Matthew
6:24-34
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Nazareth Presbyterian Church, Moore, S. C.
- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
- X, 1-4, 6-9, 11-12 ; Tatian's Diatessaron (c.150-160).
- III.VIII.1-3, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
- Chapter XXIII, Chapter XXVI, De Spectaculis, Tertullian (c. 197)
- Chapter VI, On Prayer, Tertullian (c. 199)
- I.5, I.12, II.11, II.13, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- II.18, III.4, III.12, IV.7, VII.12, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- I.4, II.3, To His Wife, Tertullian (c. 206)
- Chapter XVI, On the Soul, Tertullian (c. 210)
- Chapter XII, Exhortation to Chastity, Tertullian (c. 210)
- Chapter XII, On Idolatry, Tertullian (c. 211)
- Chapter XII, De Corona, Tertullian (c. 211)
- VII.XXIV, VIII.III, Against Celsus, Origen. (c.246)
- On the Lapsed -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 251)
- On the Lord's Prayer -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 252)
- Concerning Works and Almsgiving -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 254)
- VI.3, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 320).
-
II.14,
II.15,
II.16,
II.17, Our
Lord?s Sermon on the Mount ?
Augustine (c.
387)
- "But the Lord admonishes us that we should remember that God, when He made and compounded us of body and soul, gave us much more than food and clothing, through care for which He would not have us make our heart, double."
- Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew, St.
Chrysostom (c. 380)
- Homily XXI - Matthew 6:24
- Homily XXII - Matthew 6:28-29
- "God and Mammon. Do Not Be Anxious," Matthew 6:24-34, Martin Luther, c. 1525.
- Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, John Calvin, 1558:
- From the Catena Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas, c. 1263.
- Chapter 16, On Cleaving to God, Albertus Magnus, c. 1275.
- "God & Mammon," Martin Luther, c. 1522.
- From the
Geneva Notes.
- "The perverse burdensome carefulness for things of this life, is corrected in the children of God by an earnest thinking upon the providence of God."
- From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary.
- "There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life."
- From
Wesley's Notes.
- "If God so clothe - The word properly implies, the putting on a complete dress, that surrounds the body on all sides; and beautifully expresses that external membrane, which (like the skin in a human body) at once adorns the tender fabric of the vegetable, and guards it from the injuries of the weather. Every microscope in which a flower is viewed gives a lively comment on this text."
-
The Sermon on the Mount
9 (Matt 6:24-34). Sermon by John Wesley.
- "Above all, do not make the care of future things a pretence for neglecting present duty."
- From the
Commentary on the Whole Bible
(Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought--"Be not solicitous." The English word "thought," when our version was made, expressed this idea of "solicitude," "anxious concern"--as may be seen in any old English classic; and in the same sense it is used in 1Sa 9:5, &c. But this sense of the word has now nearly gone out, and so the mere English reader is apt to be perplexed. Thought or forethought, for temporal things--in the sense of reflection, consideration--is required alike by Scripture and common sense. It is that anxious solicitude, that oppressive care, which springs from unbelieving doubts and misgivings, which alone is here condemned."
- From
The People's
New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
- "The Chaldee word "Mammon" means money or riches. It is here personified as an idol. "Mammon" originally meant "trust," or confidence, and riches is the trust of worldly men. If God be not the object of supreme trust, something else will be, and it is most likely to be money."
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- "No More Worries," the Rev. Dr. Janet H. Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2012.
- Radical Gratitude, Pentecost +2A, Christ the King B, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
- Commentary, Matthew 6:24-34, Emerson Powery, Epiphany 8, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
- "God will take care of you ... so take care of God's justice in the world."
- Don't Worry About Your Life, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2011.
- "Putting Love First," Mark Suriano, ucc.org: Sermon Seeds, lectionary
citations, weekly theme, lectionary texts, bulletin back page, 2011.
- "The problem of worry is not reserved for the first-century hearers of Matthew's Gospel. In fact, if you look around your world today (from the very personal to the very global), you may find that anxiety is the new base line in the symphony of life."
- "Picture This," David Lose, Working Preacher, 2011.
- "Do not worry?? You've got to be kidding. Most days, life feels like one worry strung after another like lights on a morbid Christmas tree."
- "No Easy Answers," Alyce McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, Patheos, 2011.
- "Jesus' distinctive teaching voice comes through in the way he coins sayings that conform to traditional wisdom forms like beatitudes and proverbs, but uses them not to resolve the conflicts of life but to heighten them."
- Lectionary Blogging, Epiphany 8, John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2011.
- "'Mammon' itself is that 'treasure' that holds our heart, which is why worldly possessions and wealth are in fundamental conflict with service to God.
- Living in Your Sweatpants without Anxiety, Fr. Rick Moley, a garden path, 2011.
- "And, if we are in God's hands, what do we really have to worry about?"
- "The Way to Worry-Free Living," John van de Laar, Sacredise, 2011.
- "If we desire to live a whole life, a free life, an unconcerned life, then we must seek the Jubilee-Kingdom before all else. We need to embrace one another in all the ways the Sermon on the Mount has explored, and take responsibility for caring for one another. We need to nurture and protect our connections and celebrate our interdependence."
- "Don't fuss about what's on the table," Neil Chappell, aweirdthing, 2011.
- Holy
Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Matthew 6:24-34, David Ewart, 2011.
- "Having our intentions aligned with God's desires plus trusting God frees us from being anxious / worried / fearful about what will happen next; allows us to let go of expectations."
- Evangelio, San Mateo 6:24-34, Emerson Powery, Epiphany 8, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
- "Dios cuidará de ti...así que tenga cuidado de la justicia de Dios en el mundo."
- Commentary, Matthew 6:24-34, Richard Beaton, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
- "Thanksgiving: Anxiety about Money, Food and Clothing," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
-
"First
Thoughts on Year A Gospel Passages in the Lectionary,"
Epiphany 8,
William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
- "Jesus' challenge is also not a mandate for stupidity and irresponsible planning. It is about having a clear goal and setting up the path in a way that takes us there and not down the side alleys of spending too much time thinking about ourselves."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- "Matthew 6:24-34, The Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany," Let Your Light Shine: The Sermon on the Mount in Epiphany, David L. Tiede, Word & World: Theology for Christian Ministry, Luther Northwestern Theological School, 1984.
- "God's Enabling Grace," study guide for adults, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Sermon on the Mount," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2008.
- "Mastering Mammon," study guide for adults, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Consumerism," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2003.
- Kingdom Priorities-Verse
Commentary on Matthew 6:19-34, Jirair Tashjian Christian Resource Institute.
- "In these statements, the distinction is not between soul and body. Hebraic thought, unlike Greek philosophy, did not make such a distinction. The distinction is rather between a life which has meaning and purpose derived from God and a life that is merely concerned with the drudgery of daily existence."
-
"The
Fatal Failures of Religion: #4 Materialism," from the
Biblical Studies Foundation.
- "Most of us are inclined to think of materialism as the inordinate desire to become wealthy for our own selfish ends. In other words, materialism is equated with financial ambition and prosperity. We who do not consider ourselves affluent do not think that materialism is a great problem to us. But materialism has two distinct forms. The first and most obvious is that dealt with in verses 19-24, the love of money which becomes the dominant and all-consuming passion of our lives. Most of us are not so close to the fire of this temptations as we are its converse side. Rather than being absorbed in the hoarding of wealth which we do have, we are consumed with concern about that which we don?t have. The ?have-nots? are often more obsessed over material things than the ?haves.?"
-
"God
Cares about Money (Matt 5:1-2; 6:19-21, 24-33)," John C. Purdy.
Chapter 6 of God With a Human Face (1993), republished at
Religion
Online.
- "If our trust is expressed as obedience, then we will not worry unduly about food, shelter, and clothing. If we take care of the things God cares about, God will take care of the money. God really does care for money - in the most practical, matter-of-fact sense."
- Articles & Background:
- "Sermon on the Mount," wikipedia.
- "Sermon on the Mount," multiple articles and resources, Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2008.
- "Attitudes to the Poor
in New Testament Times," Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J., University of Notre
Dame, 2002.
- "When taxes were so high, life for peasants was at best ?subsistent,? i.e., they had only several months of food stored. The wolf was always at the door. And there was no unemployment insurance, no social security, no medicare. The state took the surplus of peasants and gave them nothing in return."
- "On Wealth and Worry: Matthew 6:19-34 -- Meaning and Significance," Craig L. Blomberg, Criswell Theological Review, 1992.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Allison, Dale C., Jr., "The Structure
of the Sermon on the Mount," Journal of Biblical Literature,
1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Bailey, James L. and Stanley P.
Saunders, "God's Merciful Community," Currents in Theology and
Mission, 1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Bailey, James L., "Sermon on the
Mount: Model for Community," Currents in Theology and Mission,
1993.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Blomberg, Craig L., "On Wealth and Worry: Matthew
6:19-34 -- Meaning and Significance," Criswell Theological Review,
1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Brooks, James A., "The Unity and Structure of the
Sermon on the Mount," Criswell Theological Review, 1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Carlston, Charles E., "Betz on the
Sermon on the Mount -- A Critique," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly,
1988.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Carlston, Charles E., "Matthew
6:24-34, Expository Article," Interpretation, 1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Carter, Warren, "'Solomon in All His
Glory': Intertextuality and Matthew 6:29," Journal for the Study of
the New Testament, 1997.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Cooper-White, Pamela, "Forgiveness: Grace, not Work,"
Journal for Preachers, 2009.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Dillon, Richard J., "Ravens, Lilies,
and the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:25-33 / Luke 12:22-31), The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1991.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Draper, Jonathan A., "The Genesis and
Narrative Thrust of the Paraenesis in the Sermon on the Mount,"
Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1999.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Guelich, Robert A., "Interpreting the Sermon on the
Mount," Interpretation, 1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Grundmann, Christoffer H., "Mammon- Its Biblical
Perception," Mission Studies, 1995.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Healey, J.F., "Models of Behavior:
Matthew 6:26 (//Luke 12:24) and Proverbs 6:6-8," Journal of Biblical
Literature, 1989.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hills, Julian V., "The Three 'Matthean'
Aphorisms in the Dialogue of the Savior 53," Harvard
Theological Review, 1991.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2011. (Section on this text begins on page 62)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerial - Hoyt, Thomas, Jr.,
"The Poor/Rich Theme in the Beatitudes," Journal of Religious Thought,
1980.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Jones, John N., "'Think of the
Lilies' and Proverbs 6:6-11," Harvard Theological Review, 1995.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Jongkind, Dirk, "'The Lilies of the
Field' Reconsidered: Codex Sinaiticus and the Gospel of Thomas,"
Novum Testamentum, 2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Metzger, Paul Louis, "Christ,
Culture, and the Sermon on the Mount Community," Ex Auditu, 2008.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials- Pak, G. Sujin, "Response to Metzger," Ex
Auditu, 2008.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Pak, G. Sujin, "Response to Metzger," Ex
Auditu, 2008.
- Patton, John, "Preaching on Forgiveness," Journal
for Preachers, 2009.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Shriver, Donald W., Jr.,
"Leave No Child Behind,"
The Living Pulpit, 2003.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Stassen, Glen H.,
"The Fourteen Triads of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-7:12),"
Journal of Biblical Literature, 2003.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Tiede, David L., "Let Your Light
Shine: The Sermon on the Mount in Epiphany," Word & World, 1984.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Williams, James G., "Paraenesis, Excess, and Ethics:
Matthew's Rhetoric in the Sermon on the Mount," Semeia, 1990.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Zöckler, Thomas, "Light within the Human Person: A Comparison of Matthew 6:22-23 and
Gospel of Thomas 24," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2001.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Allison, Dale C., Jr., "The Structure
of the Sermon on the Mount," Journal of Biblical Literature,
1987.
- Sermons:
- "Get your Thinking Right!" the Rev. Dr. Gil Watson, Day 1, 2011.
- "Watch Your Prepositions!" 23 November 2006, Hubert Beck, Göttinger Predigten im Internet: Every Sunday Sermons based on the RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors.
- "Consider the Lilies of the Field," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle.
- Father Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and Homily, Ordinary 8, 2011
- With Children:
- "Sermon on the Mount," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
- "Put God First," Talks to Children, Rev. Donald McCorkindale, Dalgety Parish Church, Fife, Scotland.
- "Seek Ye First," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
- Drama:
- "New Clothes, Same Old Lie," Denise Busenitz, dramatix.
- "The Missions Drama," Matthew Pole, Christian Drama and Mime.
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art Images: Matthew 6:24-34, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
- Images for this week's readings, Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive.
- Matthew 6:28-29, Heartlight - Free Christian PowerPoint Backgrounds.
- Hymns and Music:
- “Don't Show Off Your Giving,” an original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, Tune: ASH GROVE 6.6.11.6.6.11 D (“Let All Things Now Living”). This hymn is a paraphrase of chapter 6 in Matthew and part of "The Sermon on the Mount: A Worship Service of Lessons and Songs."
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Matthew 6:26, 28, 33, 34. The Cyber Hymnal.
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Matthew
