Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
Source: https://dailygospel.org/M/AM/
Analysis
This passage seems quite long at first glance, however it is only long for the various analogies that in the end, only serves to deliver one message. At first, Jesus spoke to His disciples that we can not serve two masters, we must either love one and hate the other, be devoted to one and despise another. In which Jesus is referring to God and mammon or the devil. Then Jesus tells them not to worry about their life and the earthly necessities. Illustrating His point by making comparisons with birds, flowers, and finally saying that we should first seek the Kingdom, and all the other things will be given to us regardless. Ending the passage, Jesus says not to worry of tomorrow, worry for a day is sufficient.
In the first parts of this passage, what Jesus refers to as mammon is not actually the devil, as again, the devil doesn't exist. What exists however is the temptations of the earth, materialism, and flesh. This is what Jesus describes as mammon, that is one can not serve both God, that is to live in pursuit of truth and to create peace for all, and to serve mammon, that is to live merely for material gains and so called "happiness", without ever caring what is supposed to be true. It is impossible to serve both mammon and God, as the paths contradict each other. Searching for the truth and aiming for what is best for all people is not always pleasing, there are hard times, rejection, and various challenges. While living just to be happy is easy, though is not that useful for us in of itself.
The core part of this passage is Jesus making the various comparisons, with the essential message of not to worry. Jesus compares us human beings with other lifeforms. Animals such as birds and plants such as flowers all have their needs fulfilled sufficiently by God. Flowers are given beautiful clothing, and birds are fed sufficiently. If those animals are loved as much by God, how are we, the so called image of God not to be loved as well? Jesus also tells us that life is much more than just food and clothing, that life is more than the materialistic desires and needs that we know. There is something much grander than it, as such if we worry about it too much, we will miss the greater meaning of life.
What is this greater meaning? It is the kingdom of God, or the truth of all life, an era where peace and truth is the norm, and everyone loves each other. This is what everyone should seek most in their life, and all of their other needs will be fulfilled later. Of course, we must still work to get what we need, but the message of this passage is that we must trust God that our needs will be fulfilled. In the end, we must strive to do what is right for ourselves and for everyone, and make the truth and the kingdom our ultimate goal, and as we do, God will provide the rest. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you later.
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