Worth and Worry

Scripture:

Luke 12:22   He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰ For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Observation:

Just as soon as Jesus finished talking about the wealthy man who didn’t recognize what was of greatest value, he began to talk about worry. There’s a connection between what we consider of worth, and what we worry about. Notice, again, he is speaking directly to the disciples. Every message, every experience, is gauged to intentionally mentor this inner circle of followers so that they will be prepared for their work in the days ahead. 

This lesson on the created order is significant for “to understand one’s place in the created order is to be free from anxiety” (Neale, NBBC). The disciples were to participate in an itinerate ministry and therefore were not to worry about their daily needs. Verse 23 is really key, “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” Far too often we focus on the physical world and our immediate needs and the result is that we fail to see the bigger picture and what is beyond. 

Jesus uses a “rabbinic ‘from the lesser to the greater’ style of argument, …[demonstrating] that since God feeds the birds of the air and beautifully clothes the flowers of the field, he will surely care for his own children” (Strauss, ZIBBCNT). These words will be of great comfort to the disciples in the days ahead. They are to recognize their own worth in the eyes of God, and this ought to lead to lead to a life free of worry. 

Application:

As the COVID19 pandemic is waning here in the United States (I can’t go anywhere else yet), we have discovered some things that are of great value that we have often taken for granted. Last weekend I was preaching at a church and on Saturday evening the pastor and his wife and I went out to dinner. It was there that we just lingered and talked for a couple of hours. The joy of simply fellowshipping together was very real. This makes me ponder on “life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” There is so much that we are called to do as God’s people, from a relational perspective, that is about kingdom work. Life really is more than my paid employment, the kind of car I drive, or the house in which I live. Life is about relationships and being with people both inside and outside the church. 

My father passed away this past year and when we reflect on his death, it had more to do with isolation than physical needs. He was in a nice assisted-living facility. He was provided with food, drink, and clothing, but it wasn’t enough. My father needed human contact and fellowship with others. When this was removed from his life, he could no longer survive. He was nearly blind from macular degeneration and had severe hearing loss. Suddenly he was to live with sensory deprivation and complete isolation, and he could not. His death certificate stated, “failure to thrive.” 

Jesus knew that for disciples to thrive they would need much more than their material needs to be met, for the kingdom was much more than these things. The beautiful reminder is that we are of great worth to God. My husband and I are driving today and as I look out of the car I see the beauty of God’s creation. The trees are green with luscious growth. The birds are soaring through the air. The spring flowers are in bloom. If God cares about the intricacies of creation, we can rest assured that God knows what we need. We are to focus primarily on the things of this kingdom, and not worry. This is not an excuse to be lazy — but it is an attitude or spirit of dependence upon God. 

Today we ponder our worth to God, and in this reflection we discover that there is no need to worry. 

Prayer:

Lord, so many lessons on discipleship that I need to continue to learn. Thank you for teaching from your word that comes to us from down through the ages. Amen.