I have heard in recent weeks, both in Queensland after the floods and cyclone, and also in New Zealand after the earth quake, one or other leader suggest to people that they might like to leave the affected area, and go to stay with friends or family. It wouldn’t be an easy thing to do and at first it would be part of the emergency, part of the loss, but after a while it would be hard going I imagine, even with the best of family or friends to go to. It’s interesting to wonder where you would go if you had to. To which family? To which friends? How would you feel eating their food, having them offer beds for you to sleep in, living in their space, even asking them if you could borrow a jumper or shirt.
This is similar to the context for our passage today, a day and age where people lived a very rural lifestyle based on agriculture and where the disciples of Jesus would move from one village to the next, talking, encouraging, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Today’s passage is perhaps little different to the context of the passage in Luke 10, where Jesus sends out his followers into the country side to share good news and to stay with people in their homes, … where Jesus tells them… “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; … Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; …
And so we hear today’s passage…where Jesus talks again about worry and concern to his disciples, who alongside him lived a very wandering lifestyle – going from one place to the next ….and so Jesus says, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?…”
From time to time, and it is easy to do, we can hear these words of Jesus transferred into settings of extreme suffering; famine, poverty, illness. To do so it irresponsible and naive and takes the message of Christ outside its meaning. How can you say to the starving one, “do not worry about your life…. God will provide…? How can you say to the refugee, “do not worry… God will provide…?” and then expect them not to worry, not to be distressed, and to just walk away. That is plainly a misreading of today’s passage.
Instead these words of Jesus fit very well into our own lives, in a society where there is more than enough, a place where there is opportunity, support, and resources. And this message of Christ’s fits very well into our own lives and society too where there is a chronic abundance of worry and anxiety. I’m not talking about the physical and mental issues of suffering from anxiety and depression, but the abundance of ongoing, stress, uncertainty, worry, and fretfulness, that affects our general daily living.
- It’s a worry of things unknown before us.
- It’s a worry of being accepted.
- It’s a worry about friendships.
- It’s a worry about making ends meet.
- It’s a worry about other people.
- It’s a worry about well-being and the balance of life.
The ongoing, stress, uncertainty, worry, and fretfulness, which affects our general daily living.
Some years ago our family was sitting in a diner on the US and Mexico boarder. The diner was ok, but when it’s breakfast time and you are surrounded by people eating huge steaks, eggs, with a side of bacon and maple syrup, it’s really not so pleasant. The diner was pretty much nowhere, surrounded by roads, traffic, cement, power poles and few trees. While we were sitting inside, waiting for out toast and jam to arrive, a humming bird flew to a small flower just outside our window. I had never seen a humming bird for real before, and we just watched, as it flew in the one spot, sucking on the flower’s nectar. For us it was an amazing sight, out of nowhere, this wonderful creature being fed. Part of the amazement of the sight of this bird, was the location, everything seemed to be against it, the cement, the noise, and yet there it was, one simple beautiful act, that reminds me of this passage…. 26 “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”
- Sometimes it’s a sparrow in Garema place.
- Sometimes it’s a pigeon in Central Station.
- Sometimes it’s a magpie in the back yard.
- The birds do not gather and store.
- They do no become entranced by greed.
- They do not become drunk on their own importance.
26 “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”
So what is it that Jesus says to those of us who live lives of worry and concern? And we find this in verse 33 where we read 33 …”… strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” This might read; seek and strive in your lives, firstly, for the ways of God, God’s presence, and also for the things that are right, good, just. Seek and strive in your lives, firstly, for the ways of God, God’s presence, and also for the things that are right, good, just.
In doing this we will find for our lives a satisfaction which we all need, a better focus on what really is of value, a clarity of vision for God’s presence amongst us, a sense that we are loved and cherished by God.
It’s easy for preachers to simply say, “seek first the kingdom of God…” but how? How do we refocus on God and the ways of God, the presence of God? How do we apply that to our lives, so that we may not be encased and consumed by worry?
Well partly we are doing this now, by taking ourselves aside for a time, when most of the world rushes by outside, and in this time we pray, we worship, we hear words about life that speak to us all in different ways. It is a time when God’s Spirit is amongst us and renews, reminds us of the things of God in our lives.
Again to seek the kingdom of God, is about turning our minds towards God in other ways too, when we are not all-together. To read the bible, to pray. If you need help reading the Bible, not sure where to begin, then you can speak to me anytime. To pray is just to turn your mind to God, and share your thoughts, your heart. Try praying without asking anything, but simply sharing your thoughts. You can even use passages from the Bible to pray, as we did today at the beginning of worship with Psalm 131.
Another way of seeking the Kingdom of God, is in our presence with others. To offer a word of peace. Of hope. Of forgiveness. To see in another person, that they are loved by God, and to announce in word, or action, that God is near. It can be transforming for us, when we live out, with others, the way of God.
In all these things, we will discover, that indeed God is near, that the way of God is present in our lives, and that we are indeed worth more than the birds of the air. And we will have a moment to breathe deeply and know God’s peace.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ….
33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Let’s pray.
Just have a moment to think about your life…and worry.
Lord, when we see the sparrow, the magpie, remind us, of your love, and open our hearts to your way, your kingdom, that our lives will be in a place of trust, of hope, of peace, as only you can give.
We pray.
Amen.