“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6 v.34

By Baldmichael Theresoluteprotector’sson

You’re telling me! I struggle each day with my energy issues and just existing can be enough. And I don’t have it hard compared to many.

Still, I thought I would look at this as the word ‘trouble’ makes me think that every day must be difficult and yet that doesn’t seem quite right.

But then Jesus is talking to those whose lives were burdened with practicalities without the modern conveniences of life. You had to grow your own food, fetch your own water, make your own clothes.

Granted there were others who would make things for you to buy and markets for goods, but I suppose trouble might not be such a bad word.

Nevertheless I would have said ‘struggles’ would be better. Let’s put the passage in context. Here’s the piece about not being worried.

“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 clothes? Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6 vv.25-34

The word ‘therefore’ always means the previous lines must be taken on board to understand the conclusion.

We can worry about the things listed there when we actually have such things already. We can be worried about the next meal, rather than enjoying the one we are eating for example.

I daresay this is more a female thing rather than male, but that may depend on who does the shopping and cooking. Certainly though I think ‘What shall we wear’ is more female geared as it reminds me of the cry ‘I haven’t got anything to wear!’ when a woman is told they have an invitation to a party.

The passage isn’t of course saying one shouldn’t plan ahead, but it is the needless anxiety which stifles the joy of the moment. If one trusts the heavenly Father then one knows that the right thing will come along at the right time.

For example, it says in the Proverbs in the Bible “A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

As regards the particular verse in question it is worth looking at the Greek words used. The phrase ‘for tomorrow will worry about itself’ includes the Greek word μεριμνήσει  (merimnesei), meaning ‘will worry about itself’ or ‘will be anxious about’.

Merimnesei will anagram to ‘ie immenser’. This indicates the sense that, in advance from the perspective of today, any of tomorrow’s real or perceived problems can seem vast, even overwhelming.

But this distracts from things that need to be done today.

As regards the word ‘trouble’, this is Κακία (kakia), a feminine noun in the Greek. Biblehub.com gives various meanings:

(a) evil (i.e. trouble, labor, misfortune), (b) wickedness, (c) vicious disposition, malice, spite.

From

https://biblehub.com/greek/2549.htm

Kakia is similar to ‘cack’ which can mean excrement or more simply, ‘shit’. So really Jesus could easily be saying each day has enough shit of its own!

I gather that Kakai, a slight rearrangement of the letters means ‘earth, the nether world or hades’ for example.

From

What does 下界 (Kakai) mean in Japanese?

https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-meaning-of/japanese-word-95d67246c18bec295bbf1b4b2c8fbfbbe65d2534.html

Earth has the same root as excrement or shit as this is what it is, stuff of the earth to which it will return.

But there are other aspects from the word if one anagrams ‘kakia’. There is ‘I ak ak’ which is similar to ‘I ack ack’, ack ack being a term for anti-aircraft fire or ‘flak’.

So one can say each day has enough flak to deal with.

Nowadays there is ‘AI kak’, the crap that artificial intelligence can pump out to distract us.

Then there is ‘ka kai’ which if one looks at this as Greek words, is translated by Google Translate as ‘Ms and’.

I rather like this as Jesus could be saying each day has enough ‘Ms and’, i.e. what a woman with a busy schedule might say ‘I’ve got this and this and this to do’, a long list of ‘ands’ as it were.

So, as I like to say to my wife when she is distracted by all the things she has to do, ‘Don’t be a Mrs And!’

Each day will have enough things to do, so make a list, mental or jotted down in writing and submit it to the heavenly Father. He will guide you as to priorities which you can thrash out with Him in prayer.

Look out for the sign of Baldmichael, he will be back!

P.S. As a loving husband (allegedly), I do try and relieve my wife’s burdens which in my current state of health include me!

As regards worry or fear if you haven’t seen it yet there’s this.

Fear is the key

Other articles regarding the Bible and Jesus’s words may be found in my World Menu on my WordPress site under the subheading THE REFECTORY

N.B. I haven’t considered the words of Jesus that we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; after all, what is ‘the kingdom of God and His righteousness’?

That will make another post I think.