�I tell you therefore, do not worry about your life, about what you are to eat, or what you are to drink and do not worry about your body about what you are to wear� I�m sure the majority of us have heard or read this verse from tonight�s Gospel at some stage. Many of us will also be aware of how difficult it is in reality to live our lives around these words. No matter how we may start off a day telling ourselves that we are not going to worry about this or worry about that we will inevitably do just that until it gets to the stage that we are even worrying about the fact that we are worrying. I have to admit that this is something I have so often failed on and although I may initially convince myself not to worry about a particular situation I can guarantee in next to no time that this is exactly what I am doing. There are two questions we need to ask ourselves when we find ourselves beginning to worry:- 1. Does it make us feel any better? 2. Does it solve the situation for us? When we search our hearts we know deep down that the answer to both these questions is �No�. Do we still carry on worrying regardless of this fact? Yes we do! God created us in the hope that we would learn to believe in and trust him to supply all our needs, whether it be food, drink or clothing. If we continue to worry we are, in effect, doubting that God can, indeed, supply all these things. So what do we need to do to overcome our weakness of worrying��.. in tonight�s Gospel Jesus tells us that we should seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and then let him worry about what we are going to eat or drink, or what we are going to wear. Jesus tells us that we shouldn�t worry about tomorrow and that tomorrow will worry about itself. This also applies to the things of our past, which are exactly that, in the past. This is not saying the negative things that have happened in our past are insignificant or are not important but if we use them correctly they can be a stepping stone to help us and guide us forward instead of being a milestone around our neck holding us back. In the words of Dr. Greatheart �..���..please remember the biggest troubles you have got to face are those that never come�. So if we are not to worry about the past or the future this only leaves the here and now����. today��and if we are honest, that can be quite enough in itself, without looking at what has happened in the past or what is to come. For those living in Jesus� time they would have more reason to be concerned�.they didn�t have supermarkets just up the road where they could go and buy all the food that they required. They relied on their own crops and when there was a famine, which was a regular occurrence at that time, there was no crop, which also meant they couldn�t earn any money from their land to buy what they needed. Tauler of Strasbourg is remembered as a great 14th century saint and mystic. One day he learned a lesson from an anonymous beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend," Tauler said as he met the beggar. "I thank God I never had a bad day" the beggar quickly answered. Tauler was silent for a moment, then said, "God give you a happy life, my friend." And the beggar answered, "I thank God I am never unhappy." Now Tauler was nonplussed. "Never unhappy," he said. "What do you mean?" "Well," the beggar replied, "when it is fine, I thank God ; when it rains, I thank God ; when I have plenty, I thank God ; when I am hungry, I thank God ; and since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I say that I am unhappy when I am not?" Tauler was now in awe of his new friend. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am a king," said the beggar. "A king!" said Tauler, half ready to believe it. "Where is your kingdom?" The man in rags spoke calmly, strongly, "In my heart," he whispered. "In my heart." So let us go away tonight being focused not on yesterday or tomorrow but on today and in doing so letting God take care of what is to come. We have quite enough to worry about today without borrowing trouble from tomorrow. So next time we begin to worry let�s remember the birds of the air and the lilies of the field in the knowledge that in God caring for these, how much more he will care for us his creation. Let us also remember the Lord�s Prayer we say each time we worship but especially when it comes to the words �Give us today our daily bread�, which I feel ties in with the Gospel reading for tonight. In these very words Jesus is telling us that our needs are available on a day to day basis and the daily bread we asked for today will only cover us for today and will not be enough for tomorrow�s needs. We, therefore, need to learn to depend entirely on God for all our needs, whether it be food, drink, clothing, our homes, our work, our family, our peace and health or our friends and neighbours. Finally I want to read a verse from a poem written by an anonymous poet:- Said the wild flower to the sparrow: "I should really like to know Why these anxious human beings Rush about and worry so." Said the sparrow to the wild flower: "Friend, I think that it must be That they have no heavenly Father Such as cares for you and me." |
| Sermon based on Matthew 6 vs 25-34 - Do not Worry |