Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not [the] life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25
As you can see, the first verse of our next saying begins with the word “therefore”, meaning “for that reason or cause”. The Holy Spirit uses “therefore” often and strategically throughout the Bible to connect dependent thoughts and assertions into a pathway of truth and faith. Therefore, let’s quickly review the saying of Matthew 6:22-24 (Get Focused and Stay Focused):
- Your heart will be drawn to the place where you have laid up your treasure.
- Singular focus on God allows light to flood our entire being. Allowing distraction invites darkness and deception.
- If you serve mammon (i.e., riches and its supporting systems), you will despise God.
This last point should be quite sobering (if not frightening) for all Christians – particularly for the 21st Century Western church, where riches are abundant and abundantly deceitful (Mark 4:18-19).
Our omniscient God, foreseeing the dilemma, has provided the way for our deliverance and the key to our finding the truly abundant life of His kingdom. Spoilers: They are not the same.
Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10
At this point, a bit of confusion is understandable; along with a bit of resistance. How do you buy stuff without money? Isn’t wealth a measure of abundance? And why would someone exchange the abundance of this life for a life they cannot see?
Most of us are not risk takers, at least not with the abundance we have been taught to hold so dear. Better safe than sorry, right? “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” comes to mind (but that’s probably my carnal mind speaking).
This saying is rather long, so we will break it down into smaller parts, that we might better understand God’s way for abundant living.
Exchanging “Your Life” for “The Life”
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not [the] life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25
You will notice that we have inserted a definite article, “the”, into this opening verse – in accordance with the literal Greek translations (e.g., Young’s). This minor correction dramatically increases the import of the transaction suggested in this saying. “The life” is something exceedingly abundantly more than “your life”.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
Jesus opens this saying by challenging His followers to exchange their natural concerns for His life – “the life” that leads to the Father. He seems to be saying, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things of this world (Colossians 3:2).”
Furthermore, He suggests that the worries of this world will suck the life out of you (Matthew 13:22).
Exchanging Worry for Trust
After appealing to the desire of our heart for the supernatural things of heaven, Jesus addresses our need for a common-sense explanation (a necessary accommodation to the arguments coming from our carnal mind).
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:26-32
The kingdom of God is not complicated. Mysterious, yes; but not complicated. The question is not whether our Father in heaven can or cares to feed and cloth His valuable children; it is a simple matter of our trust in Him to do so. Will we exercise the faith He has given, or will we be like the Gentiles?
Again, the comparison is stark and enlightening: Worry and faith stand opposed to one another. Both are worked out in obvious ways, and both indicate our maturity as kingdom citizens.
Conclusion
It occurs to me that this saying of Jesus’ must have been one of those He used to test His disciples and thin the crowds. In many respects, it is the core message of His Sermon on the Mount. Attempting to live out of our life’s strength and natural wit leads to worry and inevitable despair and destruction. Living through the life of Christ leads us to a Father who encourages and empowers our faith and peace.
But, how do we stop worrying when the storms are raging and the world around us is buried in chaos? Well, faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, we begin by using our spiritual ears to hear what God desires to speak into the current situation. Faith then finds a place in our heart; rest in that and see where it takes you. Just rest and wait for Him.
For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:4
Next time, we will consider the exchange of kingdom and thinking inherent in this saying of Jesus, our good and loving King. In the meantime, …
God bless you with grace to wait on Him to act.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
#iamjustthepen