Seven Reasons Not to Worry

馬太福音6:25-34

6:25

所 以 我 告 訴 你 們 ， 不 要 為 生 命 憂 慮 吃 甚 麼 ， 喝 甚 麼 ； 為 身 體 憂 慮 穿 甚 麼 。 生 命 不 勝 於 飲 食 麼 ？ 身 體 不 勝 於 衣 裳 麼 ？

The same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.

6:26

你 們 看 那 天 上 的 飛 鳥 ， 也 不 種 ， 也 不 收 ， 也 不 積 蓄 在 倉 裡 ， 你 們 的 天 父 尚 且 養 活 他 。 你 們 不 比 飛 鳥 貴 重 得 多 麼 ？

Worrying about the future can make us so focused on work that we fail to attend to what is most important.

6:27

你 們 那 一 個 能 用 思 慮 使 壽 數 多 加 一 刻 呢 （ 或 作 ： 使 身 量 多 加 一 肘 呢 ） ？

Worrying is more harmful than helpful.

6:28-30

何 必 為 衣 裳 憂 慮 呢 ？ 你 想 野 地 裡 的 百 合 花 怎 麼 長 起 來 ； 他 也 不 勞 苦 ， 也 不 紡 線 。

然 而 我 告 訴 你 們 ， 就 是 所 羅 門 極 榮 華 的 時 候 ， 他 所 穿 戴 的 ， 還 不 如 這 花 一 朵 呢 ！

你 們 這 小 信 的 人 哪 ！ 野 地 裡 的 草 今 天 還 在 ， 明 天 就 丟 在 爐 裡 ， 神 還 給 他 這 樣 的 妝 飾 ， 何 況 你 們 呢 ！

God does not ignore those who depend on him.

6:31-32

所 以 ， 不 要 憂 慮 說 ： 吃 甚 麼 ？ 喝 甚 麼 ？ 穿 甚 麼 ？

這 都 是 外 邦 人 所 求 的 ， 你 們 需 用 的 這 一 切 東 西 ， 你 們 的 天 父 是 知 道 的 。

Worrying shows a lack of faith in and understanding of God.

6:33

你 們 要 先 求 他 的 國 和 他 的 義 ， 這 些 東 西 都 要 加 給 你 們 了 。

Worrying keeps us from what God wants us to pursue.

6:34 所 以 ， 不 要 為 明 天 憂 慮 ， 因 為 明 天 自 有 明 天 的 憂 慮 ； 一 天 的 難 處 一 天 當 就 夠 了 。

Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

***v31-32 What will we eat . . . drink . . . wear? Disciples must not ask what they will eat, drink, or wear, since these questions are like those of “unbelievers” (lit. “Gentiles,” meaning non-Jewish pagans; Cf. 6:7) who do not realize that they have a heavenly Father (Cf. 5:45, 48; 6:1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 15, 18, 26) who knows their needs (Cf. 6:8; 7:11). The Greco-Roman deities were notorious for their capricious, arbitrary actions. Devotees of these gods had to wonder whether their gifts and offerings had sufficiently appeased the gods and rendered them benevolent. Not so with the disciples’ heavenly Father, whose love and concern were trustworthy and unchanging. Previously, Jesus stated that the practice of loving only one’s friends was unacceptable for his disciples since it was acceptable pagan conduct (5:47). Now he points out similarly that worry over food and clothing is similarly unacceptable. As Mounce (1985:58) states, “Worry is practical atheism and an affront to God.” The heavenly Father who loves his enemies also cares for his disciples. In response, they must love their enemies and trust their Father to meet their needs.

***v33. seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with his desires, to use his character as your life’s pattern, and to keep on implementing his Kingdom values on earth. What is really important to you? People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these can quickly become most important to you if you don’t actively choose to give God first place in every area of your life. In Jesus’ Kingdom, worrying about daily needs leaves us empty. But maintaining a good relationship with him and loving others give us all these benefits as by-products.

(CBC) – Seek the Kingdom of God above all else. The positive command of 6:33 balances the prohibition of 6:31. The disciples must not be anxious but must have as their primary concern God’s Kingdom and the upright lifestyle that accompanies it. Putting God first in this way will result in God giving them all the food and clothing they need. By contrast, worrying does nothing except marginalize God and his Kingdom. The present seeking of Kingdom values is equivalent to living righteously in this world. Prayer for the progressive realization of God’s Kingdom and will on earth (6:10) must be linked to the disciple’s own efforts to realize its greater righteousness (5:20). While the disciples’ needs may be met only partially during the present life (5:3-10; 6:11), they will receive an abundant reward when the Kingdom comes in its fullness (19:28-29).

***(CBC )- 6:34 don’t worry about tomorrow. The conclusion of all this returns to the initial prohibition of anxiety (6:25)—tomorrow’s food and clothing is not the disciple’s concern. Disciples must address themselves to today’s concerns while believing that tomorrow is in the hands of the loving heavenly Father (cf. Prov 27:1; Jas 4:13-15). This passage does not teach that the disciple will receive food and clothing automatically without planning and work but that such planning and work must not lead to anxiety that distracts from the first things—God’s Kingdom and righteous standards. When his disciples put first things first, God will meet their needs for sustenance and clothing.

Matthew 6:19-34 can be understood as an interweaving of commands against anxiety and materialism with commands to believe that God will meet one’s material needs. Some divide the passage into two units, the first on materialism (6:19-24) and the second on anxiety (6:25-34). Others agree that 6:25-34 is a unit but divide 6:19-24 into three units, 6:19-21, 6:22-23, and 6:24. The most difficult part of this passage is 6:22-23, which is not only hard to understand in itself but is also hard to relate to its context. Overall, Matthew 6:19-34 does not seem to be structured as clearly as preceding parts of the Sermon, but Davies and Allison (1988:625-627) attempt to diagram it and point out its strong structural resemblance to 7:1-12.
Matthew 6:19-34 is closely tied to the human needs portion of the disciples’ prayer, especially the request for daily sustenance (6:8b, 11, 25, 31). It would also seem to be related to the ostensible state of persecution in which the disciples will often find themselves. Anxiety over material needs would be exacerbated by persecution. The passage revolves around three kinds of statements:
In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses two matters, religious hypocrisy (6:1-18) and anxious materialism (6:19-34). The first part of the chapter enjoins the proper practice of religious duties, and the second part stresses the proper priority in meeting one’s worldly needs. Both parts of the chapter call upon disciples to put God first. Davies and Allison (1988:648) comment, “Having prayed the prayer of Jesus, how could one remain anxious?” Disciples are taught in 6:1-18 to live for the Father’s reward, not the crowd’s applause. Their prayers are first to express zeal for God’s glory and only second to express concern for their own needs. Disciples are taught in 6:19-34 that their heavenly Father’s care for them is much greater than his care for birds and flowers. Ironically, if disciples seek the Father’s Kingdom first, their needs will be met (cf. Lev 25:18-22; Ps 127:2; Phil 4:6-7; 1 Tim 6:6-10; Heb 13:5; 1 Pet 5:7). They will receive that for which they did not seek. But if they seek first to meet their own needs, they will be no different than the pagans who do not have a God who knows what they need.
The Father expects his children to put him first, but he delights to meet their needs. Disciples must not permit their needs to dominate their prayers, their thoughts, and their activities. That is immaturity. However, disciples must not think that God doesn’t care about their needs. That is unbelief. Disciples must prioritize their allegiance to God, his rule, and his righteous standards. In so doing they will receive all they need to eat and wear, as it were, as fringe benefits. But if they insist on prioritizing their own needs in their prayers and activities, they will never experience the joy of resting in the Father’s care and provision. As the hymn by Carolina Berg puts it, “Children of the Heavenly Father safely to his bosom gather; Nestling bird nor star in heaven such a refuge e’er was given.”
This section of Matthew provides Christians with great insight about how to live and how to teach. Concerning how to teach, one should note how Jesus balances the positive and negative elements of his teaching and in the process blends in clear motivation and vivid illustration. Concerning how to live, this passage has much to say to materialistic cultures. God’s care for his own does not necessarily guarantee an easy life filled with luxuries (see 5:10-12; 10:16-39; 24:9-13). God’s care for his own may involve poverty for some and wealth for others. Contrary to human stereotypes, wealthy people are not necessarily materialistic, and poor people are not necessarily living by Kingdom priorities. The issues are one’s priorities and one’s stewardship of whatever resources one has for God’s glory. This passage does not prohibit planning and work, as if food and clothing will come floating down out of the sky. The passage prohibits making one’s plans and work the center of one’s life and living as if God and his Kingdom did not exist.