Should we worry that we’re worried? (Matthew 6:25-34)

Sometimes, we speak about steep learning curves, by which we mean that we discover there is more to a situation than we imagined beforehand. The disciples of Jesus were on such a curve as they gathered around Jesus. They had entered into the kingdom of God and were discovering that it was very different from what they had imagined. Perhaps the matter that surprised them most was Jesus’ emphasis on the inner life rather than on outward effects. We can see his focus on the inner life on each area he has mentioned so far in the Sermon on the Mount, and he continues that focus as he teaches about the matter of worry.

What is Jesus not speaking about?

Jesus here is not speaking about legitimate concerns that parents may have or employers may have or governments may have. It is important for people to worry about the demise of Christianity, about the future of our families, about finding areas of work, about the concerns of the government. A person who does not worry about such things is an escapist. Nor is Jesus speaking about individuals who may be praying about an issue in which there is potential danger. And he is not describing those who may worry from time to time about their assurance of salvation. Rather Jesus is warning about excessive worry that causes people to take certain steps in life. He does not seem to be describing someone who sits at home worrying about things, but doing nothing about it. Rather he is referring to those who worry about something and then take excessive steps to provide security for themselves.

What is most important?

Jesus asks his disciples to think about what is most important in life. Is life primarily about food and clothes? We can see that the disciples are being asked to prioritise between the physical and the spiritual. They might respond by saying they needed food to eat and clothes to wear, and could not be careless about them. If they said that, we would conclude that they had not listened to what Jesus had taught them in the Lord’s Prayer about mentioning their daily needs to God. It was the case that the Saviour had instructed his disciples to pray about such matters, yet it was only one of the petitions that he mentioned. Even the ratio in the Lord’s Prayer should have told them what was more important – the spiritual rather than the physical.

What does God do?

We cannot say if Jesus had the story of Job in mind when he referred here to two divine activities in the created order. Yet we know that God took puzzled Job on a tour of creation in order to deal with the issues that he had. If the passage about creation was not in the Book of Job, we probably would have regarded the suggestion of such a tour as rather trite, given the terrible experiences that Job had gone through. But that is what God did back then, and it is what Jesus does also when teaching his disciples about how not to worry excessively.

As we can see, Jesus refers to birds who are fed by God. It is important that Jesus is not suggesting inactivity because birds have to search for food every day, and sometimes it seems scarce. Yet the birds don’t begin the day worrying about their food – they expect to find it. They don’t know it, but the responsibility belongs to someone else, to God. Last Monday, we were driving out the road to Nairn. We passed a field in which a farmer was sowing. Behind his plough were hundreds of seagulls getting a meal. I don’t know what the farmer thought of that, but God in his providence gave some food to his feathered creatures. Oddly enough, we were on our way to a restaurant at the time, but it was a day later before I realised that God had provided food for three humans and about one hundred birds as well as countless other humans and lower creatures.

Can we learn lessons from animals? Jesus tells his disciples here to consider closely the birds, which indicates thoughtful attention. The Book of Proverbs tells us to learn from coneys and ants. Animals such as sheep are used to depict believers and lions and snakes are used to illustrate the actions of the devil. We are meant to learn from them because, in a sense, they are part of God’s school for his people.

I was watching a nature programme in which a buffalo had been grabbed at the rear by a lioness. Both the buffalo and the lioness were exerting a lot of energy, the buffalo trying to toss the lioness away and the lioness holding on until the buffalo became weak. Eventually the buffalo stopped trying to throw away the lioness, but the lioness held on. It looked all over, except the buffalo had stood still to recover some strength. A couple of minutes later it tossed the lioness away. Are there lessons from that incident? I imagined that here was a picture of a believer being attacked by the devil. Despite all the believer’s attempts nothing seems to happen. But then he takes stops and goes to God for more strength, and Peter tells us that if we resist the roaring lion he will flee away (as the lioness did).

Jesus points out that people often worry about things they cannot change. He mentions trying to add years to our lives. Who knows how long a person will live? God does, and the psalmist reminds us in Psalm 139 that all our days have been planned by God. The Father will provide, says Jesus, for the needs of his people every day. Why does he do so? Because his people mean something to him that the birds do not – after all, his people are his children.

It looks as if clothing was a big concern at that time. Unlike us, who tend to throw clothes away, good clothing then was a means of wealth and sometimes such clothing was handed on as family heirlooms. The problem in their attitude seems to have been worrying about what clothes they would have in a few years’ time. Does God care about clothes in this sense? Jesus refers to what God does with the lilies. It is possible that Jesus referred to the features of lilies such as their colour (white) and shape (bowed head) to remind disciples of what should be seen in them. The colour white points to righteousness and the bowed head to humility.

The point is that God spends a lot of care on something whose existence is short-lived. Probably, the disciples should have deduced that God would show greater care for them every day. It is inconceivable that he would express greater concern for short-lived flowers. Worry reveals what we think God’s priorities are not – it is an expression of distrust towards his commitment to meet the needs of his people.

Jesus highlights the root of the problem when he describes his disciples as ‘little faith’. It is important to realise that this name expresses his love and not his anger. After all, it was true faith that they had showed when they became disciples. But no-one has great faith when they are first converted. Inevitably they all have a lot to learn, and the most important focus in their learning should be on God and his promises.

Who normally worries about such things?

Jesus then pointed out that usually it was pagans who lived in such a way. What marked the Gentiles at that time was their ignorance of God. Unlike Jews, who had a knowledge of God through his Word and their history, the Gentiles knew nothing about him. So it is not surprising that they reacted with worry. After all, the world is full of dangers.

In contrast, the disciples of Jesus had ample reasons for thinking differently. As Jews, they would have known what God had done for Israel as detailed in the Old Testament. Jesus, however, wants them to think about life through the relationship that they have with God – he is not only the Creator, he is not only the powerful liberator of a nation, but he is their heavenly Father who knows what his people need and who knows how to provide them.

What is the conclusion?

Worry becomes a problem when it prevents us from engaging in what should be our priority. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God must have priority. He does not say that those he has in mind should seek for the kingdom of God, which is how one would describe a person who was not a disciple. So he reminds his disciples that this should be their priority.

Why does he use the imagery of seeking? In answering this question, we can ask how a subject of monarch would seek what his ruler desired. The answer is that the subject should obey the rules of the kingdom out of love for the king. He will recognise that those rules have been devised for the benefit of the kingdom. We can easily see how that would apply to subjects of King Jesus. So here are four requirements that our King spells out for his followers.

The first requirement is that his disciples should speak to him and to his Father. Jesus has already mentioned the importance of prayer in what we call the Lord’s Prayer and he will mention other details about prayer in the next chapter. As we can see from what he taught, speaking to him should be simple and spiritual.

A second way of seeking first the kingdom is that his disciples show love for and to the other members of his kingdom. After all, the kingdom that he came to set up is one that is marked by love. This mutual love will be displayed in numerous ways, but each expression is a sign that those involved are seeking first the kingdom of God.

A third way of doing this is that the followers of Jesus should oppose those who resist the advance of the kingdom of Jesus. Behind those who try this are the powers of darkness. The disciples of Jesus are conscious that they are involved in a spiritual battle that requires them to be alert always to the possibility of spiritual attack. And when it happens, usually through false teaching, they will refuse to accept what is being said.

And a fourth way of seeking first the kingdom of God is by working to extend its influence. They know that this takes place through the spread of the gospel. In a sense, spreading the gospel can be summarised as speaking about the King of the kingdom. No doubt, many people from Britain like to speak about the queen when they are describing life in Britain. Some may not, but they cannot be described as those who are furthering her interests. In the kingdom of Jesus, all his subjects delight to speak about him in ways suitable to the circumstance they find themselves in.

Jesus provides special assurance here when he promises his disciples that living for the kingdom does mean that they will find themselves without future needs being met. He assures them that their food and clothing – depicting whatever they need for life in this world – will be provided for them. This promise liberates them to serve Jesus wherever they are without worrying about the future.

Preached on 5/3/2017