Jesus has just told us that the rewards we’ll get from God for living a righteous life will be found in heaven, not earth. We can’t serve both God and Money, but what about the money we need to live on this earth?
If I’m asking that question after reading from this mountainside sermon, don’t you think those people who heard it first-hand were asking the same? I think they were, and I’m pretty sure Jesus knew they were because he has a little heart-to-heart about the topic. Listen to what he says next:
Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?
Matthew 6:25-27 CSB
You always have to be on the lookout for those therefores in scripture because they are there for a reason.
Jesus is telling those who are worried over the loss of any earthly rewards to nip it in the bud. Worrying about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear gets us nowhere. Besides, it’s not the most important thing in life anyway.
When is the last time you remember not making a big deal about a meal or shopping for clothes?
He’s already told us to watch out for what takes the attention of our heart, and he makes it clear here that it shouldn’t be food and clothes. Yes, we need them to get by in this life, but they are just a means to an end, not the be-all-end-all of life. Food helps us have the energy to serve and work. Clothes keep us warm, appropriately attired for a job or play. They are tools in our bucket to enable us to live for God, so we don’t live for them.
Jesus makes his point by drawing our attention to something we rarely pay attention to in our busy lives—birds.
Birds are the perfect animal-kingdom example of earlier words Jesus taught us: “Give us this day, our daily bread.” No sowing, reaping, or storing away in barns. (I won’t get personal by talking about shoe collections).
Nope, God takes care of the birds, and so he’ll more than take care of us.
Do you believe that?
Then stop worrying. You can’t add a single hour to your life by doing it. I think that’s Jesus’s way of saying, “Nip it in the bud, so you can serve only the One Master who’s worthy of your devotion.”
Grace and Peace