THE BOOK OF MATTHEWS
The author is not identified; however,
its writings are attributed to Matthew, the apostle and former tax collector. Matthew
presents Jesus as the fulfilment of the Law, the Messiah, King, and Jesus often
refer to Himself as the “Son of Man”.
TEXT: MATTHEW 6: 25-26, 33:
(Sermon on the Mount- Chapter 5---7
Jesus’s famous teachings on moral living). In Matthew 6:19-23, He talks about
possessions and masters; and vs 24-34 He talks about God’s Kingdom.
VS 25 Therefore, I say unto you, “Take
no thought” or “Do not worry” about your life, what you shall eat,
or what you shall drink; or yet for your body, what you shall put
on”. “Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment”?
VS 26 “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?
Vs 33: “But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.”
Did you ever stop to think why Jesus’s
teaching on “worry” was necessary? It seems to be the diet in today’s society.
He is speaking to His committed disciples, alongside a large, curious crowd of
hurting, oppressed Jewish farmers and labourers seeking healing. Most of the
people hearing HIM were poor and living from day to day. For some, what they
earned each day was all they had to live on for the next day.
Can anybody identify to some degree
what that’s like, living from paycheck to paycheck?
One might ask! Did Jesus know the
people were worried? According to biblical accounts, Jesus frequently knew when
people were worried, anxious, or afraid, and often addressed them directly.
He is “omniscient” God of all knowing/knowledge:
Luke 12, Jesus taught a large crowd and then turned to his disciples, telling
them, “Do not worry about your life”. He knew their minds were racing with
anxieties about daily provisions and reassured them that God is aware of their
needs.
Jesus was able to discern their hidden fears. When his
followers were panicking during a violent storm at sea, Jesus was asleep in the
boat. When they woke him in fear, He calmed the storm and then questioned their
lack of trust.
In all these accounts, Jesus did not respond to their worries with judgement but by acknowledging their anxiety and
encouraging them to replace their fear with trust. Jesus was letting the people know that life was more than material possessions, and that God, who provides for the
birds and flowers, will certainly care for humans, who are of greater value.
His goal is to move their thoughts
from a state of worry to a state of peace, trusting that God knows and will
provide what is truly needed for their life. Listen to these three definitions.
Biblical perspective “Worry/thought”
defined in Greek is merimna’o…meaning “to be pulled in different
directions: or torn apart.” Think about it! One moment you’re stressing about
finances, next you’re spiraling about a relationship, then, you’re replaying
something you said three days ago.
Worry scatters us and keeps us living
everywhere except the present. Jesus wasn’t ignoring their struggles. He pointed
out that worry doesn’t solve them—it just fractures our peace. Instead, He
invites us to trust the God who sees every need and promises to take care of us.
Worry can be defined as the following;
Strangling origin – comes from an Old
English word “wyrgan” -meaning to strangle or to seize by the throat.
This roots its meaning of being constricted or choked by one’s thoughts.
Medical doctors estimate that more
than twenty five percent of their patients are what they have called "worried
well". Doctors spend a lot of time examining folks who
are not sick, -- only worried, plagued by the
“what if syndrome”.
What if my car doesn’t start in the morning? What
if, I get laid off my job? People are worrying about a whole lot
of, what ifs.
If we have a good job, we worry that
we’ll lose it. If we have good health, we worry that we won’t have it long. If
our children leave the house, we worry if they’re coming back.
Psychological definition (effects
that originate in or act upon the mind/behavior), the mental part where your
brain tries to solve the “what if” scenarios for the future. What if I
don’t get this job: What if my check doesn’t come? What if? Are
you plagued by “what if” problems? Then, consider yourself in the
“worried well” class.
I think it’s safe to say all of us
have experienced worry to some degree, but how often and how intently do you
worry? What kind of things do you worry about? Are they mostly big things such
as world events; finances, crimes, family matters, relationships, your mate,
jobs, health?
There’s a Professor of Psychology at
Penn State university…Thomas Borkevec, an expert in the field of worry. He
makes his living diagnosing what other people worry about. His claim is that
the most single source of worry is other people’s opinion of you. What will
they think? What will they say? Will I be laughed at? Will I be left out?
He stated that even clergy have
experienced moments when they knew what God wanted them to do but failed to do
it because of what others might think. Truth is, regardless of what we do or
don’t do, we really can’t alter other’s opinion of us. Our focus should be….
what does God think of us.
Many times, we take worry to bed with
us, we get up with it and carry it with us throughout the day. Jesus doesn't
want us to worry. His walk (way of living) matched His talk.
Where or when was Jesus ever afraid?
There’s no record of the Savior expressing his concern over what will happen or
will not happen and never anxious or worrying about potential reactions of
others.
Why? It’s simple: dependence. Christ,
himself being God, expressed and demonstrated the model for humanity in his
complete confidence, trust and dependence in God (“the Son can do nothing of
his own accord” John 5:19). He knew and lived like He believed that God is
sovereign (supreme) over everything: there is nothing that surprises or
unsettles God.
Even in the Garden we see Christ pouring
out His heart to the Father, proclaiming His commitment to and confidence in
God. He marched with resolve to Calvary without being afraid of men or
circumstances.
Why: Because He knew that God is
sovereign. Look what He told Pilate: “You would have no authority over Me,
unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).
Earthly power is limited and Pilate’s
power was delegated. Jesus wasn’t losing His life by force, but by choice via His
Father’s plan.
Jesus didn’t worry, but because of the
ill effects of worry, HE tells us not to worry about the basic needs that God
promises to supply (food, drink, clothing).
In our text, Jesus speaks to us where
we live and give illustrations that worry is
unnecessary, unproductive, and outside of God's natural design of mankind.
Prior to this teaching, He had told
the people not to let money be their master and they couldn't serve two
masters. They would either hate the one and love the other. He knew the reason
a lot of people let money be their master is because they were worried about
tomorrow.
The average person thinks if they had
a large income, it would solve their problem, not so. Here Jesus gives them a
better way to handle the problem of worry. Here are some reasons why we
shouldn’t worry.
VS 25 FINANCIAL FEAR - UNREASONABLE
Jesus
said, "Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought" or ‘do not
worry.” The word “thought/worry” meaning, “having
a distracting care; divided mind,” a distraction that pulls a person’s
focus away from trusting God and toward self-reliance.
The same word, same meaning is used in Philippians
4:6 "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. He used
the same word to describe Martha in Luke 10:41-42, when she was
stressing over Mary spending time with Jesus rather than helping with household
work. He said, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful (anxious) and
troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath
chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”.
In other
words, Mary had chosen to spend time with Him, which was the most needful thing
to do. Don’t worry about your finances or your job. It’s unreasonable. Don’t
let that become distracting care! Don’t worry about your children or your
relationship. That’s my responsibility (God’s), not yours!
VS 26
WORRY IS UNNATRUAL
Jesus
said, “Look up at the birds”. There’s
no worry in their life. They don’t pile up goods for an unseen future, nor do
you see them sowing seeds or harvesting crops, yet their lives go on, and their
needs are met. We are the only creation of God who worries. If God provides for
the birds He created, and He does, then surely, He will take care of us, His children,
who are created in His image and likeness.
VS 27: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit (18") to
his statue. It’s unhelpful, because it can’t change a thing even by the
equivalent of “eighteen inches.”
Job 14:5 says, "Before
we were born God established length of our days.” Worrying divides
attention from spiritual priorities.
So, what good would you do to worry about something anyway?
A cubit
is measure of length (18 in), making it an absurd, small change to height, it
can’t make you taller, highlighting that worry is both useless, and incapable
of extending life.
VS 28 WORRY IS A LACK OF FAITH
Now, look down: “Why take you
thought for raiment/clothing? It’s unnecessary. Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin”. Vs
30 God clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, Oh, you of little faith?
Jesus refers to worry as “little
faith” meaning weak, fearful, doubting trust in God’s power. He said vs 31, “Take
no thought (don’t worry) about what you should eat or drink”. Vs 32, “These
things the gentiles (unbelievers) seek”: for your heavenly Father knows how
much a gallon of gas costs today. He knows how much the cost of groceries will
be next week.
David said, “I have been young, and
now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
bread” (Psalm 37:25).
He knows what our future is and He
knows how much money you have in the bank. He knows if you have no money at
all.
He knows just who to send your way
with enough money to meet your very needs. Why? That's God’s responsibility,
He is Jireh-our Provider and He care for you.
In Exodus
12, when Moses began leading God’s people out of Egyptian bondage,
there were millions of them. Can you imagine the amount of food and water
it would take to feed a group that size? But did not God provide for
them? Not only that, but He also provided a way through the Red Sea.
Mind
you, they didn’t have to press their way through mud; they went over on “dry
ground”!!!! This provision for the Israelites was not just for a couple
of days, or a week or two, but He took care of them for forty (40) years during
their wilderness experience!!!
Deuteronomy
8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot
swell, these forty years!!!!
What
does that mean for us? SAME GOD THEN – SAME GOD NOW!!!!
If Jesus’s command is “do not worry”, what was
His reason and what can result from worry.
Worry
damages your health. It brings on diseases, stomach ulcers, coronary
thrombosis, insomnia (awake when you should be asleep), disrupted productivity,
clouds judgement and you can’t make rational decisions. It negatively affects
the way you treat others.
Whenever
“worry” enters the mind, another emotion tags along with it called impatience,
and one becomes irritated, easily provoked, restless, eager, snappy, anger. It
can push you into making hasty and unwise decisions. There’s a saying, “it’s
not what you eat that causes ulcers, but it’s what’s eating you”. I’m
talking to the worried Christian.
1st
Samuel 13:6-11, the Philistines had accumulated a large army to fight against
Israel. Saul is waiting in the wings for the Prophet Samuel according to the
set time of seven days when Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, the people began to
“worry” and they scattered themselves from Saul because of fear.
So, Saul,
impatient, said bring me a burnt offering and peace offering, and offered the
burnt offering up to God as a sacrifice before going into battle with the LORD
as his ally. But it was God’s command that the “priest” offer up burnt offering’s,
not the king. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, here
comes Samuel.
When he
saw what Saul had done, he was not happy with him. He said you have done
foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God. Now your kingdom
shall not continue. Saul lost his kingship! Why! Because of worry and
being impatient it accomplished absolutely nothing on Saul’s behalf.
If you profess to know Christ, you can
live a different life free from worry and anxiety. One might ask? How can this
be? Simply! “When your thoughts change, by adopting the same mindset as Jesus...2nd
Corinthians 2:5 “Let this mind, be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. When
we have the mind of Christ, then, the same selfless, humble attitude and
perspective Jesus displayed, prioritizing others, embracing humility, and
submitting to God’s will above your own, will be displayed or exhibited in our
lives.
It’s uniting with Him, an internal
transformation – 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ”
(placing your personal faith in Him, participating in His grace, the word says,
“you are a new creature (creation)”. You are not just improved; you are completely
regenerated.
The old is gone, the past sins, guilt,
and the old way of living defined by the “flesh” had to loosen its condemning
power. The original Greek suggests you are a brand-new species of existence
created by God. The “New” has come. You have received a new identity,
righteousness, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus took time to preach and teach about
worry, because it demonstrates a lack of trust in God’s character, and it
accomplishes absolutely nothing and misplaces a believer’s priorities.
As believers and followers
of Christ we need only concern ourselves with our Father's business and
He'll concern Himself with ours. What is HIS
business? It’s KINGDOM. He personally delivered it to us. Luke 12:32, Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Jesus said, John 6:38 “I came down
from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me”. His
coming down from heaven was not from beyond the blue sky, but “heaven” is from the
Greek word “oupavos” (oo-ran-os’) translated as elevation, “lofty” or
high place, happiness, power, eternity, the Gospel. He came down to
perfectly obey the Father’s will and Jesus’s entire mission on earth was
dedicated to fulfilling this divine purpose rather than His own.
Jesus is not just the herald of the
Kingdom of God, but the actual embodiment (physical form) of the Kingdom. In
theology, this is often called “Autobasileiam”, a Greek term meaning “the
kingdom in person”. I’m telling you, Jesus was the “kingdom”, walking around on two feet.
Mark 11:1-11 (The triumphal entry): vs 7: And they brought the
colt to Jesus and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. Vs 8:
And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the
trees, and strawed them in the way. Now watch and listen to what these people did and said: vs 9: And they that went before and
they that followed, cried, saying, “Hosanna” (oh save; saviour; rescue; avenge;
defend); blessed is he that come in the name of the Lord”: vs 10:
“Blessed be THE KINGDOM of our father David, that cometh in the name of
the Lord: Hosanna in the highest” (hup’sistos) [the Supreme (God); the heavens; Most High].
You can see here
in these verses, that THE KINGDOM of God entered Jerusalem in the PERSON
of JESUS CHRIST, riding on a colt!! That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33,
“Seek ye first THE KINGDOM of God and HIS righteousness, and these things
shall be added unto you”.
The KINGDOM cannot exist without its KING.
When Jesus arrived, the KINGDOM arrived because He is the ruler. This is why He
announced in Luke 17:21 that “the kingdom of God is in the midst/among you.”
The KINGDOM was in their midst because HE was standing right in
front of them talking to them, but they could not comprehend Him.
Therefore, your business and my business, is to seek the kingdom, identify it, believe it, and live in it. Again, Matthew 6:33
states, “SEEK FIRST” the “KINGDOM”! Therefore, our first priority (most important,
urgent,) instead of focusing our energy on worry, Jesus provides a direct
alternative, a solution.
His direction to us is, but seek, ‘GOD
FIRST”- when you shift your primary focus to loving God and serving others, you
can trust Him to handle your physical needs. He personally delivered the
KINGDOM to us Himself.
My friends, you cannot separate the
kingdom from the person of Jesus; to have Him is to have the kingdom.
What is it? It is not a physical kingdom
and can’t be physically mapped or observed (Luke 17:21) “The kingdom is
within you”. “God’s kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), but a
present reality. “The kingdom’s dominion
is the rule of God, and it’s not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace,
and joy, in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). It’s the government of God.
His government is designed to produce
for you everything you have need of – health, wealth, houses, jobs, cars, love,
joy and peace, independent of what anybody think about it. It’s under the rule
of God, our King who makes it happen for us. So, if you are a believer in
Christ, then your citizenship is no longer “of this world”, you are a
citizen of heaven.
Ephesians 2:18: For through him we both (Jew/Gentile) have access by
one Spirit unto the Father. Vs 19: Now, therefore, you are no
more strangers (xen’os) [guests] and foreigners (par’oikos) [aliens; strangers;
sojourners], but fellow citizens (sumpoli’tes) [natives of the same town; united] with the saints, and of the household of God: vs 20: And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being
the chief corner stone: vs 21: In whom all the building fitly
framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: vs 22: In whom
you also are built together for an habitation (dwelling place) of God through
the Spirit.
In closing, if you are a worried
Christian plagued by a world of “what if’s,” if you are choked by
your own thoughts, worries about what people think of you, or problems with
time management, the antidote for worry is “GOD FIRST”!
Steven Cole gives this illustration –
a story of the time management expert who was speaking to a group of business
students.
He pulled out a large, wide-mouth jar
and filled it with a fist-sized rocks. When he couldn’t put any more in, he
asked, “Is this jar full?” The class responded, “yes.” He said, “really?”
Then, he pulled out a bucket of gravel
and poured it in, shaking it down through the cracks. Then, he asked, “Is
the jar full?” The students were on to him, so they said, “no.” “Good”
he replied.
Then, he dumped in a bucket of sand.
Once more he asked, “Is the jar full?” “No,” they shouted, Again,
he said, “Good.” He poured in a pitcher of water until the jar was full
to the brim. Then, he asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”
One student ventured, “No matter
how full your schedule, if you try hard, you can always fit more in.” “No,”
the speaker replied, “That is not the point”. The point is, “If you
don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
“First Things First,” by Stephen Covey, Roger & amp; Rebecca Merrill
(Simon & amp; Schuster), pp. 88-89).
What should our “big rocks” be?
Jesus and His Word! Put them first in
your life! If we put the pebbles, or sand, etc, in first, we won’t find time
(room) for Jesus, the King of Kings, and His living Word, which endures
forever!
To the worried Christian, do you want
a life free of worry and anxiety? Then, the antidote is GOD FIRST!
AMEN!
Evangelist Brenda Hansley
Evangelist Brenda Hansley
