Matt. 6:24-34 Don’t Worry

Taking a peak at the verses coming before this text, we heard that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also; and the eye is the lamp of the body. When our eyes are good, when we see God’s reign in us as our greatest treasure, our whole body will be full of light. Light is synonymous with understanding and Jesus is the light. If the eyes are bad, seeing the riches of the world as our treasure, one lives in great darkness, or fear of what is ahead. This sets up the teaching that one cannot serve two masters. We can serve God or we can serve mammon (excess beyond what we need daily). One participant said this text reminded him of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book, Your Erroneous Zones, written in the 1970’s (?). He said there are two emotions that do us no good, worry and guilt. Worry comes because we fear what will happen in the future. Imagination causes us to think of worst case scenarios and the vast majority of times, what we imagine doesn’t occur. Guilt is about the past, which usually cannot be changed. Although, sometimes we can make efforts to correct our mistakes. If we cannot correct them, forgiving ourselves is the only way to move forward. Worry comes because we fear the unknown. If we know the worst is coming, at least we know what to prepare for, and we don’t worry - there’s some action we can take to get ready for it. Entering the unknown is what brings fear, and this is where faith is required. Those who do not trust Jesus’ words that our Father in heaven watches over us like the birds and lilies of the field, will go ahead and worry. This sounds simple, but we all fail at entering the unknown will no fear. The way to approach worry is constant prayer, and focusing on the work of the day. Get out of the future that is unknown, and into today. Get busy. Help someone else. One person was concerned about her parents in another state. She prayed, and then she helped a neighbor, which got her mind away from what her parents might need tomorrow. If we use our hands to help someone in need in our neighborhood or in our church, we are being the answer to someone else’s prayer for their family or friends. God knows our needs. We need to realize we are God’s answers to the prayers of others. Luther’s focus on this text was concerning possessing riches or riches possessing you. If you can give it away, you are lord. If you cannot give riches away in service to your neighbor, you are enslaved to them. He says this is why God gives us the poor, to help us be master over our possessions. His other point is that anxiety and overindulgence are the fruits/proof of unbelief. Blessings in Christ - PWM