Readings:
Sermon:
Jesus says ‘do not worry’ ‘do not worry about anything…do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear’.
When I have the privilege of ministering at funerals I often preach on another similar saying of Jesus found in John 14. He says ‘do not let your hearts be troubled’. I often remark at funerals that perhaps this might sound somewhat unhelpful on first hearing. We all know how irritating it is when someone says to us “do not worry” and we are already worried and “do not stress” when we are already stressed.
Jesus in today’s passage is not simply offering an empty platitude ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be alright’. He’s offering something so much more. He’s offering something you can put your trust in. Just before I sat down to write this podcast I was listening to an excellent sermon from the great bible teacher Dr Tim Keller. He was speaking on the subject of guidance. Something we often think about when we are worrying… what is my purpose? What am I meant to be doing? He said you don’t so much need guidance but you need a guide.
In Matthew 6 Jesus doesn’t so much show us guidance… step-by-step instructions for how we ought to get ourselves out of worrying circumstances. He doesn’t give us guidance, he reminds us about our guide.
He says ‘Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?’
This is Jesus. He says look at the birds, look at the flowers. See how God is providing for them. How much more will he take care of you.
It’s not so much about the quality of the guidance but the goodness of the guide. Jesus has one plan for those of us who are worrying.
‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’
Seek first the guide. Just like a good guide looks after their group. God will look after you. May I encourage you, if you are finding yourself in a place of worry today, to give up on worrying about how to get out of worry. May I encourage you instead to come before God and simply ask him to draw you closer to him.
‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’
Questions:
- Do you find yourself worrying about how to get out of worry, searching for guidance rather than a guide?
- What difference would it make to you to start seeking after the guide rather than the guidance?