What Did Jesus Say About Worry — In Biblical Context
Jesus taught His followers not to worry about food, clothing, or tomorrow, because the heavenly Father knows their needs and cares for them.
Jesus taught His followers not to worry about food, clothing, or tomorrow, because the heavenly Father knows their needs and cares for them.
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 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?" — Matthew 6:25-26 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus devoted an extended passage to addressing worry. He pointed to the birds of the air — they don't sow or reap, yet God feeds them. He pointed to the lilies of the field — they don't toil or spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them. His argument: if God cares for birds and flowers, how much more will He care for His children? Jesus didn't minimize real needs but redirected priorities: 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.' He concluded by saying each day has enough trouble of its own — don't borrow worry from tomorrow. This teaching is not a command to be irresponsible but an invitation to trust.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Matthew 6:25-26, sits inside Matthew 6. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 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?"
Supporting Passages
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
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