This week’s passage is in the heart of the Sermon on the
Mount, during which Jesus outlines many of the characteristics of the kingdom
of God.
The words translated “worry” in the NRSV and NIV
share the Greek root word merimnáo which means to have anxiety, be
anxious, or be unduly concerned about something. Who among us can honestly
say we don’t worry about something at any point? As a new parent, I
already fight the urge to worry about the effect this world might have on
my child. I worry sometimes about being the father he needs. As is the case
with most of the teachings of Jesus, the directions for kingdom-living He
gives in this passage are easy to agree with and much more difficult to live
out.
A clue to the real issue here can be found Jesus’ side
comment in verse 30: “. . . you of little faith.” For Jesus, the
problem of being anxious about earthly needs is a faith issue. Jesus reminds
His disciples, “indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things” (v. 32, nrsv). If we are anxious about these things, we
are living as if God is not going to take care of us, which is a lack of faith.
Instead, we are to seek the kingdom of God and strive for His righteousness.
When we live in this way, life itself becomes an act of trust in God to provide
for our needs.
One fascinating aspect of verse 33 is the phrase “and
all these things will be given to you as well” (nrsv). The Greek word
that is translated “will be given” literally means “added
to something that is already present.” From this word prostithemi we
get the English word “prosthetic,” as in a prosthetic limb. A
person who has lost a limb can still be a whole person. The prosthetic arm
or leg is simply added to the person that is already there. What if all these
things we seek after and worry about are simply extras compared to the main
goal: the kingdom of God and righteousness?
Jesus addresses the Sermon on the Mount to regular, ordinary
folks, just like the ones we preach to each week. They have concerns, anxieties,
and worries just like everyone else. The problem occurs when those concerns
take our focus off the kingdom of God. Even vital concerns such as food and
clothing are not as important as seeking the kingdom and righteousness.
Perhaps the problem here is control. Humans like control. We like to know
we are in control of our own lives, providing for our own needs, independent
of anyone else. The Western, American way of thinking says if you want something
done right, you have to do it yourself. We don’t need charity. We can
handle it ourselves. We feel guilty when we cannot provide for ourselves,
and anxious when we are not in control of our lives. So we sweat, toil, and
worry our way through life, anxious that we won’t get it all done, and
perhaps miss out on God’s best for us.
Jesus points out that our need to provide for ourselves (and
worry when we can’t) demonstrates a lack of faith. He simply and directly
reminds us to live out of total dependence upon God. Throughout this lesson,
Jesus reminds us of God’s promises to provide for us: if He clothes
the lilies and feeds the sparrows, He will surely take care of those whom
He has made in His own image.
Therefore, Jesus calls His people to live each day, thankful
for the providence of God. This type of life reminds us of the way the Lord
provided for His people Israel in the desert. He gave them enough manna and
quail for the day. If they hoarded food out of concern for tomorrow, it spoiled
and they were forced to trust God anyway. Keep in mind Matthew 6 also contains
the Lord’s Prayer, in which we pray “give us this day our daily
bread” (6:11, nrsv). The blessing of living this way is that God’s
promises are new every morning!
Our response is to live “out of control.” Through
passages like this one, God wants to bring us to the place where we give up
control of our own lives and come to a place of radical, obedient trust in
Him. He wants us to embrace kingdom-priorities, which place God’s work
and His righteousness above all else.
To have this kind of worldview requires a transformation of
our hearts and minds. Letting go of our control requires a miracle of God’s
sanctifying grace. When He helps us let go, we learn that God really does
provide for us, and has been providing for us all along the Way.
(For the full manuscript
of this sermon go to www.preachersmagazine.org and click on “Sermons.”)
It will not be too difficult to help people in our congregations
connect with worrying. We see it on their faces. It shows up in their eyes
when they talk about their week. The trick is to connect our tendency to worry
or be anxious with the issue of control. It is one thing to preach, “Jesus
says don’t worry. So don’t worry. It’s a sin if you do,
because Jesus commands you not to.” It is an entirely different thing
to give our people some handles to work out why worrying shows a lack of faith,
and then outline a positive response they can make to daily live out this
passage.
In this narrative sermon, I use my experience of having my wisdom teeth cut out to illustrate how my worry was really a fear of losing control. I then connect my desire for control with the American desire for control, and contrast that with the message of Matthew 6.
