Analysis of Jesus's teachings on anxiety in Matthew 6:25-34

¶ … Ethnography: The Epitome of the Teachings of Jesus (Matt 6:25-34)

This paper offers a literary ethnography of the passage known as the Sermon on the Mount, the Epitome of the Teachings of Jesus, Matt 6:25-34. The passage offers guidance to individuals who worry, letting them know that God will care for their needs. Literary ethnography involves understanding the culture in which a piece of literature was written, to attempt to provide better understanding of the meaning of the passage. There are several different varieties of literary ethnography, which can be employed in order to help people understand ancient texts, and many modern scholars agree that by investigating argumentation in texts, the concept of providence, and the concept of the simple life can help one understand passages from the New Testament. Argumentation examines how the author tries to convince the reader to agree with a point. The concept of providence looks at the idea that a higher power has a divine plan for an individual, and that everything happens because it is part of some larger plan. The idea of the simple life examines the New Testament from the Ancient Greek and Roman perspectives, which is the culture in which New Testament passages were written, and sees that they placed an emphasis on the concept of the simple life. In fact, the passages not only speak to simplicity, but to poverty and discuss the fact that poverty is not incompatible with happiness. Examining the passages, one sees instances where all three approaches to literary ethnography are useful in helping determine the meaning of the passage.

Body

The Sermon on the Mount begins with the author telling the reader, "Therefore, I say to you: Do not be anxious about your soul -- what you're going to eat or drink -- nor about your body -- what you're going to wear. For isn't your soul more than food and your body more than clothing?" (Matt 6:25). The argument used in this passage is that a person is more than a collection of material needs. The argument functions to help demonstrate that anxiety is not necessary regarding food, drink, and clothing because, even without these things a person is still a person. This argument does not speak to providence, except in an ancillary manner. By discussing the fact that the soul is more than food, the author introduces the idea that God is caring for the soul. It does hint that the rest of the argument will speak at the simple life, by suggesting that even the poor can live a good life, an argument seen in Dio's "Hunters of Euboea."

Next, the author tells the reader, "Look at the birds in the air because they neither sow nor gather the harvest into storage buildings, and yet your heavenly Father nourishes them. Are you not of greater value than they?"(Matt 6:26). The basic argument being used is that God takes care of birds, which he values less than mankind; therefore God will take care of man. If the birds do not need to worry about their food, then man, whom he loves more, should not have to worry. This argument uses an analogy and takes an example of the lesser, birds, and applies it to the greater, man (Aphthonius). Furthermore, this passage focuses on the idea of providence, which is that God will provide. The author asks the reader to consider that if birds are worthy of God's providence, why would the reader not be? The article also touches on the idea of the simple life; birds are not worried about acquiring possessions, and they are still able to sustain themselves.

The author then asks the readers to consider whether anxiety serves a constructive purpose. "Which of you, even though he is anxious, is able to add significantly to his stature?"(Matt 6:27). In other words, the author suggests that anxiety is counter-productive, and that it actually harms the individual's goals rather than helping them achieve those goals. This particular passage does not specifically speak to providence or to the idea of the simple life, but simply puts the reader in the position to consider that worrying is not only helpful, but could also be counterproductive.

Returning to the specific example of clothing, the author asks specifically, "Why, then, are you anxious about your clothing? Consider how the lilies in the field grow. They neither toil nor spin" (Matt 6:28). Like the birds mentioned earlier, the author uses analogy and uses the example that God clothes the lilies in the field, not just adequately, but beautifully, despite the fact that they do not work for that clothing. Once again, this in example of an argument from the lesser to the greater (Aphthonius). The passage introduces the idea of providence, though it does not specifically mention God, it hints at God clothing the lilies. Furthermore, by suggesting lilies growing in the field, which is something that does not strive for possessions, it suggests that the simpler the life, the easier it is to sustain. This repeats the message that the poor can live a good life (Dios).

Moreover, the author cautions people with the warning that mankind's own achievements are not going to approach what they could achieve through God. "But I say to you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of the lilies" (Matt 6:29). This is a chreia with a saying, and, elaborated as an example it shows that great wealth does not ensure that one's needs are met in a better way than others. This passage is also wonderful example of the author's use of the providence argument. According to Epictetus, "on the basis of everything that happens in the universe it is easy to praise providence, provided that a person possesses these two qualities: a) an ability to take a synoptic view of what happens to each person and b) a sense of gratitude" (Epictetus). The passage also speaks to the simple life. Diogenes would reflect on the fact that things of great value were sold for next to nothing, while things of little value were sold at high costs. Lilies would either have been free or cost little, yet Solomon's splendorous clothing could not match the lilies (Diogenes).

The author returns to the use of analogy by comparing man to the grass in the field. He asks the question, "And if God so clothes the grass of the field, which exists today but is used for fuel the next, how much more splendidly will he clothe you, you who have so little faith?" (Matt 6:30). He mentions the faith of the person to suggest that God will care even for those who would not traditionally be considered righteous; God's providence is not merit-based. Furthermore, he also refers to the idea of simplicity, by denigrating the grass as having only passing utility.

After stating that God will take care of even grass, the author extorts the reader, "Therefore, do not be anxious and say, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'" (Matt 6:31). This argument is very reminiscent of the argument found in "But no, you sit trembling at what might happen and wail, lament, and groan when they do happen! Then you accuse the gods" (Epictetus). The argument is specifically pointing out that anxiety does nothing to solve the problems about which one is worried. Furthermore, it discusses the idea of providence, and hints at the notion that this concern might be in contradiction with their religion because the anxiety betrays a lack of faith in God.

In fact, the author fleshes out the idea of faith when he contrasts the audience, which was originally Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah, with Christians. The author states, "For non-Jews keep striving for these things. But your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all" (Matt 6:32). Therefore, while non-Jews might strive for these things, Jews should be reassured that God's divine providence will provide for them and meet those needs. The argumentative style is somewhat example, but also a form of using the opposite. Non-Jews are, as far as the divine relationship with God, the opposite of Jews. Therefore, the fact that non-Jews are striving for those things indicates that Jews should not worry about striving for them.

Finally, the author gets around to instructing the audience what it needs to do in order to have its needs met. "And so, in your case seek first the Kingdom of God and its justice, and all these things will be provided to you" (Matt 6:33). In other words, if the person is devout, then God will care for them. People need to worry about the right things, rather than focusing on the superficial; therefore, it is a warning to embrace the simple life. This warning cannot help but remind one of the story "The Dream, or the Rooster," a tale in which a poor man is angry at his rooster for crowing and waking him from a dream of great wealth. The rooster in the story is warning the dreamer of the dangers of focusing on the wrong things. In the story, the man is failing to concentrate on his physical needs, but the author's purpose in the passage is to point out that spiritual salvation is man's critical need. Furthermore, the passage utilizes providence by specifically stating that one who seeks the Kingdom of God will have his needs met.

Finally, the author concludes his passage with an argument in the form of a short epilogue, recapping what he has said throughout the rest of the passage. He warns the reader, "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own evil" (Matt 6:34). In other words, he tells the reader that anxiety is not going to solve the problems. He makes a vague reference to the simple life, which is that each day has its own evil, and one does not need to borrow more evils. Interestingly enough, this epilogue fails to make reference to the idea of providence.

Conclusion

Argumentation

Matt 6:25 begins with the argument that anxiety about food, drink, and clothing is unnecessary because a man is more than those things. Matt 6:26 uses a lesser to the greater argument to demonstrate that if God cares for birds, he will take care of man. The author moves onto the argument that anxiety is not productive in Matt 6:27. In Matt 6:28, the author continues the use of analogy and argues from the lesser to the greater by asking the reader to consider how the lilies grow in the field. The author moves from asking the reader to consider other creatures to a warning that a person's achievements cannot match God's in Matt 6:29. Matt 6:30 reveals a return to the argument of analogy. Matt 6:31 directly tells people not to worry because anxiety will not solve one's problems. In 6:32, the author uses the argument of opposites, by showing that non-Jews are striving for worldly possessions; therefore Jews should not be striving for them. Finally, in Matt 6:33, the author gets around to instructing the audience what it needs to do in order to have its needs met. The author concludes in Matt 6:34 by warning the reader against anxiety, reiterating the idea that anxiety is not productive.