“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?” Matthew 6:25 NRSV
Do not worry. Easy
said, hard to accomplish. I have shared
this advice with persons many times over the years. From folks caught in a bad relationship
situation, or an awful illness, to a tragic accident, to not worry and remain
calm is a real gift. It seems we all
worry at times. It is how we are wired
for life.
This passage from Matthew comes to us toward the end of
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Now please
take a second closer look at the text.
Christ tells the people to not worry about what they will eat and what
they will wear for clothes. Jesus says
nothing about missed house payments or flat tires. Jesus say nothing about running late into
work or failing to get our assignments completed. It seems the dog needing shots and the
Internet fading while the stove is boiling over in the midst of a leaking roof
is just not that big of a deal. First
things first.
Jesus tells us not to worry about food and clothing. Those
two are pretty high up on the list of essential human needs. And he picks these two, which we all take for
granted in this society, as a way of saying, “If you do not have even these
basic needs covered, relax I have got this for you. And if you do have these two covered then you
should have no real worries at all.”
Relax people and do not worry.
This is God who created the world and calms the storms. Calm down.
This passage is also a go ticket for the church who serves
as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ for the world. We must be out and about providing clothing
and food, taking care of the basic stuff for people. But not just some people but any person at
all who shows up without food and clothing.
Boom, the church should spring into action and heal the situation.
Should the church also fix the internet, the dog, the flat
tire, or the leaking roof? Perhaps, but first things first. Food and clothing should be free if needed,
or almost free. Let’s keep the children fed and warm with clothes on the backs
of our neighbors and friends, even especially the strangers in our midst. But do not worry. Never let worry become your partner.
