Matthew 6:19-34
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Jesus begins this segment with “Therefore, do not worry”.

“Therefore” is a link word. This is the radical change Jesus demands of us in the light of a change of masters – from our wrongful rule over ourselves to God’s rightful rule over us through Jesus’ kingship.

By “worry”, we commonly mean “our concerns, thoughts or anxieties”.

All of us live with a normal dose of worry in our fallen world. It’s understandable to feel nervous about an exam, a new job, a performance, a new date. Things we have prepared, planned or prayed for, yet, we have butterflies in our tummies!

Jesus is not teaching us to have no thought in our minds, no concerns on our hearts or no butterflies in our tummies as a mark of authentic discipleship.

The “worry” that Jesus warns believers about is excessive concern. This is the kind of worry that initially degenerates into distracting preoccupation and then, finally, morphs into idolatry.

A wife was complaining about husband. And we say, “what’s new”? She said that the first thing her husband did every morning was to check on the share market. Throughout the day, he would fret about the share prices. Last thing at night, he would calculate his losses or gains.

If our first thought in the morning, our continuing thought through the day and the last thought at night is money – or anything and anyone – then there is a “slight” chance that it has blown up to be our excessive, obsessive and destructive concern! This is unadulterated idolatrous worry.

Jesus gives us two examples and reasons why his followers should not worry.

1. Learning from the birds

In his first argument, Jesus moves from the harder to the easier principle. If God has given us life, “how much more” will he give us give us food. If God has given us a body, “how much more” will he give us clothes.

In short, if God has done the harder thing – given us life and body – can He and will He not do the easier thing for us?

2. Learning from Flowers

His second argument flows from the lesser to the greater. If God feeds the birds – which are less valuable and dresses flowers which are less lasting – will he not feed and clothe you who are more valuable and lasting?

3. Enduring Gospel lessons

A) Worry reveals a lack of faith

So, we are to stop worrying! Why? Worry always reveals or unmasks a fatal spiritual disease in us. Jesus warned us with these words: “O you of little faith”? Put simply: Worry always reveals a lack of faith or trust in God!

b) Worry is old currency

Further, in verse 32, Jesus tells us that “worry” is pagan. This is the main activity Gentiles or a Godless world engage in.

Worry is part of our old regime/world where we run our personal life and global affairs – all without God. Worry is the main currency that greases our economy.

A well-known chaplain of Harvard University was preaching at a top high school where the majority of girls would qualify for Ivy Leaque universities of the US.

An upset father came up to him after the chapel and told him to stop such uninspiring and impractical messages like: “Do NOT worry!”

The father said: “Yes, it was worry that got my daughter into this prestigious high school. It will be worry that will get her into an Ivy leaque college. It will be worry that will land her a top job in a top firm.”

Yes, worry IS the currency of our Godless and atheistic world. A world where life gets reduced to questions of “what shall we eat, drink or wear”.

So it was then. So it is today.

Just observe what percentage of our social media, news and entertainment is about food, drink and fashion?

Our preoccupation with “what shall we eat, drink and wear” is totally out of proportion! I was listening to a news clip. There was a mega sale of branded items, worn by stars, in Sydney.

Hundreds lined up for hours. Once inside, there was a stampede. Customers fought with one another. They were literally “ripping clothes off one another!”

Both the poor and rich should rightly know that food and clothes are important but we must realise that they are not THAT important!

We become idolatrous when we forget the real value of life. Food is merely predigested sewerage. Fashion is just simply recycled taste.

Jesus tells his disciples: “Say NO to such excessive, mindless and selfish worry”.

C) Worry messes up our Values

If we are not careful, most of us will end up as vessels of anxiety to our children. If we are not watchful, we degenerate into worry ambassadors in our marriages and families.

If we worship Mammon and materialism: We will no longer live in a society. We will live in an economy – where we monetise or commodify everything.

We are fast becoming the generation that knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.

But, if we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we will no longer live in a society or economy but as God’s beloved family – saved by the sacrificial love of Jesus!

Which leads us to ask: “Are you a vessel of anxiety in a godless world? Or an instrument of serenity of living in Jesus’ kingdom?

Disciples are to say “no” to worry. We are to say “yes” to faith! Why? God deserves better! God deserves to be trusted.

D) Faith in God is the NEW currency that Jesus issues

Faith is trendy. Faith is in vogue with Jesus’ entry into our world. Faith, not worry, is what must be valued, “talked up” and exchanged.

By “seek first the kingdom of God”, Jesus exhorts us to busy ourselves with all efforts of entering, partaking in and spreading his kingdom.

By “seeking righteousness”, we are to busy ourselves with behaviours which show some family likeness. We are called to believe in Jesus and become more like God, our Father. And less and less like the pagan world!

Jesus ends with a final reason “not to worry”.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

His lesson is simple: “Don’t waste today on tomorrow!”

God did not design us and Jesus did not redeem us – only for us to fill our days with worry and waste our life with anxiety!

ACTION:
Glorifying God Conversations (Matthew 6:19-34)
What are the reasons for your main worries? How can you exchange pagan habits of worry for new spiritual habits of pursuing faith in God?

PRAYER:
O God, please save me. Please stop me from living idolatrously. Please stop me living with unbelieving pagan worry.
Please empower me to start living under and for Jesus. Help me to say “No” to greed as a life goal. To say “no” to worry as a lifestyle. Help me to say “yes” to faith in God.
Amen