Matthew 6:24-34

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• 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: 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• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts: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.
  • Comparative World Scriptures from United Communities of Spirit:
    • "Decision"
    • "Anxiety" 
    • "Renunciation of Wealth" 
  • 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:
    • Matthew 6:25-30/Luke 12:22-28
    • Matthew 6:31-34/Luke 12:29-32
  • 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:
  • Commentary, Matthew 6:24-34, Richard Beaton, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Mark 10:25-33, Thanksgiving, David Ewart, 2009.
    • "...if we re-focus on our original intentions - and trust that God is still present in our current circumstance - then we can stop worrying about tomorrow."
  • "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," Pentecost 2, 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.
  • Exegesis, Mark Labberton, Lectionary Homiletics sample.
    • "Jesus is disruptive and demanding. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, and certainly in these verses, he is pushing for the realization that fence-sitting is not the way of kingdom."
  • "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.
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  • Allison, Dale C., Jr., "The Structure of the Sermon on the Mount," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1987.
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      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
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  • Bailey, James L. and Stanley P. Saunders, "God's Merciful Community," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1987.
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  • Bailey, James L., "Sermon on the Mount: Model for Community," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1993.
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  • Blomberg, Craig L., "On Wealth and Worry: Matthew 6:19-34 -- Meaning and Significance," Criswell Theological Review, 1992.
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  • Brooks, James A., "The Unity and Structure of the Sermon on the Mount," Criswell Theological Review, 1992.
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  • Carlston, Charles E., "Betz on the Sermon on the Mount -- A Critique," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1988.
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  • Carlston, Charles E., "Matthew 6:24-34, Expository Article," Interpretation, 1987.
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  • Carter, Warren, "'Solomon in All His Glory': Intertextuality and Matthew 6:29," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1997.
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  • Cooper-White, Pamela, "Forgiveness: Grace, not Work," Journal for Preachers, 2009.
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  • Dillon, Richard J., "Ravens, Lilies, and the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:25-33 / Luke 12:22-31), The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1991.
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  • 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.
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  • Guelich, Robert A., "Interpreting the Sermon on the Mount," Interpretation, 1987.
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  • Grundmann, Christoffer H., "Mammon- Its Biblical Perception," Mission Studies, 1995.
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  • Healey, J.F., "Models of Behavior: Matthew 6:26 (//Luke 12:24) and Proverbs 6:6-8," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1989.
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  • Hills, Julian V., "The Three 'Matthean' Aphorisms in the Dialogue of the Savior 53," Harvard Theological Review, 1991.
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  • Hoyt, Thomas, Jr., "The Poor/Rich Theme in the Beatitudes," Journal of Religious Thought, 1980.
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  • Jones, John N., "'Think of the Lilies' and Proverbs 6:6-11," Harvard Theological Review, 1995.
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  • Jongkind, Dirk, "'The Lilies of the Field' Reconsidered: Codex Sinaiticus and the Gospel of Thomas," Novum Testamentum, 2006.
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  • Metzger, Paul Louis, "Christ, Culture, and the Sermon on the Mount Community," Ex Auditu, 2008.
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    • Pak, G. Sujin, "Response to Metzger," Ex Auditu, 2008.
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  • Patton, John, "Preaching on Forgiveness," Journal for Preachers, 2009.
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  • Shriver, Donald W., Jr., "Leave No Child Behind," The Living Pulpit, 2003.
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  • Stassen, Glen H., "The Fourteen Triads of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-7:12)," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2003.
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  • Tiede, David L., "Let Your Light Shine: The Sermon on the Mount in Epiphany," Word & World, 1984.
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  • Williams, James G., "Paraenesis, Excess, and Ethics: Matthew's Rhetoric in the Sermon on the Mount," Semeia, 1990.
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  • Zöckler, Thomas, "Light within the Human Person: A Comparison of Matthew 6:22-23 and Gospel of Thomas 24," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2001.
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• Reviews:
• Sermons:
  • "Collision with the Familiar," Rev. Dr. Benjamin Reaves, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2009.
  • "Following Luke's Jesus in a Time of Fear," Rick Ufford-Chase, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2007. (Luke 6:27-28)
  • "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.
  • "Becoming What God Intended You to Be," the Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2004.
  • "Of Rainbows, Geese, and Wildflowers," the Rev. Dr. John Killinger, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club.
• 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.
  • Stop Working, Clothing Concern, Reverend Fun Cartoon, gospelcom.net. Check for printing permissions at right-hand side of destination page.
• Hymns and Music:
  • 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