Matthew 6:25-34 “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/ 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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not mush more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious saying, What shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Context:
Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew’s Gospel provides a picture of what life is like inside his kingdom. This isn’t a self-help manual. It isn’t a guilt trip. I heard about some undergraduate students who studied this in an intro college course on literature. Some were upset. The Sermon on the Mount is impossible. What kind of person preaches “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)? These students had gotten the point. Yes, life in the kingdom is impossible. And, similarly, the command not to be anxious in Matthew 6:25-34 is impossible without the grace of Jesus Christ. However, grace doesn’t mean a Christian doesn’t take responsibility. Jesus clearly understands our frail human condition. Jesus acknowledges the natural tendency we may have towards anxiety. There is often a tricky balance between the undergirding grace of Christ and the continual need for watchfulness, faithfulness, and diligence even in play and rest!
Questions for Reflection:
Prayer Pointers: