August 7, 2016 Text: Luke 12:22-34
Dear Friends in Christ,
What are you anxious about? Talk about a loaded question. Many of you are probably thinking that the better question would be, “What am I not anxious about?” We live in anxious times. People are on edge. Everyone looks at one another with a discerning eye. There are times we don’t want to leave the sanctuary of our home or our church. We are concerned about our health and our money and our kids and our job and our congregation and our country and you can add to the list.
Today in our text Jesus addresses the disciples, those who follow Him. This is an important distinction from the start, since these words of Jesus have no comfort apart from Him and a relationship of trust in Him.
“COMFORTING WORDS FOR THE ANXIOUS”
Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our life. We agree with Jesus that we shouldn’t worry. We all know the statistics of science, worry adds nothing to our life, in fact, it may take time away from our years on earth. We know that worry is useless. “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (v. 25) Has worry about your health made your life healthier? Have financial concerns made a pathway to contentment easier? Has anxiousness about your children made the relationship better? Is our country better because we sit around and fret about its direction?
We know that worry and being anxious are sins against the First Commandment. When we worry, we are not trusting in God above all things. Ironically, our anxiety lifts us up to be in the place of God, as if we could control what will happen in our future. Has that ever worked? Anyone here controlled their future exactly the way they wanted? But even this confession, that sin is a worry, does not stop us from worrying.
Jesus shows God’s care for us, from the lesser to the greater. God, his Father and our Father, provides for birds and flowers. God takes care of the ravens that are scavengers and unclean animals. God takes care of the lilies, which are more passively cared for than even the birds. They are beautiful, which shows God’s goodness because they are here today and gone tomorrow. You are of more value than either of these. You and I are the crown of God’s creation. Jesus speaks through his creation to encourage us to let God be God and to let us be his trusting creatures. Even this display of God’s care does not take our anxiety away.
Jesus shows that the real reason for our anxious thoughts is because we are seeking the wrong things. We seek peace of our mind in all the wrong things. “For all of the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” (vs. 30-31) Jesus calls us to repent of our false seeking and trust him. But even acknowledging that we are seeking the wrong things does not stop our anxious thoughts.
But God breaking into our anxious world with his kingdom is what takes our worry away. The King of the world entered our place of worry. He lacked food for forty days. He lacked a place to lay his head, a place to call home. Jesus had a life that would be filled with anxiety, but he lived perfectly worry free for you.
The King of the world at last had nothing to eat, and at the cross he thirsted. He was stripped of every bit of clothing. When Jesus had nothing, and even his life was taken from him, Jesus gave us everything. The comforting words for the anxious: “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (v. 32) The kingdom of Jesus is ours, not by our anxiousness, but by his cross and rising to live for us. The kingdom is ours, even when we give in to anxious thoughts, because of his grace.
The kingdom will change our worry to freedom to share, to give, to store up real treasure that we don’t have to worry about. In repentance, we name our anxiety as idolatry, and we receive the Lord’s forgiveness for our worry. The King will come again, and by the grace of God, we will be waiting for him, worry free, to enter the fullness of his kingdom forever.
We all remember getting a shot in the doctor’s office when we were younger. Needles have a way of making you anxious! One thing my parents would do was to have me look at them. This would calm me and take my worry away. No words were spoken but their presence allowed the anxiety to leave my body.
God is present in Word and Sacrament. The anxious times are not going away as we continue to breath earthly air. We look to our Heavenly Father who calms our anxious thoughts. In the words of Victor Hugo, “Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake!”
Amen.