Matthew 6:25-34 — Sermon on the Mount
The King's Children Do Not Worry
Jesus commands his followers not to worry about life's necessities, pointing to God's faithful provision for birds and flowers. By seeking God's kingdom and righteousness first, believers find contentment and freedom from anxiety.
Introduction
Bobby McFerrin sang to us in 1988 “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The only acapella song to reach #1, the song won several grammys including “Best Song.” It was a catchy tune. The background to the song is interesting. A guru from India used it as his signature philosophy throughout the middle of the twentieth century. McFerrin wrote the song because he liked the four words. In 1994, Disney gave us the movie “The Lion King.” And from that production came the song “Hakuna Matata,” a Swahili phrase meaning “no worries.”
And Jesus twenty centuries ago told us “do not worry about your life.” Words spoken and words difficult to follow. As with much of scripture the problem isn’t understanding the words but in allowing the words to change the way we think and act. Simply put the word worry means “to be anxious; to be troubled with cares.” Who of us haven’t been anxious or troubled with care? And Jesus says don’t worry about your life. Is that possible? And if it is possible, then how do we keep from worrying? Jesus supplies the answer.
The Text
Having completed the thought about choosing whether to pursue treasures on earth or pursuing that which God wants, Jesus turns his attention to the basic necessities of life. He is speaking to the poor. These are individuals who would have struggled to have food and clothes. These would have been people who depended on so many things out of their control. They couldn’t control the rain and sun for their crops. If the crops didn’t produce then there was no money for clothes or other necessities. And Jesus says “don’t worry.”
Jesus is very clear. Don’t worry about food, drink or clothes. God will see to such. In fact, he says that life is more important than food and the body is more important than clothes. Then he points to birds flying overhead as he teaches. Those birds have food to eat. God provides for them. People are more important than birds. Then he points to the flowers that are waving in the breeze as he teaches. Their beauty is assured by the hand of God. People are more important than flowers and grass.
Jesus’ point is this: God not only creates, he sustains. He is the provider. Birds and flowers have no ability to think or reason about their “needs.” But God sees that they have needs and supplies those needs. At the same time, neither the birds nor the flowers worry. But the birds do not sit idly waiting to be supplied. They work; they fly; but they do not worry. The flowers do not work at their beauty; they are beautiful because God made them that way. They do not worry about their appearance but demonstrate the majesty of God’s creative ability by being exactly as God created them to be.
And then Jesus uses the word “righteousness” in verse 33. Jesus has used this word from almost the beginning. It is a word which includes the ideas of right character and right conduct. When Jesus says to seek God’s righteousness, he is setting that against the righteousness of the Pharisees in 5:20. Instead of seeking the righteousness of the Pharisees whose conduct is based on a superficial understanding of the law, pursue the righteousness of God who is concerned about the attitudes and motivation for right conduct. Pursue God’s kingdom and righteousness. And then the last kicker. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Let today be your focus. You can’t control the future. Think about today and when tomorrow comes it will have its own challenges. Let tomorrow worry about itself.
Application
What does this text have to say to us? We who have full pantries, full closets, and running tap water? We who have no need to worry about food and clothes for many days? Jesus is giving a fuller and more complete look at kingdom attitudes about wealth. It is in the claim that we have enough that we must be careful. It is very easy to take on the view that I have food and clothes in abundance. A job that provides well. Safety nets abound—life insurance, medical insurance, retirement account. One of two things can happen. Either we become arrogant about our wealth in which case we have violated the kingdom attitude regarding earthly treasures. Or we continue to pursue more and more believing that what we have is not enough in which case we violate the kingdom attitude toward God’s provision.
The emphasis of the text is found in verse 33. Seek God’s kingdom. The word kingdom simply means the rule of God, the dominion of God, or the reign of God. As the King’s children we pursue, concentrate on, and focus on the Kingdom of God. This is what we are about. All we want is for God’s rule to become more significant in this world. As Jesus instructed in 6:10 we pray for God’s kingdom to come in this world as it has come in heaven. We want God to reign, have dominion over, and reign in this world. We want this so much that the last things we are going to be concerned about are things like food, clothing, and drink.
To have a closet full of clothes and complain about having nothing to wear or to want more is to seek our own comfort above the reign of God. To have a pantry full of food and complain about having nothing to eat is to lose sight of the kingdom of God. To have the desire to keep up with modern fashion trends is to focus on something other than the kingdom of God.
Jesus says the pagans pursue more. The pagans pursue and worry. The pagans think about accumulating and give their energy to the temporary. It is sin to worry about that which God has said he would provide. It is sin to seek something other than God’s kingdom. If we are seeking God’s kingdom and turning our focus on making sure God is seen rather than our desires then we will find great contentment in this world. And in a nutshell—worry is telling God “I am not content.” Worry is telling God “you don’t do enough.”
In 1993 three missionaries were kidnapped in Colombia, South America. For three long years, their wives and children did not know what happened to them. They were held for 5 million dollar ransom. Three years later they were executed. Do you think their wives are happy? Probably not. Is it possible for their families to be content? Listen to the wives of Mark Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Teneoff.
Tania Rich, wife of Mark Rich, said: “Those guerrillas have taken everything away from our husbands and lots away from us and our children, but one thing they can’t take away from us is our right to choose joy no matter what happens in our lives.”
Nancy Mankins, wife of David Mankins, said: “It’s a trial of our faith. Since this happened, I have read Scripture with a new light, and my faith has grown deeper. I have realized that God doesn’t tell us he’ll get us out of situations, but he’ll be our strength through them.”
Patti Teneoff, wife of Rick Teneoff, said: “We have a choice every day to pry our hands loose and give our husbands up to the Lord, saying, ‘They’re yours, Lord. Dave, Mark, and Rick are yours. Our lives are yours, and you can do whatever you please with them.’ That’s not easy, but every time I do, God is there to catch me up and help me walk above the circumstances.”
Seek God’s kingdom. Let God deal with what we need. Don’t sin by worrying about that which God has said he would provide.
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