Matthew 6:27-32 27And who of you by being anxious can add one hour to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Jesus uses a common form of argumentation: from the lesser to the greater. If God nourishes and clothes lesser life forms, surely he will care all the more for human beings. If God as Creator cares for the birds and lilies, God as our heavenly Father will care for his children. Jesus gives three reasons why we should not worry.
First, worry is unnecessary and accomplishes nothing (verse 27). Jesus uses an illustration that could be interpreted as a length of time or as “add one cubic to one’s height.” The basic idea is that worry does nothing for us. In fact, it has the tendency to shorten life through causing physical and mental stress.
Second, worry is blind to God’s blessings and care (verses 28-29). All we need to do is look at nature and see how God has created things to grow. God, through providential grace, supplies what nature needs to thrive and have beauty. Solomon was the wealthiest king of Israel yet pales in comparison to how God cares for even small wild flowers.
Third, worry shows a lack of faith (verse 30). Our lack of faith is a big hindrance to allowing God to work in our lives. Having little faith basically indicates that we do not really believe that God will do what he says. If God is concerned about the daily needs of the birds, he will surely take care of our needs. Instead, we need to pray and believe, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We can ask our loving Father to give us what we need. Jesus’ words in this sermon do not guarantee that we will have health, wealth, and prosperity or that we will never be hungry or homeless. There are many factors that lead to hunger and need, including poor decisions, victimization, war, economic trouble, and persecution. Even in the most dire of situations, we can trust in God’s care and know that God loves us. As Jesus’ disciples, we are on a journey, and each day we get closer to realizing the full potential of what Jesus says. God’s kingdom is breaking into our lives, and the more we trust in Jesus, the more we will see this kingdom and participate in it. Jesus shows us the best lifestyle that will bring us joy and peace.
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