The nearest English word, I believe, is--distracted.
Be ye not distracted about to-morrow. I do not mean the vulgar sense of
the word--which is losing one's senses. But the old and true sense,
which is still used by those who speak good English.
To distract, means literally to pull a thing two different ways--even to
pull it asunder. We speak of distracting a man's attention, when we call
him off from looking at one thing to make him look at something else, and
we call anything which interrupts us in our business, or puts a thought
suddenly out of our heads, a distraction. Now the Greek word which St
Matthew uses, means very nearly this--Be not divided in your thoughts--do
not think of two things at once--do not distract your attention from to-
day's work, by fearing and hoping about to-morrow. Sufficient for the
day is the evil thereof; and you will have quite trouble enough to get
through to-day honestly and well, without troubling yourself with to-
morrow--which may turn out very unlike anything which you can dream.
This, I think, is the true meaning of the text; and with it, I think,
agrees another word of our Lord's which St Luke gives--And be ye not of
doubtful mind.
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