Matthew 6: 24-34
‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will 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 of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Today we conclude our series of messages on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, a series that we have called “There’s an App for That.” This series has looked at the wonderful ways God’s crazy love applies and transforms our daily life. And today we look at Jesus’ teaching on a very common daily experience . . . worry.
In the Bible’s view, worry is spiritual cholesterol. It’s something that makes us tense and nervous. It makes us uptight and anxious.
Like the woman who walks into her doctor’s office worried she has a rare liver disease. She has been on the internet researching it and she just knows that she has it. The doctor tried to assure that it was extremely unlikely if not impossible for her to have it. She persisted. She just didn’t feel right. He told her that if she did have it she couldn’t possibly know it since there is absolutely no physical discomfort associated with the disease. She exclaimed “That’s my symptom exactly!”
Worry plays with our minds. It undermines our relationships. It chokes off real enjoyment in life. So when Jesus talks about it you know that people are eager to hear.
UNREASONABLE
There are four things Jesus says about worry in today’s gospel. First of all, Jesus says that worry is UNREASONABLE. It is unreasonable. It just doesn’t make sense. It is illogical. It is irrational. Worry plays tricks with the mind. No doubt you have had the experience at some point of having someone rub you the wrong way. Maybe someone at work or in the neighborhood. They say something that cuts. They seem to give you the evil eye. They step on your foot. And then you walk irritated, agitated. Then you “remember” someone else who has offended you in some way. Then another. And another. Pretty soon your anxiety pushes you to the conclusion that everyone is against you. They’re all out to get you. And your worried mind tells you that in the end you can really trust no one. That you are all alone in the world. Worry inflates and expands isolated events into global conspiracies.
This doesn’t just happen to the “weak in faith types” like you and me. It happens to the best of us . . . today and in the Bible. You look at someone like Elijah, one of the most important and spiritually powerful prophets in the Old Testament. There was a time when at one moment he was on top of the world with confidence and trust. Not a worry in the world. The priests and prophets of the enemy religion of Baal were defeated on Mt. Carmel. The people had rededicated their lives to God. All was well.
But then, he got a memo from the queen – Jezebel: “You’re a dead man! If it is the last thing that I do, I’m gonna see you dead.” Elijah got the message and high-tailed it out of there. He went as fast and as far as he could into the wilderness. Finally he collapsed in exhaustion by a broom bush, where God speaks to him “Elijah, what are you doing here?” Elijah tells God about all his troubles and how there is no one left who believes anymore. They are all out to get him. And he is the only one who is left who believes.”
Worry and anxiety play tricks on the mind. It makes you see things that aren’t there. It causes you to read things into people’s words. It causes you to see threats where are none. It causes you to exaggerate the challenges and troubles you do have. And it causes you to see isolated events as evidence is some vast conspiracy whether by the government or your family.
UNNATURAL
Not only is worry unreasonable, it is also UNNATURAL. It is not the way we were created and built. When God created you, when God wired you together, he wired you to trust him and love him. God’s original design for you did not include worry.
Jesus says this by turning to ornithology. He says "look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns but your heavenly Father provides for them. Are you not more important than they are?" I don’t know if you pay much attention to birds, but if there were ever a critter more on God’s welfare, I don’t know what it is. What do birds do? All they do is flit and fly around gathering up twigs and seeds. Once in a while they tweet or whistle. Too often they are taking target practice on the world below. And yet, Jesus says, God takes care of them.
Then Jesus turns to botany . . . "consider the Lillies of the field, they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you Solomon in all his glory was never adorned as by one of these."
UNHELPFUL
Worry is unreasonable. It is unnatural. It is also unhelpful. It doesn’t contribute anything. It adds no value. By worrying you can’t lengthen your life. In fact, it’s the opposite. By worrying you cannot add to you height. Worry is a lot of stewing without doing. It’s like sitting in a rocking chair. Yeah, there is motion and movement, but you’re not going anywhere.
UNNECESSARY
It is unreasonable, unnatural, unhelpful, and most importantly . . . UNNECESSARY.
You just don’t need it. Jesus says that your worry is unnecessary because God’s got it covered. God has your needs on his “To Do” list. He has taken the responsibility to provide for you. That’s what a good parent does. God is like a mother or father who takes great delight in supplying your life. It’s what he does. Gives. Blesses. Showers with goodness.
Tell me you know how this works. Surely as a mom or dad, you know something of the joy of providing for your children. What father or mother hasn’t had as much fun as your kid when you go to Dick’s Sporting to buy your son or daughter a new baseball glove? Remember the glove’s smell? Remember the delight of seeing your young’en using the bat you provided to get to first base? What joy! God loves to provide for you.
In fact, God is so far ahead of you on this that there are needs you are going to have in the future that you have no clue about. But God does and he has already set in motion the events and processes that will bring into your life what you need.
Someday my kids are going to need a car. We’ve always told them that they’ll have to buy their own cars. And they have been saving their birthday money, allowances, Christmas money for that day. They each have a savings account at the bank. And they each have a Charles Schwab account with some stock. What I really want to do when the time is right is to help them buy their first car by matching what they put into it. How exciting would it be to watch them turn the ignition on a car that I helped them get into?
Maybe, just maybe, if I work things just right, Karin and I can match their money with another $400 or $500 to help them get into a Ford Pinto, or an Opal. Maybe we can squeeze out another $45 and help them upgrade to a Gremlin.
Further down the road, they’ll go to college. And we’ve been preparing for that as well. I can think of no greater satisfaction than writing a check and helping my kids get through college.
Your heavenly Father takes great delight in providing for you. It’s what he does. All this worry we have in our lives, Jesus says, is just UNREASONABLE. It’s UNNATURAL. It’s UNHELPFUL. And it’s UNNECESSARY.
So my people, the worry and anxiety you carry with you . . . let it go. Relax. Take a breath. And watch God do his thing.
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