God’s Generosity
Matthew 7: 7 - 12
I. Introduction.
Earlier this month, we visited my parents in Tupelo, Mississippi. Most of our time in Mississippi was spent in Tupelo with my parents and my brother’s family. But, one day, we went to Corinth to see my grandmother in the nursing home and to eat supper with all my cousins on my mother’s side of the family.
This was probably the first time in ten years that I had been in the same place with my cousins Eddie and Mark at the same time. Eddie, Mark and I were born within about six months of each other. We spent a lot of time together at family gatherings and probably got into trouble together.
In the restaurant, my Aunt Helen pulled out on old picture of me with my cousins, Eddie and Mark. She lined us up and “recreated” the picture. Except, in the picture we were about one year old. And, we were all dressed alike. We were all wearing the overalls our grandparents had just given us.
Of course, these were no ordinary overalls. These were “Tuff Nut” overalls. Perhaps it was a regional brand, because not many people in Texas seem to know about “Tuff Nut” jeans and overalls.
What made Tuff Nut overalls special was the fact that they came with a pocket knife. As I grew older, that Tuff Nut knife became my prized possession. I didn’t get to play with it or to carry it around. (I don’t even think I was strong enough to open it without my dad’s helping me.) But, I loved that knife…Until, one day…Tragedy struck. I lost my Tuff Nut knife.
That night, in our family devotion, I started praying that I would find my “Tuf Nut” knife. I listed it on our prayer calendar to pray for every night until I was able to find it. And I found it.
My mother said that I prayed for it every night for about three months until we finally found it. But remembering it through the mind of a child, it seemed more like two years. We marked it off the prayer calendar, and I will always remember the time I learned what it meant to have a prayer answered.
My Tuff Nut knife is special to me, because it represents the first time in my life when I felt like God answered my prayers. I was six years old.
Do you have a vivid memory of an answered prayer? Perhaps there was a time that you prayed daily for God’s guidance in a decision you were about to make, and he responded by showing you the right choice.
But what about the other side of that story? Have you ever experienced the pain that goes with an unanswered prayer? How did you respond? Did you think that maybe you weren’t a very good Christian? That maybe you failed to show enough faith to deserve having your prayer answered?
Jesus addressed this problem in his teachings on prayer in Matthew chapter 7. Let’s look at what he teaches us about prayer and then turn our attention to the problem of unanswered prayer.
Read Matthew 7: 7 – 12.
II. What Is Prayer?
Webster’s dictionary defines prayer as: “A humble communication in thought or speech to God or an object of worship expressing supplication, thanksgiving, praise, confession, etc. . .”
This doesn’t help me a lot because I will have to define several other words in order to understand what the definition means. Let’s use Jesus’ words to define prayer.
The first thing I notice about Jesus’ words is the fact that he gives us three commands: “Ask, Seek, Knock.” The second thing I notice is that these three commands are written as Present Imperatives. (I have said this so many times over the past few weeks, that most of you will know where I am going with this.)
The present tense in Greek is used to describe continuous action. Therefore, we can translate Jesus’ commands to us as: “Keep on asking…Keep on seeking…Keep on knocking…”
Jesus is not describing a one time event, or a once a week event, or even a once a day event. Jesus is describing prayer as something that we do continuously. It is a lifestyle of “Asking, Seeking and Knocking.”
Another interesting thing about Jesus’ commands is the fact that there are no objects to any of the verbs. Jesus does not specify that for which we are to ask, to seek or to knock. This leaves the discussion very broad. We can find some good possibilities by looking back at Jesus’ words in the Model Prayer. On one hand, we are supposed to pray for our “daily bread.” On the other hand, we are supposed to pray for “God’s Kingdom to come” and “God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Therefore, Prayer can be for just about anything from the miraculous (Kingdom of God) to the mundane (bread for today). From the request of God acting on behalf of a sick loved one to the request for provision or guidance.
We also notice that there is no mention of faith. Jesus does not say ask with faith, seek with faith, or knock with faith. Instead, Jesus said anyone who asks, seeks, knocks will receive, find, have it open. This is not to discount our faith, but to shift the focus to God and his faithfulness and generosity toward us. Prayer does not depend on my faith, but the faithfulness and the generosity of the one on whom I put my trust. It’s better to have small faith in a great God than great faith in small god.
“Asking, Seeking and Knocking” have something in common. The person who asks is lacking something. The person who seeks has lost something. The person who knocks has been shut out. All three of these people are needy people. Therefore, prayer is something only needy people are willing to do.
This is my personal definition of prayer: Total dependence on God. This is also why we do not pray. We do not like to think that we need to go outside of ourselves for anything. Much less our very existence. So, what is prayer?
It is childlike dependence on God for anything, from the miraculous to the mundane, and is not based on our faith, but the faithfulness of the one on whom we depend.
III. Why We Pray.
This is not the first time Jesus has taught us about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6, Jesus gave us both a teaching about prayer and a Model for how to pray. Jesus closed his teaching with these words: “Do not be like them (the hypocrites and the pagans), for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6: 8).”
If God already knows what we need before we even ask him, then why do we need to pray? Obviously, the reason is not that God needs to know what we lack. Obviously, the reason we pray has more to do with us than it has to do with God.
For example, God knows what we need. However, there are times when we don’t know what we need. There are other times when we know what we need, but we are not yet ready to receive it from God. Prayer is the way we learn what we need and we become ready to receive what God wants to give us.
In the passage, Jesus gives us an illustration of childlike dependence on a parent. This illustration demonstrates why people pray.
People who pray admit that they cannot survive on their own power and therefore must ask for outside help. People who do not pray claim to know better than God. They think they are independent and have no need for outside help. This is very American, but not very Christian at all.
This question brings us face to face with the question of God’s sovereignty. In other words, do my prayers affect the outcome of the universe or is the course of the universe determined and my prayers just an exercise in futility? If our prayers do not matter, then we will have a difficult time explaining why we are to pray and why Jesus himself prayed. We know that it is not in God’s character to change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Therefore, we do not pray in order to change God’s mind. We pray so that we might change. If prayer is to communicate as Webster tells us, then it is to enter into the presence of God with our requests. When we encounter God, face to face, we realize the areas in our own lives that are contradictory to the character and nature of God. Then, we change those areas. We conform to God’s image.
In other words, when we encounter the one upon whom we depend, we change so that God’s will becomes our will; God’s love becomes our love; and God’s desires become our desires.
IV. The Problem of Unanswered Prayer.
Now, let’s turn to the problem of unanswered prayer…
I have always heard the explanation that there is no such thing as unanswered prayer. God answers all prayers: “Yes,” “No,” or “Not Yet.”
In our text, Jesus never tells us exactly what we will receive, find, or what will open for us. In some English translations the phrase “what you asked for” appears, making the text say something like “Ask and you will receive what you asked for.” But that is not in the Greek text.
The text literally says, “Ask and to you will be given; Seek and you will find; Knock and to you will be opened.” We are never promised that we will get what we asked for. Jesus simply promises that we will receive something.
Then Jesus describes what this “something” is by giving an illustration. It is an illustration of what happens when children make requests of their parents. I can just hear the humor in this story. What parent would try to trick his or her child by giving them something that would harm them?
On our best days, we will do everything in our power to give our children what they need and what is best for them. If we, being sinful, give our children good things, how much more might God, who is without sin. And, God knows better than we do anyway.
The illustration is a promise that when we ask we will receive a “Good Gift,” when we seek we will find a “Good Gift,” when we knock a “Good Gift” will be opened to us. Even though we do not know what these “Good Gifts” are, we can be assured that if they come from the Father, they will be “Good Gifts.”
The fact is that what we often interpret as being unanswered prayer is really nothing more than simply not getting what we asked for. Often we ask for what is not in our best interest, and the Grace of God prevents us from suffering from our prayers being answered. We can rest assured that the Father only gives Good Things, and if we didn’t get it, then it wasn’t a Good Thing.
Other times, our prayers are influenced by our own sinfulness. Instead of asking for what is in the heart of God, we ask for what is in our own heart. Our prayers seem to go unanswered b/c we do not know what Good Thing God desires to give us.
There are some who would say that unanswered prayer is the result of our own lack of faith or that we did not call on the name of Jesus. I challenge that by returning our attention to Jesus’ own prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Our own Savior experienced what seemed like unanswered prayer, but look at the Good Thing that the father gave instead. God gave the “Good Gift” that is the Good News. That Jesus died and was raised on the 3rd day so that you and I might have Eternal Life.
V. Conclusion: The Golden Rule.
Jesus concludes this teaching on prayer with a familiar verse we know as the Golden Rule. Verse 12 begins with the word “therefore”—telling us that it is somehow connected to the teaching before it. (The NIV does not use the word “therefore.” It uses the word “so.”)
This tells me that Jesus is teaching us to treat other people the way God treats us. God gives us “good gifts,” and never something dangerous or malicious.
God is good. God is faithful. God is generous. This is demonstrated in our prayer life. And, it should be revealed in the way we relate to others.
Prayer is one of those subjects that is very easy to talk about philosophically without ever being effected in our own religious experience. In other words, we believe a lot about prayer but would have a difficult time proving it to those who know us well.
If prayer really is “childlike dependence on God for anything, from the miraculous to the mundane, not based on human faith, but upon the faithfulness of the one on whom we depend,” then we should exhibit this dependence in all areas of our lives.
Prayer should not become something we do in times of need or at night before we go to bed. Instead, we should adopt a lifestyle of prayer. A lifestyle that illustrates childlike dependence on the Father.
A we close, I would like to leave a question for all of us to consider. When was the last time we approached the Father as dependent children asking, seeking, knocking? Was it because the situation had become an emergency? Or was it simply a way of life for us?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010: Judging Judgmentalism
Judging Judgmentalism
Matthew 7: 1 – 6.
I. Introduction.
Two events happened this past week that cast Christians in a bad light. The first took place when TV evangelist Pat Robertson attempted to interpret the Haitian earthquake as God’s judgment on Haiti. Robertson claims that in the 1700’s the Haitian people were being held as slaves to the French. In order to escape their slave masters, the people made a “pact with the devil.” They would worship the devil if he would rescue them from slavery.
If you subscribe to Jim Denison’s daily email devotional, you probably know that he wrote about this “pact with the devil” four days last week. If you want to learn more of the “facts” behind this, you can read his archived devotionals at http://www.godissues.com. Suffice it to say, there is no historical evidence that such a “pact with the devil” ever took place. Also, it seems problematic to me that if the devil freed the Haitian slaves, then God is on the side of the oppressors and Satan is on the side of freedom.
This isn’t the first time Pat Robertson has made outrageous claims about disasters and God’s judgment. He said the same thing about Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He said September 11 was God’s judgment on the United States for our approval of homosexuality and abortion. He claimed Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on the wickedness of New Orleans. In both of these cases, it seems that God “missed.” September 11 had little affect on homosexuality in the United States, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans is in the section of the city least affected by Hurricane Katrina. (Bourbon Street is one of the few areas of New Orleans built above sea level.)
The second event took place in the McLennan County Courthouse in Waco, Texas. A pastor—with whom I went to seminary—was convicted of killing his wife and making it look like a suicide. Every day of testimony, the Waco Tribune Herald posted a live blog on their website (http://www.wacotrib.com) from inside the courtroom. So, at least once a day, I read summaries of all the testimony and proceedings.
If you are familiar with the way the blogosphere operates, you know it is an interactive experience. You don’t just read the written posts. You can add your “two cents worth” in the comments section. You will be glad to know that I did not post any comments last week. But, I did read some of the comments.
Most people wrote comments about their opinions of the case or of their relationship with the defendant and his wife. However, there were some comments of a theological nature. Some people projected this pastor’s actions onto all pastors or even onto all Christians. These people expressed their view that all Christians are hypocrites—claiming to believe in love and forgiveness and living like Jesus, but actually living secret lives. Non-Christians accuse us of expecting them to live a lifestyle that we are unwilling and unable to live ourselves.
Our response to these events is to claim that not all Christians are like Pat Robertson or the pastor in Waco. Or, we insist that the world should stop judging all Christians by the conduct of a few.
But, perhaps we deserve the criticism and judgmentalism. After all, Christians can be some of the most difficult people to be around when life is falling apart. Would you rather talk to your friends at work or your friends at church when you find out that your son is in jail or your daughter is pregnant? Sometimes the friends at work are more likely to be supportive and less likely to be judgmental.
This was not God’s intent for the church. This is not what Jesus had in mind when he preached his Sermon on the Mount.
Read Matthew 7: 1 – 6.
We are coming to the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has taught us about character and ethical behavior. The followers of Jesus are supposed to be different in character from the rest of the world. We are to live like salt and light in an unsavory and dark world. Then, we are supposed to live out our character in unique ethical behavior. For example, Christians are to move the boundary between sin and obedience from the body to the heart. It is not enough to resist killing another person—Christians must remove the hatred from our hearts. It is not enough to resist committing adultery—Christians must remove the lust from our minds.
Now, Jesus turns his attention to our relationships with others. I believe this includes our relationships inside the church as well as outside the church. Very simply, Jesus said we should remove judgmentalism from our lives. He gave us a command, a warning and two parables about judgmentalism.
II. A Command: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged (verse 1).
The words “do not judge” are written as a command from Jesus to his followers. It is a very simple command—at least it is simple grammatically. It is a much more difficult command when we take seriously what Jesus commands us to do.
Grammatically, Jesus’ words are a present imperative. Imperative means it is a command. The present tense indicates continuous action. There are two ways to translate Jesus’ words. Either, “Do not judge;” or “Stop Judging.”
Judgment is a way of life for most people. In fact, we can argue a case for our mental capability to judge as one way we were created in the image of God. The animal kingdom does not have the kind of reasoning abilities found in the human mind. Every day human beings make decisions about right and wrong, obedience and sin, life and death. Animals are too preoccupied with matters of food, shelter and reproduction to be concerned with things like right and wrong or obedience and sin. If we obey this command to stop judging, we might cease to be human and become more like the animals.
However, since these words come as a commandment from Jesus, they are a call to live a higher form of human life. This is a matter of obedience and not a return to animalistic instinct. This tells me that Jesus has something different in mind than simply choosing between right and wrong or obedience and sin. Instead of judging between right and wrong, Jesus is telling us not to judge people.
As human beings, we have been created in the image of God. Our lives are to be a reflection of God, just as the moon is a reflection of the sun. We are to reflect God’s character in the way we live our lives. We are to reflect God’s love in the way we love other people. We are to reflect God’s grace in the way we extend grace to others. We were created in the image of God…BUT…We were not created to be God. That job is already filled.
Any time a human being places himself or herself in a position to judge another person, that person is claiming to be God. The problem with this is that we are not qualified to sit in judgment. God is sinless and without fault. Therefore, God is qualified to be our judge. I am not sinless and without fault. Therefore, I am one of the judged and not the judge.
Followers of Jesus are supposed to be good judges of right and wrong and obedience and sin. However, we are not to be fault-finders and critical of the shortcomings of others. God sees the motives in a person’s heart. We do not.
III. A Warning: For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (verse 2).
After giving us a simple command, Jesus gives us a warning: you will be judged in the same way you judge others.
There are two ways to interpret the passive voice of Jesus’ warning. On one hand, Jesus could be warning us that other people will judge us in the same way we judge them. On the other hand, this could be another example of a “divine passive.” In other words, you will be judged by God in the same way you judge other people.
If this is a “divine passive,” then this verse seems to parallel Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness in the Model Prayer. In Matthew 6: 12, Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Then, in verse 14, Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
There is a close connection between our forgiveness and our willingness to forgive others. Also, there is a close connection between the way God judges us and the way we judge others.
I don’t subscribe to a legalistic view of either forgiveness or judgment. In fact, Jesus has been preaching against the legalism of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law. They are legalistic. And, Jesus does not want us to be like them. He wants us to be different. He wants us to be gracious and forgiving and non-judgmental. Perhaps the relationship is more like this… A person who has been forgiven by God knows how to forgive other people… A person who has experienced grace knows how to be gracious… A person who knows that God is my judge is non-judgmental toward others…
IV. A Parable: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye (verses 3 – 5).
This is one of several parables that I think people laughed at when Jesus first spoke it. It is a caricature. It is hyperbole. It is a little bit silly. Imagine what a person would look like with a giant log stuck in their eye! It’s an impossible scenario. Logs and planks don’t get stuck in your eye. Well, if a log did get stuck in your eye…you should seek medical attention immediately. You have a big problem.
Perhaps that is the point Jesus is making. Get help for your own imperfections before you start looking for imperfections in other people. None of us can take the plank out of our own eye. We can’t forgive our own sins. We can’t remove temptations from our lives. But we think we can remove “specks” from someone else’s eye.
In verse five, Jesus used the word “hypocrite” again. A hypocrite is an actor, who wears a mask to pretend to be someone he is not. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned us not to give financial gifts like hypocrites, not to pray like hypocrites and not to fast like hypocrites. Giving, praying and fasting are righteous acts that should be done before God and not other people. We are not supposed to do good deeds so other people can see us and congratulate us.
In this context, “hypocrite” has the same meaning. It is an actor, a pretender, someone who is wearing a mask to hide their true character. Have you ever thought of judgmentalism as a hypocritical act? Jesus says it is. Any time we try to remove a tiny speck from someone else’s eye (or life) we are pretending that we don’t have any specks or logs in our own eye (or life).
V. Another Parable: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces (verse 6).
This is a strange parable. Its truth is fairly obvious. Dogs and pigs would rather have food than anything else. If you give something holy to a dog, it might get mad when it discovers it is not food. If you give pearls to pigs, they will trample them when they discover they cannot be eaten. That much is true. But, what does this mean?
The terms “dog” and “pig” are significant here. Ancient Jews often referred to Gentiles as “dogs.” First Century residents of Israel referred to their Roman occupiers as “pigs.” “Dogs” and “pigs” were derogatory terms for outsiders.
In verse 5, Jesus used the word “brother.” This is a word the New Testament uses to describe other Christians—people who are also members of the church. It refers to insiders, not outsiders.
VI. Conclusion (Matthew 18: 10 – 35).
In Matthew 18, there is a teaching of Jesus which has been interpreted by many as a four step process for church discipline. In other words, it is a process to follow in order to “kick someone out of your church.” And this is what I always thought it was, until I actually read it:
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18: 15 – 17).”
Two things about this passage make it difficult for me to think of it as a process for church discipline.
First, notice the context. This teaching falls in between two parables. The first parable is about a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep safe in the pen to find one lost sheep. The second parable is about a slave who receives mercy from his master and immediately shows no mercy to others. This entire context is a teaching about showing mercy to a fellow Christian and seeking a lost brother.
Second, notice how Jesus ended his teaching in verse 17: “treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Jesus never used the phrase, “cast them out,” or “send them away” or “kick them out of the church.” Jesus said, “treat them like pagans and tax collectors.” How did Jesus treat pagans and tax collectors? Jesus loved pagans and tax collectors. Jesus reached out to them. Jesus ate supper with them. Jesus made them disciples! (We think Matthew himself was a tax collector!)
I think if we understand what Jesus said about dogs and pigs, we will understand what he was saying about judgmentalism. For example, judgmentalism is always wrong—both inside the church and outside the church. However, it is acceptable for one Christian brother to help another Christian brother. First, take your own sins and faults to Jesus for forgiveness. Then, extend forgiveness to your brother as you restore him or her.
However, if someone will not accept the grace and forgiveness of Christ, then they will certainly not accept your attempts to correct their behavior. Correcting a non-Christian is as foolish as giving something holy to a dog or giving pearls to pigs.
Matthew 7: 1 – 6.
I. Introduction.
Two events happened this past week that cast Christians in a bad light. The first took place when TV evangelist Pat Robertson attempted to interpret the Haitian earthquake as God’s judgment on Haiti. Robertson claims that in the 1700’s the Haitian people were being held as slaves to the French. In order to escape their slave masters, the people made a “pact with the devil.” They would worship the devil if he would rescue them from slavery.
If you subscribe to Jim Denison’s daily email devotional, you probably know that he wrote about this “pact with the devil” four days last week. If you want to learn more of the “facts” behind this, you can read his archived devotionals at http://www.godissues.com. Suffice it to say, there is no historical evidence that such a “pact with the devil” ever took place. Also, it seems problematic to me that if the devil freed the Haitian slaves, then God is on the side of the oppressors and Satan is on the side of freedom.
This isn’t the first time Pat Robertson has made outrageous claims about disasters and God’s judgment. He said the same thing about Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He said September 11 was God’s judgment on the United States for our approval of homosexuality and abortion. He claimed Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on the wickedness of New Orleans. In both of these cases, it seems that God “missed.” September 11 had little affect on homosexuality in the United States, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans is in the section of the city least affected by Hurricane Katrina. (Bourbon Street is one of the few areas of New Orleans built above sea level.)
The second event took place in the McLennan County Courthouse in Waco, Texas. A pastor—with whom I went to seminary—was convicted of killing his wife and making it look like a suicide. Every day of testimony, the Waco Tribune Herald posted a live blog on their website (http://www.wacotrib.com) from inside the courtroom. So, at least once a day, I read summaries of all the testimony and proceedings.
If you are familiar with the way the blogosphere operates, you know it is an interactive experience. You don’t just read the written posts. You can add your “two cents worth” in the comments section. You will be glad to know that I did not post any comments last week. But, I did read some of the comments.
Most people wrote comments about their opinions of the case or of their relationship with the defendant and his wife. However, there were some comments of a theological nature. Some people projected this pastor’s actions onto all pastors or even onto all Christians. These people expressed their view that all Christians are hypocrites—claiming to believe in love and forgiveness and living like Jesus, but actually living secret lives. Non-Christians accuse us of expecting them to live a lifestyle that we are unwilling and unable to live ourselves.
Our response to these events is to claim that not all Christians are like Pat Robertson or the pastor in Waco. Or, we insist that the world should stop judging all Christians by the conduct of a few.
But, perhaps we deserve the criticism and judgmentalism. After all, Christians can be some of the most difficult people to be around when life is falling apart. Would you rather talk to your friends at work or your friends at church when you find out that your son is in jail or your daughter is pregnant? Sometimes the friends at work are more likely to be supportive and less likely to be judgmental.
This was not God’s intent for the church. This is not what Jesus had in mind when he preached his Sermon on the Mount.
Read Matthew 7: 1 – 6.
We are coming to the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has taught us about character and ethical behavior. The followers of Jesus are supposed to be different in character from the rest of the world. We are to live like salt and light in an unsavory and dark world. Then, we are supposed to live out our character in unique ethical behavior. For example, Christians are to move the boundary between sin and obedience from the body to the heart. It is not enough to resist killing another person—Christians must remove the hatred from our hearts. It is not enough to resist committing adultery—Christians must remove the lust from our minds.
Now, Jesus turns his attention to our relationships with others. I believe this includes our relationships inside the church as well as outside the church. Very simply, Jesus said we should remove judgmentalism from our lives. He gave us a command, a warning and two parables about judgmentalism.
II. A Command: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged (verse 1).
The words “do not judge” are written as a command from Jesus to his followers. It is a very simple command—at least it is simple grammatically. It is a much more difficult command when we take seriously what Jesus commands us to do.
Grammatically, Jesus’ words are a present imperative. Imperative means it is a command. The present tense indicates continuous action. There are two ways to translate Jesus’ words. Either, “Do not judge;” or “Stop Judging.”
Judgment is a way of life for most people. In fact, we can argue a case for our mental capability to judge as one way we were created in the image of God. The animal kingdom does not have the kind of reasoning abilities found in the human mind. Every day human beings make decisions about right and wrong, obedience and sin, life and death. Animals are too preoccupied with matters of food, shelter and reproduction to be concerned with things like right and wrong or obedience and sin. If we obey this command to stop judging, we might cease to be human and become more like the animals.
However, since these words come as a commandment from Jesus, they are a call to live a higher form of human life. This is a matter of obedience and not a return to animalistic instinct. This tells me that Jesus has something different in mind than simply choosing between right and wrong or obedience and sin. Instead of judging between right and wrong, Jesus is telling us not to judge people.
As human beings, we have been created in the image of God. Our lives are to be a reflection of God, just as the moon is a reflection of the sun. We are to reflect God’s character in the way we live our lives. We are to reflect God’s love in the way we love other people. We are to reflect God’s grace in the way we extend grace to others. We were created in the image of God…BUT…We were not created to be God. That job is already filled.
Any time a human being places himself or herself in a position to judge another person, that person is claiming to be God. The problem with this is that we are not qualified to sit in judgment. God is sinless and without fault. Therefore, God is qualified to be our judge. I am not sinless and without fault. Therefore, I am one of the judged and not the judge.
Followers of Jesus are supposed to be good judges of right and wrong and obedience and sin. However, we are not to be fault-finders and critical of the shortcomings of others. God sees the motives in a person’s heart. We do not.
III. A Warning: For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (verse 2).
After giving us a simple command, Jesus gives us a warning: you will be judged in the same way you judge others.
There are two ways to interpret the passive voice of Jesus’ warning. On one hand, Jesus could be warning us that other people will judge us in the same way we judge them. On the other hand, this could be another example of a “divine passive.” In other words, you will be judged by God in the same way you judge other people.
If this is a “divine passive,” then this verse seems to parallel Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness in the Model Prayer. In Matthew 6: 12, Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Then, in verse 14, Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
There is a close connection between our forgiveness and our willingness to forgive others. Also, there is a close connection between the way God judges us and the way we judge others.
I don’t subscribe to a legalistic view of either forgiveness or judgment. In fact, Jesus has been preaching against the legalism of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law. They are legalistic. And, Jesus does not want us to be like them. He wants us to be different. He wants us to be gracious and forgiving and non-judgmental. Perhaps the relationship is more like this… A person who has been forgiven by God knows how to forgive other people… A person who has experienced grace knows how to be gracious… A person who knows that God is my judge is non-judgmental toward others…
IV. A Parable: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye (verses 3 – 5).
This is one of several parables that I think people laughed at when Jesus first spoke it. It is a caricature. It is hyperbole. It is a little bit silly. Imagine what a person would look like with a giant log stuck in their eye! It’s an impossible scenario. Logs and planks don’t get stuck in your eye. Well, if a log did get stuck in your eye…you should seek medical attention immediately. You have a big problem.
Perhaps that is the point Jesus is making. Get help for your own imperfections before you start looking for imperfections in other people. None of us can take the plank out of our own eye. We can’t forgive our own sins. We can’t remove temptations from our lives. But we think we can remove “specks” from someone else’s eye.
In verse five, Jesus used the word “hypocrite” again. A hypocrite is an actor, who wears a mask to pretend to be someone he is not. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned us not to give financial gifts like hypocrites, not to pray like hypocrites and not to fast like hypocrites. Giving, praying and fasting are righteous acts that should be done before God and not other people. We are not supposed to do good deeds so other people can see us and congratulate us.
In this context, “hypocrite” has the same meaning. It is an actor, a pretender, someone who is wearing a mask to hide their true character. Have you ever thought of judgmentalism as a hypocritical act? Jesus says it is. Any time we try to remove a tiny speck from someone else’s eye (or life) we are pretending that we don’t have any specks or logs in our own eye (or life).
V. Another Parable: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces (verse 6).
This is a strange parable. Its truth is fairly obvious. Dogs and pigs would rather have food than anything else. If you give something holy to a dog, it might get mad when it discovers it is not food. If you give pearls to pigs, they will trample them when they discover they cannot be eaten. That much is true. But, what does this mean?
The terms “dog” and “pig” are significant here. Ancient Jews often referred to Gentiles as “dogs.” First Century residents of Israel referred to their Roman occupiers as “pigs.” “Dogs” and “pigs” were derogatory terms for outsiders.
In verse 5, Jesus used the word “brother.” This is a word the New Testament uses to describe other Christians—people who are also members of the church. It refers to insiders, not outsiders.
VI. Conclusion (Matthew 18: 10 – 35).
In Matthew 18, there is a teaching of Jesus which has been interpreted by many as a four step process for church discipline. In other words, it is a process to follow in order to “kick someone out of your church.” And this is what I always thought it was, until I actually read it:
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18: 15 – 17).”
Two things about this passage make it difficult for me to think of it as a process for church discipline.
First, notice the context. This teaching falls in between two parables. The first parable is about a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep safe in the pen to find one lost sheep. The second parable is about a slave who receives mercy from his master and immediately shows no mercy to others. This entire context is a teaching about showing mercy to a fellow Christian and seeking a lost brother.
Second, notice how Jesus ended his teaching in verse 17: “treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Jesus never used the phrase, “cast them out,” or “send them away” or “kick them out of the church.” Jesus said, “treat them like pagans and tax collectors.” How did Jesus treat pagans and tax collectors? Jesus loved pagans and tax collectors. Jesus reached out to them. Jesus ate supper with them. Jesus made them disciples! (We think Matthew himself was a tax collector!)
I think if we understand what Jesus said about dogs and pigs, we will understand what he was saying about judgmentalism. For example, judgmentalism is always wrong—both inside the church and outside the church. However, it is acceptable for one Christian brother to help another Christian brother. First, take your own sins and faults to Jesus for forgiveness. Then, extend forgiveness to your brother as you restore him or her.
However, if someone will not accept the grace and forgiveness of Christ, then they will certainly not accept your attempts to correct their behavior. Correcting a non-Christian is as foolish as giving something holy to a dog or giving pearls to pigs.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010: Why Worry?
Why Worry?
Matthew 6: 25 – 34.
I. Introduction.
A friend shared with me a list out of the book How to Make Yourself Miserable, by Dan Greenberg and Marcia Jacobs. If you want something to worry about, this is a good place to start.
· Make a list of all the people you know who are younger than you and more successful than you.
· Go on vacation and imagine either the office falls apart without you or that the office runs better without you.
· Write a letter and place it in the mailbox. Then, try to figure out which part of the letter will be misunderstood.
· Get a medical book (or log onto www.webmd.com) and look up ten fatal diseases. Then, see how many symptoms you already have.
· Go to the cosmetics counter at the mall. Ask the woman working there what you can do to improve your face.
· Buy a stock and check the market value of the stock every day. Try to figure out how much money you are losing per day.
Anxiety and worry are an important part of who we are. If we think of anxiety and worry as forms of fear—fear of the future, then we could even build a case that we would not have survived as a human race without anxiety and worry. In some cases, fear can be a positive and protective force. Imagine a prehistoric man coming face to face with a saber tooth tiger…Or an African man who walks up on a lion…Or a Texas cowboy hearing the rattles of a rattlesnake. Fear is what protects us from danger.
Worry is a positive when it causes us to wear our seat belts or to resist the urge to drive 100 miles per hour. Worry is a good thing if it leads us to buy insurance policies for our homes, cars and even our lives. Worry is a helpful thing as long as it drives us away from risky lifestyle choices, because we don’t want our kids to grow up without a father. However, there is a difference between the fear of a rattlesnake and worrying about children growing up without a father. Fear is a response to a real threat. Worry is the fear of an imagined threat. Most of what we worry about never actually happens in the real world.
We have all experienced worry at one time in our lives. You know what worry feels like. But, do you know what the word “worry” actually means?
“Worry” comes from the Old English word “wyrgan,” which means “to strangle”…In other words, to worry is to allow your imagination of the future to strangle you and squeeze the life out of your present life.
One of my favorite words to use describing my own worry is the word “Fret.” “Fret” comes from the Old English word “fretan” and the German word “fressen.” Both of these words refer to the act of an animal’s eating. Therefore, to fret is to allow something to eat away at your heart or mind.
Maybe you are thinking: “I don’t worry or fret. I am just anxious.” Well, “anxious” comes from the Latin word “anguere,” which also means “to choke.” It has the same root as the word “anger.”
From a practical standpoint, I think we can all agree that worrying, fretting and being anxious are not good for us. Worry paralyzes us in the present, because we are so afraid of our imagined future.
Medically speaking, we have learned in recent years that worry can shorten our lives and cause health problems.
Spiritually speaking…Well, Jesus had something to say about worry in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us that worry is a sin, because it reveals how little we actually trust God to take care of us in the future.
Read Matthew 6: 25 – 34.
The first word Jesus said in this passage is the word “therefore.” Usually, the word “therefore” tells us to look back at the passage that came before. In this case, Jesus is calling our attention to his teaching about storing up treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth. Treasures on earth is the biblical phrase for “stuff.” Jesus teaches us that “stuff” we accumulate on earth cannot satisfy our desires. It does not satisfy, because it is only temporary and it can never be secure. The more “stuff” we accumulate on earth, the more likely we are to worry about our “stuff.” We worry about thieves, rust or market fluctuation. In this case, we don’t have “stuff.” Our “stuff” has us. It controls our lives through worry and anxiety. Therefore, do not worry.
On one hand, there is a difference between worry and fear. Fear is real. Worry is imagined. On the other hand, there is also a difference between worry and faith. Worry is obsessed with the future. Faith places the future in God’s hands.
II. Worry Cannot Provide Security
Sometimes we worry about security because we can’t see any good options. We run out of week before we run out of work to do. We run out of money before we run out of month. We never know week to week or month to month how it is going to work out, but it always works out.
Jesus tells us that worrying over security is a distinctive human characteristic. The plants and the animals don’t worry about their security.
For example…Birds do not plant crops, harvest crops or hoard crops in barns. Yet, the birds have plenty of food to eat.
Wildflowers do not labor and spin. I used to imagine flowers in the field spinning around in circles when I read Jesus’ words. That is not what “spin” means. It refers to the act of spinning wool into thread. In other words, flowers do not labor over making their own clothes. And, they don’t go to the mall or drive to Tyler and The Woodlands trying to find something to wear.
Worrying is something only humans do. And worrying is silly when we compare ourselves to the rest of God’s created order. Human beings are the only created beings that were created in the image of God. Human beings were the only created beings with whom God desired an eternal relationship. Therefore, if God can provide for the birds and the flowers, God must also be capable of providing for those he loves.
Food and clothing are two of the three basic human needs: food, shelter and clothing. Jesus is not talking about something that is insignificant. Yet, we once had an even greater need. Sin separated us from God. Our sin condemned us to eternal death in hell. So, God took the initiative to send his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and to rise again. If God can be trusted in eternal matters, then God can be trusted with temporary matters like food and clothing.
III. Worry Cannot Make Life Better or Longer
Verse 27 demonstrates the true futility of worry. Life is in God’s hands, not ours. Worrying does nothing to improve life.
There are two ways to translate verse 27. Literally, it reads: “Who of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his height?” Symbolically, we can translate it: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Believe me…If I could worry myself about 4 inches taller, I would have done it 20 years ago. And, if I could make myself younger…Well, I’ll be 40 in about a year and a half… No one can make themselves taller or younger through worry. This is in God’s hands.
This verse contains a hint of irony as well. Worry cannot make life longer, it makes life shorter. Worry does not make life better, it makes life worse.
Since none of us can make our lives longer, the only choice we can make deals with the kind of life we will live. We cannot control the quantity of life, but we can control the quality of life. Since we cannot add days to our lives, we ought to add life to our days! The best quality of life is a life lived with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the place where God is the King…The place where God is in control of all our decisions and all our steps.
IV. Worry Cannot Honor God
Jesus makes two statements about how worry does not honor God.
In verse 30, Jesus makes a connection between worry and a lack of faith. Obsessing about food, shelter and clothing denies God’s ability to provide for all our needs. It is a confession that we trust more in our own ability to provide for ourselves than God’s ability to provide for us.
Of course, this does not mean that Christians are not supposed to earn a living or to plan for the future. In the context, it teaches just the opposite. Jesus praised the birds and the flowers for their ability to live life without worry. Yet, notice that the birds are very industrious creatures. Robins dig for worms…Woodpeckers burrow holes in trees for insects…Buzzards fly in circles for hours searching for dead animals…Hawks hunt and stalk live prey. Also notice that plants develop buds and flowers as a result of an internal process of growth and development. Both birds and flowers are good examples of the ways we are to work and trust in God. Do what you can do to provide for your needs, but recognize that only God provides. Do what you can do, and leave the rest in God’s hands.
In verses 31 and 32, Jesus compares our worried activity with a pagan lifestyle. The pagans were not atheists. Pagans believe in a whole pantheon of gods. If you have ever read the stories of ancient Roman and Greek mythology, you will remember how these false gods were preoccupied with their own needs and desires. The false gods could not be trusted. They were unreliable and constantly changing their minds.
When we worry, we confess to the world that we do not believe our God is trustworthy. Yet, Jesus teaches us that God is like a Heavenly Father who knows us, loves us, and places our needs above all else. He knows what we need even before we ask. He wants to bless us and provide for all our needs…Just as an earthly father desires to give good gifts to his own child.
V. Worry Cannot Make Tomorrow a Better Day
Jesus ends his teaching about worry with a confusing statement about tomorrow. I think we can interpret this by saying something like: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow there will be something entirely different to worry about.” Face tomorrow when tomorrow comes. Don’t obsess about something that may never happen. How many of your worries have actually happened? Most of the time we worry about the “worst-case-scenario,” only to face problems that are not as difficult as we first imagined them.
Some people live in the past, nostalgic for the “good ole days.” Living in the past guarantees that we do not have a present or a future.
Other people worry about the future, exchanging life today for the worries of tomorrow. Living in the “worst-case-scenario” guarantees that the past does not matter and the present is irrelevant.
Jesus did not tell us to stop worrying, because the future will be better than the past or present. He actually told us that tomorrow will be filled with “trouble.” Literally, Jesus said, “Each day has enough EVIL of its own.” Yet, he did promise to be with us… The same yesterday, today and tomorrow. As long as it is today, live in the presence and provision and protection of Jesus. Tomorrow will bring its own problems, but Jesus is already there.
VI. Conclusion.
The remedy for worry is found in verse 33… Seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
The verb “seek” is a present tense imperative. Imperative means it is a command from Jesus. The present tense means that is should be interpreted as continuous action. In other words, Jesus said: “Keep on seeking the Kingdom of God…” Don’t stop seeking the Kingdom of God. Don’t interrupt your seeking to spend time worrying about things you cannot control.
In 1934, theologian Reinhold Niebuhr prayed a short, simple prayer that has become life changing for many people. It has been titled “The Serenity Prayer” and has been adopted by many groups of folks, including Alcoholics Anonymous.
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things that I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Imagine a world in which we lived out that prayer…Accepting the things that we cannot change…Working to change the things we can change…Listening to God to discern the difference between the two…
Imagine a world in which we followed the command of Jesus…Keep on seeking God’s Kingdom…Don’t allow the cares of the world to interrupt our number one priority…
Matthew 6: 25 – 34.
I. Introduction.
A friend shared with me a list out of the book How to Make Yourself Miserable, by Dan Greenberg and Marcia Jacobs. If you want something to worry about, this is a good place to start.
· Make a list of all the people you know who are younger than you and more successful than you.
· Go on vacation and imagine either the office falls apart without you or that the office runs better without you.
· Write a letter and place it in the mailbox. Then, try to figure out which part of the letter will be misunderstood.
· Get a medical book (or log onto www.webmd.com) and look up ten fatal diseases. Then, see how many symptoms you already have.
· Go to the cosmetics counter at the mall. Ask the woman working there what you can do to improve your face.
· Buy a stock and check the market value of the stock every day. Try to figure out how much money you are losing per day.
Anxiety and worry are an important part of who we are. If we think of anxiety and worry as forms of fear—fear of the future, then we could even build a case that we would not have survived as a human race without anxiety and worry. In some cases, fear can be a positive and protective force. Imagine a prehistoric man coming face to face with a saber tooth tiger…Or an African man who walks up on a lion…Or a Texas cowboy hearing the rattles of a rattlesnake. Fear is what protects us from danger.
Worry is a positive when it causes us to wear our seat belts or to resist the urge to drive 100 miles per hour. Worry is a good thing if it leads us to buy insurance policies for our homes, cars and even our lives. Worry is a helpful thing as long as it drives us away from risky lifestyle choices, because we don’t want our kids to grow up without a father. However, there is a difference between the fear of a rattlesnake and worrying about children growing up without a father. Fear is a response to a real threat. Worry is the fear of an imagined threat. Most of what we worry about never actually happens in the real world.
We have all experienced worry at one time in our lives. You know what worry feels like. But, do you know what the word “worry” actually means?
“Worry” comes from the Old English word “wyrgan,” which means “to strangle”…In other words, to worry is to allow your imagination of the future to strangle you and squeeze the life out of your present life.
One of my favorite words to use describing my own worry is the word “Fret.” “Fret” comes from the Old English word “fretan” and the German word “fressen.” Both of these words refer to the act of an animal’s eating. Therefore, to fret is to allow something to eat away at your heart or mind.
Maybe you are thinking: “I don’t worry or fret. I am just anxious.” Well, “anxious” comes from the Latin word “anguere,” which also means “to choke.” It has the same root as the word “anger.”
From a practical standpoint, I think we can all agree that worrying, fretting and being anxious are not good for us. Worry paralyzes us in the present, because we are so afraid of our imagined future.
Medically speaking, we have learned in recent years that worry can shorten our lives and cause health problems.
Spiritually speaking…Well, Jesus had something to say about worry in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us that worry is a sin, because it reveals how little we actually trust God to take care of us in the future.
Read Matthew 6: 25 – 34.
The first word Jesus said in this passage is the word “therefore.” Usually, the word “therefore” tells us to look back at the passage that came before. In this case, Jesus is calling our attention to his teaching about storing up treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth. Treasures on earth is the biblical phrase for “stuff.” Jesus teaches us that “stuff” we accumulate on earth cannot satisfy our desires. It does not satisfy, because it is only temporary and it can never be secure. The more “stuff” we accumulate on earth, the more likely we are to worry about our “stuff.” We worry about thieves, rust or market fluctuation. In this case, we don’t have “stuff.” Our “stuff” has us. It controls our lives through worry and anxiety. Therefore, do not worry.
On one hand, there is a difference between worry and fear. Fear is real. Worry is imagined. On the other hand, there is also a difference between worry and faith. Worry is obsessed with the future. Faith places the future in God’s hands.
II. Worry Cannot Provide Security
Sometimes we worry about security because we can’t see any good options. We run out of week before we run out of work to do. We run out of money before we run out of month. We never know week to week or month to month how it is going to work out, but it always works out.
Jesus tells us that worrying over security is a distinctive human characteristic. The plants and the animals don’t worry about their security.
For example…Birds do not plant crops, harvest crops or hoard crops in barns. Yet, the birds have plenty of food to eat.
Wildflowers do not labor and spin. I used to imagine flowers in the field spinning around in circles when I read Jesus’ words. That is not what “spin” means. It refers to the act of spinning wool into thread. In other words, flowers do not labor over making their own clothes. And, they don’t go to the mall or drive to Tyler and The Woodlands trying to find something to wear.
Worrying is something only humans do. And worrying is silly when we compare ourselves to the rest of God’s created order. Human beings are the only created beings that were created in the image of God. Human beings were the only created beings with whom God desired an eternal relationship. Therefore, if God can provide for the birds and the flowers, God must also be capable of providing for those he loves.
Food and clothing are two of the three basic human needs: food, shelter and clothing. Jesus is not talking about something that is insignificant. Yet, we once had an even greater need. Sin separated us from God. Our sin condemned us to eternal death in hell. So, God took the initiative to send his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and to rise again. If God can be trusted in eternal matters, then God can be trusted with temporary matters like food and clothing.
III. Worry Cannot Make Life Better or Longer
Verse 27 demonstrates the true futility of worry. Life is in God’s hands, not ours. Worrying does nothing to improve life.
There are two ways to translate verse 27. Literally, it reads: “Who of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his height?” Symbolically, we can translate it: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Believe me…If I could worry myself about 4 inches taller, I would have done it 20 years ago. And, if I could make myself younger…Well, I’ll be 40 in about a year and a half… No one can make themselves taller or younger through worry. This is in God’s hands.
This verse contains a hint of irony as well. Worry cannot make life longer, it makes life shorter. Worry does not make life better, it makes life worse.
Since none of us can make our lives longer, the only choice we can make deals with the kind of life we will live. We cannot control the quantity of life, but we can control the quality of life. Since we cannot add days to our lives, we ought to add life to our days! The best quality of life is a life lived with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the place where God is the King…The place where God is in control of all our decisions and all our steps.
IV. Worry Cannot Honor God
Jesus makes two statements about how worry does not honor God.
In verse 30, Jesus makes a connection between worry and a lack of faith. Obsessing about food, shelter and clothing denies God’s ability to provide for all our needs. It is a confession that we trust more in our own ability to provide for ourselves than God’s ability to provide for us.
Of course, this does not mean that Christians are not supposed to earn a living or to plan for the future. In the context, it teaches just the opposite. Jesus praised the birds and the flowers for their ability to live life without worry. Yet, notice that the birds are very industrious creatures. Robins dig for worms…Woodpeckers burrow holes in trees for insects…Buzzards fly in circles for hours searching for dead animals…Hawks hunt and stalk live prey. Also notice that plants develop buds and flowers as a result of an internal process of growth and development. Both birds and flowers are good examples of the ways we are to work and trust in God. Do what you can do to provide for your needs, but recognize that only God provides. Do what you can do, and leave the rest in God’s hands.
In verses 31 and 32, Jesus compares our worried activity with a pagan lifestyle. The pagans were not atheists. Pagans believe in a whole pantheon of gods. If you have ever read the stories of ancient Roman and Greek mythology, you will remember how these false gods were preoccupied with their own needs and desires. The false gods could not be trusted. They were unreliable and constantly changing their minds.
When we worry, we confess to the world that we do not believe our God is trustworthy. Yet, Jesus teaches us that God is like a Heavenly Father who knows us, loves us, and places our needs above all else. He knows what we need even before we ask. He wants to bless us and provide for all our needs…Just as an earthly father desires to give good gifts to his own child.
V. Worry Cannot Make Tomorrow a Better Day
Jesus ends his teaching about worry with a confusing statement about tomorrow. I think we can interpret this by saying something like: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow there will be something entirely different to worry about.” Face tomorrow when tomorrow comes. Don’t obsess about something that may never happen. How many of your worries have actually happened? Most of the time we worry about the “worst-case-scenario,” only to face problems that are not as difficult as we first imagined them.
Some people live in the past, nostalgic for the “good ole days.” Living in the past guarantees that we do not have a present or a future.
Other people worry about the future, exchanging life today for the worries of tomorrow. Living in the “worst-case-scenario” guarantees that the past does not matter and the present is irrelevant.
Jesus did not tell us to stop worrying, because the future will be better than the past or present. He actually told us that tomorrow will be filled with “trouble.” Literally, Jesus said, “Each day has enough EVIL of its own.” Yet, he did promise to be with us… The same yesterday, today and tomorrow. As long as it is today, live in the presence and provision and protection of Jesus. Tomorrow will bring its own problems, but Jesus is already there.
VI. Conclusion.
The remedy for worry is found in verse 33… Seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
The verb “seek” is a present tense imperative. Imperative means it is a command from Jesus. The present tense means that is should be interpreted as continuous action. In other words, Jesus said: “Keep on seeking the Kingdom of God…” Don’t stop seeking the Kingdom of God. Don’t interrupt your seeking to spend time worrying about things you cannot control.
In 1934, theologian Reinhold Niebuhr prayed a short, simple prayer that has become life changing for many people. It has been titled “The Serenity Prayer” and has been adopted by many groups of folks, including Alcoholics Anonymous.
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things that I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Imagine a world in which we lived out that prayer…Accepting the things that we cannot change…Working to change the things we can change…Listening to God to discern the difference between the two…
Imagine a world in which we followed the command of Jesus…Keep on seeking God’s Kingdom…Don’t allow the cares of the world to interrupt our number one priority…
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