hands idle, and their storehouses full? Why indeed do they grind corn, and dress it? For this do not the birds. Or even if they find men whom they can persuade to supply them day by day with victuals ready prepared, at least they draw water from the spring, and set on table for themselves, which the birds do not. But if neither are they driven to fill themselves vessels with water, then have they gone one new step of righteousness beyond those who were at that time at Jerusalem, (vid. Acts 11:29.) who of corn sent to them of free gift, made, or caused to be made, loaves, which the birds do not. But not to lay up any thing for the morrow cannot be observed by those, who for many days together withdrawn from the sight of men, and suffering none to approach to them, shut themselves up, to live in much fervency of prayer. What? will you say that the more holy men become, the more unlike the birds of the air in this respect they become? What He says respecting the birds of the air, He says to this end, that none of His servants should think that God has no thought of their wants, when they see Him so provide even for these inferior creatures. Neither is it not God that feeds those that earn their bread by their own labour; neither because God hath said, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, (Ps. 50:15.) ought the Apostle therefore not to have fled, but to have remained still to have been seized, that God might save him as He did the Three Children out of the midst of the fire. Should any object in this sort to the saints in their flight from persecution, they would answer that they ought not to tempt God, and that God, if He pleased, would so do to deliver them as He had done Daniel from the lions, Peter from prison, then when they could no longer help themselves; but that in having made flight possible to them, should they be saved by flight, it was by God that they were saved. In like manner, such of God’s servants as have strength to earn their food by the labour of their hands, would easily answer any who should object to them this out of the Gospel concerning the birds of the air, that they neither sow nor reap; and would say, If we by sickness or any other hindrance are not able to work, He will feed us as He feeds the birds, that work not. But when we can work, we ought not to tempt God, seeing that even this our ability is His gift; and that we live here we live of His goodness that has made us able to live; He feeds us by whom the birds of the air are fed; as He says, Your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much greater value?”

“After he taught us about fasting, he teaches us about almsgiving, and he says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth." But it seems that this is not true, since it belongs to kings to store up treasure. But it must be said that by "treasures" he understands abundance, and this is twofold, necessary and superfluous: what is not necessary for one person is necessary for another. And therefore, since a king needs many things, he can gather many things. What would be a sin for a simple, private person is not a sin for a king, because the king needs to defend the kingdom. Again, he forbids it to those who seem to place their confidence in riches; hence 1 Timothy, last chapter, 17: "Charge the rich of this world not to be highminded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of their riches"; Baruch 3:16: "Where are the princes of the nations, who fashion (or store up) silver and gold, in which men trust?" Again, he forbids it on account of instability, because riches are quickly lost. And he sets down three things that riches contain: metals, and these are consumed by rust; garments, and these by moths; and certain things which are consumed by neither, such as precious stones. Another reading has "nor by decay." Hence they are destroyed in three ways: either from an intrinsic principle, as the moth which is born in garments — hence, "where rust and moth [consume]"; or from the excess of the possessor, hence "decay"; or sometimes from outsiders, hence he says, "where thieves do not dig through." If someone should say that these things do not happen, it must be said that even if they do not happen, still it often does happen; and if it does not happen, it is nevertheless possible for it to happen — therefore he argues that riches are uncertain. Again, it is explained mystically. Rust appears; the moth is hidden. Hence by rust are meant bodily sins, by the moth, spiritual sins. Again, some sins are those which men commit by themselves, some which are committed with another, and the latter do more harm — hence he says, "nor do thieves dig through," or he says this on account of hidden treasures. Again, by rust the proud are meant; Ecclesiasticus 12:10: "As bronze rusts, so does their wickedness." The moth corrodes garments, and this signifies exterior works, which are corroded by envy; Proverbs 25:20: "As the moth harms the garment, and the worm the wood, so the sadness of a man harms the heart." Again, by thieves is meant vainglory: thieves, that is, demons, who, since they cannot deceive men through other sins, deceive them through vainglory. Again, he sets down the stability of heavenly riches, where he says, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." And here Augustine says: "Store up for yourselves in heaven" — not in some bodily place, but in heaven, that is, in spiritual goods, that is, acquire an abundance of good merits. And he says "for yourselves," not "for God," because nothing accrues to him; Job 35:7: "If you act justly, what will you give him, or what will he receive from your hand?" The Lord also teaches whence this is acquired, namely through almsgiving, saying, Luke 18:22: "Sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." For there, that is, in heaven, there will be no corruption, "for this corruptible must put on incorruption," 1 Corinthians 15:53. There follows: "Where your treasure is, there also is your heart." He teaches that the contrary conclusion is harmful, and this because it entails a distraction of the heart: for if you love earthly things, there your heart will be; for where love is, there is the eye — "the eyes of fools are in the ends of the earth." But since there are few who consider this, he therefore shows, by an example, how great the danger is: "The lamp of your body..." And this is first explained concerning the bodily eye; for just as a lamp directs a man's steps, so does the eye. Hence, "if your eye is sound," that is, strong for seeing, "your whole body will be full of light," that is, it will be directed toward right action; "if it is evil," that is, bleary and dim, "your whole body will be full of darkness," that is, all your works will happen in the manner of darkness. "If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great will that darkness itself be?" The light that is in you is the heart and mind. If then it is directed toward the earth, all the senses of man too will be directed toward the earth. Otherwise it is explained concerning the spiritual eye: for light leads to testing, as does man's reason; Proverbs 20:27: "The lamp of the Lord is the breath of man." Hence, if your eye is sound, in such a way that your reason is directed toward God, your whole body, that is, all your members, will be kept from sin; if not, they will be wrapped up in works of darkness. Or "full of light" refers to the resurrection of the saints; below, Matthew 13:43: "Then the just will shine like the sun." Again, by the eye is signified intention: hence whoever wishes to act, intends something; hence if your intention is full of light, that is, directed toward God, your whole body, that is, your operations, will be full of light — and this is understood of things good absolutely. Again, by the eye is understood faith; hence if it is sound, in such a way that it tends toward God, that is, does not waver, and so on; Romans 14:23: "What is not of faith is sin." Again, by the eye is signified the prelate, who is the eye of his subjects; hence when good prelates direct the people, the whole congregation of the people shines with virtues, and so on; Ecclesiasticus 10:2: "As the judge of the people is, so also are his ministers." There follows: "No one can serve two masters," and so on. Because he had said that the storing up of treasure distracts from God, it is therefore said to be something to be shunned, since it not only distracts but alienates from God: "for no one can serve two masters." A slave is one who, as to what he is, belongs to another; but it is impossible for the mind to be borne toward two ends at once and at the same time — I mean ends that are contrary and dissenting. Again, note that some rule so that their subjects may be rightly directed; others, so as to be feared. The Lord and riches are contrary masters; therefore "you cannot serve God and mammon." But note that it is one thing to have riches as a master, another as a slave: for he has them as a master who uses them well and makes fruit from them; but he is a slave of riches who draws no fruit from them; Ecclesiastes 5:12: "There is another evil which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of their owner." Now that in which anyone places his end is his god. Hence he who places his end in riches — riches are his god, as is said of those whose "god is the belly," Philippians 3:19. "You cannot serve God and mammon." By mammon can be understood the Devil, who presides over riches, and is as it were his god — not because he is able to give riches, but because he strives to deceive men by means of riches. Hence, just as there is a certain spirit of fornication, so there is a spirit of riches. Augustine explains it otherwise: "no one can [serve two masters]," namely, masters that are contrary; but God and the Devil are contrary. "What agreement has Christ with Belial?" 2 Corinthians 6:15; and in the third Book of Kings 18:21: "How long do you halt between two sides?" And there follows: "or he will bear with the one," that is, the Devil. And he does not say "will love," because the Devil cannot naturally be loved. God is naturally loved; the Devil, however, is only borne with, as Augustine gives the example: if someone desires another's maidservant, he serves that other out of love for the maidservant, not for the master himself; hence he bears with servitude to the master for the sake of the maidservant. So someone bears with servitude to the Devil for the sake of riches. Again, someone could say: I do not place my end in superfluous riches, but in necessary ones. And this the Lord forbids, saying, "Therefore I say to you, be not anxious for your soul," and so on — not because the soul eats, but because it is fitting for man, the soul existing in him. Or, "for your soul," that is, for the life of the soul. And here he destroys the error of the Euchites, who said that apostolic men ought not to labor. But Paul rebukes these, saying, 2 Thessalonians 3:10: "He who does not wish to work, let him not eat." According to the Apostle, therefore, all are bound. But I ask: is it a counsel, or a precept? If a precept, then all are bound; if a counsel, it is clear that not all are bound, since only perfect men are bound to counsels. I say that some things are commanded for their own sake, some for the sake of another: as when someone has taken up the cross in order to go overseas, he is bound to go overseas, but he cannot go unless he seeks a ship — hence seeking a ship is necessary for him. Thus all are bound to preserve life, and therefore they are bound to all the things that serve this end; hence whoever has no means of preserving his life is bound to labor in order to preserve it. What then does he mean by saying, "Be not anxious," and so on? It must be said that anxiety names a foresight joined with eager pursuit; and eager pursuit is a vehement application of the mind. Now in this vehement application there can be sin, namely when one places the mind there as upon an end, and in this way we ought not to be anxious; and therefore it is found in Proverbs 11:7: "The expectation of the anxious will perish." Again, it can happen that the mind intends to acquire superfluous things, and this is forbidden, as is found in Ecclesiastes 2:1: "I said in my heart: I will go, and I will overflow with riches." Again, there can be anxiety because the mind is excessively solicited to acquire temporal and necessary things, and concerning this it is found in 1 Corinthians 2. Again, some are anxious with a certain fear and despair, because they fear that provision will fail them, and this anxiety is forbidden. There follows: "Is not the soul more than food?" He taught us to avoid anxiety even about necessary things, and he sets down arguments. And first this one: he who gave the greater things will give the lesser; but God gave the soul and the body; therefore he who gave these will preserve them. "Behold the birds of the air," and so on — this is another argument: he who provides for the lesser will provide for the greater; but God provides for brute animals; therefore, and so on. First he draws this out with regard to food; second, with regard to clothing. He teaches, then, to avoid anxiety, saying "Behold," that is, consider, "the birds of the air," because wisdom is to be had from them; hence Job 12:7: "Ask the cattle, and they will teach you." Hence, although they have no work by which to acquire bread, nevertheless, and so on. And he mentions three things corresponding to the three things that are required, namely to sow, to reap, and to gather; and as to this he says three things: "they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." And he says "your," not "their," because properly he is Father of the rational creature. "He feeds them" — concerning which it is written in Psalm 146:9: "Who gives to the cattle their food," and so on. "Are not you of much more worth than they?" — that is, of greater value? For man is set above all things, as is found in Genesis 1:26: "Let us make man," and so on; and there follows, "that he may have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air." And it is not to be understood that apostolic men do not gather provisions; rather it is to be understood that God, in their gathering, delivers the just from tribulation, as he delivered Daniel from the lions' den, and the three boys from the furnace. And I do not say that those existing in tribulation ought not to act so as to be delivered, since the Lord commanded that they should flee from one city into another; but it is to be understood that if the just do what lies in their power, the Lord will deliver them. And these examples are brought forward so that we may know that the Lord has providence over all things, and gives to each according to its own manner: for to the birds he gave the means by which they might acquire necessities, for he gave them a natural instinct by which they are moved to seek out whence they might live; therefore we ought not to be excessively anxious. "But which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?" Here he proves by experience that just as he provides for the birds, so also for us: for there is a part of the soul that is subject to reason, such as the motive and sensitive powers, and a part that is not, such as the augmentative and nutritive powers; and in these man agrees with brute animals; and just as he provides for brute animals in growth and nourishment, so also for men. Hence growth is not from ourselves, but from God; hence you ought not to despair of God's providence. "Consider the lilies of the field," and so on. He has instructed us concerning food, now concerning clothing; hence, "having food, and something with which to be covered, with these we are content." He says, therefore, "Consider the lilies of the field." The consideration of creatures ought to be for the praise of God; Psalm 142:5: "I will meditate on all your works," and so on. "They labor not, neither do they spin": for both the work of men and of women is required for clothing; therefore, to remove the work of men he says, "they labor not"; to exclude the work of women he says, "neither do they spin." For I say to you that "not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these," because even though art imitates nature, it nevertheless does not attain to it. Hence art would never produce colors as pure as those that occur in nature in the flowers. And he says "in glory," because among those known among the Jews, Solomon was more glorious; and yet clothing could not be so fitted to him as it is to the lily. Again, Chrysostom says that the lily has these things without anxiety, whereas Solomon at least had to give orders for his. Jerome turns this back to the resurrection, since by the lilies are meant the angels; and just as angels have no need of clothing, so in the resurrection he who will refashion the body will provide for its clothing. "For if the grass of the field," and so on. Here he changes the lily into grass, and argues that if God provides for the lesser things, he will provide also for us, who are of greater worth as to the dignity of our substance, since we are above these things. Again, as to duration: since we are eternal as to the soul, whereas this grass "today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven," and so on; Isaiah 40:7: "The grass is withered, and the flower has fallen." Again, as to the end: because man exists for the sake of beatitude, whereas grass exists for the use of man; Psalm 146:8: "Who brings forth grass and herb on the mountains for the service of men," and so on — and for a base use at that, namely that it be cast into the oven, with respect to certain lands, where fire is made from stubble. "And if God so clothes" this, that is, gives it its necessary adornment, "how much more you, of little faith?" Or thus: that by the grass are understood unbelievers — if then God provides for unbelievers, who are ready for the oven of fire, much more will he provide for the elect. "Be not therefore anxious," and so on. Here he draws his conclusion concerning both food and clothing; and you should explain "anxiety" in the four ways stated above. Or thus: if you live within some community, do not be anxious for more abundant food or more abundant clothing, but rather be among them as one of them. "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek," because they place their end there, since they believe that beatitude consists in them; and if they do not believe this, they still place great anxiety there, because they do not believe in divine providence. And because in ordering something toward an end two things are required, namely knowledge and will, he says, "For your Father knows that you need all these things." Hence: he knows, because he is God; likewise, because he is Father, he wills [to provide]. What then will you do? He states three things. First: "Seek the kingdom of God," as an end, since the kingdom is beatitude. The kingdom is named from ruling: for a man is then ruled when he is made subject to the will of the one ruling; but this will be in heaven; hence Luke 14:15: "Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God." Again, justice leads to the kingdom; Proverbs 8:20: "I walk in the ways of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may enrich those who love me, and may fill their treasures," and so on. And therefore he says, "and his justice." And he says "his," and not "man's," because by his own justice no one can come to the kingdom. Third, he says, "and all these things will be added unto you," as if to say, beyond the bargain these things will be added; Proverbs 10:3: "The Lord will not afflict the soul of the just with famine." We ought not, therefore, to seek these temporal things — and this is true if they are sought as an end, or as a reward. Hence we ought not to preach the gospel in order that we may eat, but rather the reverse. But against this Augustine raises an objection concerning Paul, since he says: "In hunger, and thirst, and nakedness I have labored." And he answers that just as a physician sometimes withholds food and drink from a sick person, in order to cure him, so the Lord, whose task it is to provide, permits a man to suffer, either that he may be cured, if there is something to be cured, or that others may receive an example. "Be not therefore anxious for tomorrow." But this does not seem right, because no one is bound to a greater perfection than Christ and the apostles; but Christ had a money-box, and the apostles too used to gather provisions. Augustine explains it thus: "for tomorrow," that is, for the future, meaning: by thinking too much about temporal things, namely by placing one's end there, or also by gathering superfluous things. Or, according to Jerome, "Be not anxious for tomorrow" is true concerning those things which pertain to God, provided we are doing what lies in our power; for we ought not to cease from laboring for fear of rain, or such other things which pertain to God. Or thus: do not take up in the present that anxiety which you ought to have in the future, just as it is not fitting, at the time of the harvest, to take up care about the vintage. Why? For "sufficient for the day is its own evil" — that is, the tribulation and anguish which a man has in his day ought to suffice for him; he ought not to take up in advance that which he is to have in the future, and so on.”

“Which of you by taking thought,.... As Christ argued before, from the unnecessariness of anxious thoughts and cares, about the provisions of life; so here, from the unprofitableness of them; it being impossible for a man, with all his care and thought, to add one cubit unto his stature, or "to his age"; so the word is rendered, Joh 9:21 to the days of his life, he is so solicitous about; for a cubit may as well be applied to a man's age, as an "hand's breadth" is to his days, Psa 39:5. Nor is it so reasonable to think, that Christ should be speaking of making such an addition to a man's height; though that, to be sure, is an impossible thing: since the far greater part of Christ's hearers must be come to their full growth, and could not hope to have any addition made to their height; though they might hope to add to their days; much less such a monstrous one as that of a cubit, and which is a strong reason against the other sense of the word, and for this: for our Lord is speaking of something very small, which men cannot do; as appears from what Luke says, Luk 12:26 "If ye then be not able to do that which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?" Whereas, to add a cubit to a man's height, is a great deal: "the stature of a middling man (says (f) Bartenora) is three cubits.'' And to add one more, makes a large addition to his stature; but to apply this to a man's age, is a small matter, and yet is what men cannot do: the sense of the words is this, that no man, by all the care and thought he can make use of, is ever able to add one cubit, or the least measure to his days; he cannot lengthen out his life one year, one month, one day, one hour; no, not one moment. (f) In Misn. Erubim, c. 4. sect. 5. & Negaim, c. 13. sect. 11.”

“Behold the fowls of the air--in Mat 6:28, "observe well," and in Luk 12:24, "consider"--so as to learn wisdom from them. 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?--nobler in yourselves and dearer to God. The argument here is from the greater to the less; but how rich in detail! The brute creation--void of reason--are incapable of sowing, reaping, and storing: yet your heavenly Father suffers them not helplessly to perish, but sustains them without any of those processes. Will He see, then, His own children using all the means which reason dictates for procuring the things needful for the body--looking up to Himself at every step--and yet leave them to starve?”