Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?
All Commentaries on Matthew 6:26 Go To Matthew 6
John Chrysostom
AD 407
From what we have already, then, He urges us in this way: and from examples of other things, by saying, Behold the fowls of the air. Matthew 6:26 Thus, lest any should say, we do good by taking thought, He dissuades them both by that which is greater, and by that which is less; by the greater, i.e. the soul and the body; by the less, i.e. the birds. For if of the things that are very inferior He has so much regard, how shall He not give unto you? Says He. And to them on this wise, for as yet it was an ordinary multitude: but to the devil not thus; but how? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 But here He makes mention of the birds, and this in a way greatly to abash them; which sort of thing is of very great value for the purpose of admonition.
However, some of the ungodly have come to so great a pitch of madness, as even to attack His illustration. Because, say they, it was not meet for one strengthening moral principle, to use natural advantages as incitements to that end. For to those animals, they add, this belongs by nature. What then shall we say to this? That even though it is theirs by nature, yet possibly we too may attain it by choice. For neither did He say, behold how the birds fly, which were a thing impossible to man; but that they are fed without taking thought, a kind of thing easy to be achieved by us also, if we will. And this they have proved, who have accomplished it in their actions.
Wherefore it were meet exceedingly to admire the consideration of our Lawgiver, in that, when He might bring forward His illustration from among men, and when He might have spoken of Moses and Elias and John, and others like them, who took no thought; that He might touch them more to the quick, He made mention of the irrational beings. For had He spoken of those righteous men, these would have been able to say, We are not yet become like them. But now by passing them over in silence, and bringing forward the fowls of the air, He has cut off from them every excuse, imitating in this place also the old law. Yea, for the old covenant likewise sends to the bee, and to the ant, and to the turtle, and to the swallow. Jeremiah 8:7 And neither is this a small sign of honor, when the same sort of things, which those animals possess by nature, those we are able to accomplish by an act of our choice. If then He take so great care of them which exist for our sakes, much more of us; if of the servants, much more of the master. Therefore He said, Behold the fowls, and He said not, for they do not traffic, nor make merchandise, for these were among the things that were earnestly forbidden. But what? they sow not, neither do they reap. What then? says one, must we not sow? He said not, we must not sow, but we must not take thought; neither that one ought not to work, but not to be low-minded, nor to rack one's self with cares. Since He bade us also be nourished, but not in taking thought.
Of this lesson David also lays the foundation from old time, saying enigmatically on this wise, You open Your hand, and fillest every living thing with bounty; and again, To Him that gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that call upon Him.
Who then, it may be said, have not taken thought? Did you not hear how many of the righteous I adduced? Do you see not with them Jacob, departing from his father's house destitute of all things? Do you not hear him praying and saying, If the Lord give me bread to eat and raiment to put on? Genesis 28:20 which was not the part of one taking thought, but of one seeking all of God. This the apostles also attained, who cast away all, and took no thought: also, the five thousand, and the three thousand.
