Just a question for fellow Christians?

Question

What does Jesus mean here?

Matthew 6:26
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

I was just wondering because most birds die of starvation, disease from foods,exposure and thirst

Am I right that the feeding is used more in a spiritual sense?

Answer 1

Personally, I don't think in this case the feeding is spiritual. I think it's literal. I do think it has to do with trust and depending on God, not our own devices to sustain us. God made this world perfect. It's man who messed it up and the rest of creation pays the price.



In the modern world, the leading cause of death in birds is pesticide. The leading cause of all wildlife death is one or another of mankind's behaviors.



*****



Where I live, one of the leading causes of death in young birds is the fishing line that people leave lying around the water's edge or cut and release into the water. My husband and I have taken part in a number of rescues. Just yesterday we delivered a beautiful young Egyptian goose, who lost her leg to fishing line, to her brand new home. It took us over a year to find her a new home. Very few birds and animals are so fortunate as to get one.



The fact that they need rescuing is man's doing, not God's.



P.S. There's a picture of the bird we placed yesterday linked. She's such a sweet bird.

Answer 2

Look at people today. Always striving for the bigger better toy or to keep up with the Jones.



Where does that lead? Ulcers, stress, financial ruin. Oh sure you have some fun on the way to an early grave but is it really worth it.



Jesus is saying here that we should not be concerned about our true needs for those can and are provided for us by God if we put our trust in him just as the birds trust him.



This does not mean we stop working though, we were made for work and the bible says we are to work. God will provide the work for us to do and thus provide the means to take care of ourselves.

Answer 3

This portion of the Sermon on the Mount was delivered to the apostles and such of the disciples as were called to forsake their temporal pursuits and carry the message of salvation to the world. There is not now and never has been a call to the saints generally to "sell that ye have" (Luke 12:33), give alms to the poor, and then to take no thought for the temporal needs of the present or future. Rather, as part of their mortal probation, the true followers of the Master are expected by him to provide for themselves and their families. (D. & C. 75.)



However, a special rule applies to those who are called to go into the world without purse or scrip and preach the gospel. For the time and season of their missionary service they are to have no concern about business enterprises or temporal pursuits. They are to be free of the encumbering obligations that always attend those who manage temporal affairs. Their whole attention and all of their strength and talents are to be centered on the work of the ministry, and they have the Father's promise that he will look after their daily needs.

Answer 4

Where do you get your statistics? The average life expectancy for a bird is not bad if it survives infancy. Some up to 27-30 years.



Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus Britain & Ireland AT 46622 >49yrs 8mths Controlled by ringer

Cory´s Shearwater >>Calonectris diomedea Portugal L 5544 21yrs 0mths Found dead

Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Britain & Ireland 352227 >43yrs 10mths Identified by other marks in the field

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus Denmark A 5632 26yrs 6mths Controlled by ringer

Bean Goose Anser fabalis Germany 210151 >25yrs 7mths Found dead

Answer 5

Everything has it's season. There's a season that God sustains and comes a season when He doesn't. For us as Christians God always sustains us because we are much more important than the birds to Him. So as long as we keep feeding on the living bread, manna, Jesus Christ we never starve or go without. In a spiritual sense.

Answer 6

I think it is a good example of how Jesus speaks to first-century people, in first-century terms.



I have seen a few dead birds in my lifetime. Obviously they do die, and anyone knows this, but we don't generally SEE that. So it is easy to think of them just being there, always.



And the birds do not build houses; they don't have unions or legislatures; they don't pay taxes or levy them. Nobody generally goes to the trouble of feeding them even today, and I'm sure this was not even thought of in first-century times. Thus, the image is really quite obvious.



The birds do nothing but go about in search of their food, with very little assistance, and yet, food is provided for them. It is seen as one of the ways that Providence provides for the littlest of creatures. thus, we should not worry for our own sustenance.



That's the reasoning behind it, I would say.



Many find comfort in those verse. Your mileage may vary.

Answer 7

behold the fowls of the air

hey, check out these guys

for they sew not

they give nothing

neither do they reap

so they receive nothing

nor gather into barns

they do not congregate, or assemble (like in church)

yet our heavenly father freedeth them

still god allows them to fly

are ye not much better than they??

are you so diff from these birds, does god not allow you to fly just because of your short comings?



i am not much of a christian, but that's what i get from this.

Answer 8

I think that Jesus is using this metaphor as an example. He is teaching us that He doesn't want us to worry about where our needs are coming from, as He will provide them if we continue in our faith. We cannot do anything on our own. He also tells us not to worry about tomorrow, as worrying does not solve anything.



God also set us apart from the creatures and gave us the ability to have a personal spiritual connection with Him. No other creature on earth has that ability. He is letting us know that we are valuable to Him.

Answer 9

The same wouldn't be true of humans in a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, which is sort of the point. Hunter-gatherers generally do little work and are healthy, suffering little from disease or hardship. It was agriculture which brought this idyllic state to an end. Jesus is saying that the creation provides for everyone's needs. Also, i really don't think they do. Most of them are probably predated, like rodents.

Answer 10

It is both spiritual and physical. God wants us to worship Him, not worry about paying rent or buying new clothes. He wants us to be carefree like birds. And back in those times, not many birds died from lack of food, or any of those things.

Answer 11

It's all allegorical.

Meant for teaching, not direct information.

If you truly believe that a prophet of the Lord caused bears to eat children, you need Jesus Christ in your heart.

Answer 12

Your facts are wrong. Most birds don't die of starvation, disease, exposure, and thirst.



Jesus said to pray and to believe God to provide for you.

Answer 13

Our needs will be taken care of including the spiritual sense.

Answer 14

a lot of birds also die from hunters. the verse is telling you to trust that God will provide for you. pray.

Answer 15

you, man, also do not create that which noursishes you



no more than a sparrow can grow it's own birdseed can man create his own god



there are only two things i know for sure about god. there is one, and it isnt me

Answer 16

It's a proverbial expression.... it's not meant to be taken absolutely anymore than his other proverbs are (e.g. a mustard seed is not actually the smallest seed in the world).

Answer 17

The emphasis is that all of our striving for material things does not help. If YAHOSHUA blesses us, we will be blessed,.

Answer 18

It basically means...don't worry, God will take care of you.

Answer 19

I have birds that break their neck when they fly into my plate glass windows. God never promised to protect them from those.

Answer 20

He said "look", not "look closely".

Answer 21

sure

Answer 22

It's all fairy tales.