Matthew 6:25-33, part 4 for Oct 11 2009

Reading: NRSV

‘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? 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 can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry 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 clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This passage is one piece of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew’s edition of Jesus’ basic teachings. Jesus’ use of creation imagery is strong in this passage. Like Joel, perhaps he sees the earth and its creatures as interconnected with humanity, sharing some very basic characteristics. We learn from creation and extend that learning to our understanding of the eternal realm. Creation opens our eyes to the “big picture”.

This is NOT a passage about financial planning. Jesus is reminding his listeners that, ultimately, all that we have comes from God. All that we are is loved by God, so ultimately, we are always in God’s care.

Questions for Reflection:

We understand so much about nature, biology, cosmology from a scientific point of view. Does knowing “how things really work” decrease, instead of increasing, our understanding of God?

In this current age of recession and the threat to pensions and retirement savings, what does it mean to hear Jesus say: “Do not worry…”? How do we respond faithfully?