<sod>Two verses earlier at [[Matthew 6:26]] Jesus told his followers not to worry about food, because even the lowly birds are provided for by God. In this verse Jesus presents the example of the lilies, who also do no labour. ''Spin'' in this verse is a reference to [[Spinning (textiles)|spinning]] [[thread (yarn)|thread]], a labour intensive but necessary part of making clothing. Spinning was traditionally women's work, something made explicit in Luke's version of this verse. This then is one of the few pieces of evidence that Jesus' message is meant equally for women as for men.<ref>France, R.T. ''The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.'' Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.</ref><eod>
<sod>Two verses earlier at [[Matthew 6:26]] Jesus told his followers not to worry about food, because even the lowly birds are provided for by God. In this verse Jesus presents the example of the lilies, who also do no labour. ''Spin'' in this verse is a reference to [[Spinning (textiles)|spinning]] [[thread (yarn)|thread]], a labour-intensive but necessary part of making clothing. Spinning was traditionally women's work, something made explicit in Luke's version of this verse. This then is one of the few pieces of evidence that Jesus' message is meant equally for women as for men.<ref>France, R.T. ''The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.'' Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.</ref><eod>