WHAT DO YOU GET ANXIOUSNESS OR WORRY ABOUT?
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
BACKGROUND
Let’s state something right up front about anxiety that may be controversial. Anxiety is not necessarily a sin.
What is anxiety? Biblically speaking, anxiety has both negative and positive connotations. In one sense, like in today’s passage, anxiety is negative. But elsewhere it may be used positively.
- “Paul is hard pressed to find anyone like Timothy who will be “genuinely anxious” for the welfare of the Philippians (2:20).
- He intends to send Epaphroditus to them momentarily in order that he may be “less anxious” (2:28; cf. NEB “to relieve my sorrow”).
- In another context, Paul alludes to “the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28).
These references illustrate some of the legitimate concerns of an apostle for his converts.” (1)
Anxiousness is mentioned six times in this passage. Once for each day of the biblical workweek, when people work to provide the food and clothing they need.
This passage would seem to harken back to Israel’s time in the wilderness. They constantly complained about not having food or drink. So God gave them manna and quail to eat and water from a rock. Additionally, their clothes did not wear out (Deuteronomy 29:5). All three of these areas are covered in Jesus’ teaching.
Jesus promises food and clothing but there is no promise of housing. In fact, nowhere in the New Testament are people promised homes.
WAS JESUS EVER ANXIOUS?
Feelings of anxiety are not necessarily sin. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for it. When Jesus anticipated his approaching crucifixion he said in John 12:27, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
Certainly, when Jesus was in the garden praying before his arrest he felt great anxiety; so much so that he sweat drops of blood. Yet he did not sin. He was demonstrating his trust in the Father though he was troubled by what was about to happen. Jesus’ anxiety drove him to obedience.
Jesus’ example is extreme. Most of us don’t face his kind of stress. Though Jesus’ anxiety was legitimate, the apostle Paul still discouraged anxiety in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Notice that Paul encourages us to do exactly what Jesus did—pray.
HOW IS ANXIETY DIFFERENT FROM WORRY?
Anxiety is about what will happen. Worry is about what might happen.
Anxiety is always about the future. Yet, God knows the future. This was true of Jesus. He knew what the future held for him and experienced great stress, but he also prayed and trusted the Father so he did not waver in what he was suppose to do.
Anxiety drives us to do one of two things. We either take control of the situation ourselves or we trust God with the outcome and pursue whatever the issue is with his help. The anxiety itself may not be a sin, but the outcome may be.
One important note. Some anxiety is biochemically induced. People with anxiety disorder may experience anxiety not tied to anything specific. They simply become anxious over nothing. I don’t think that’s the kind of anxiety we are addressing today. That kind of anxiety can be met with appropriate medications and strong encouragement.
EXAMINATION
(V.25) “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
This passage may harken back to the situation that Adam and Eve were in in the garden. God provided them with food in the garden to eat, with a river he provided them water to drink. And later, after they sinned, God provided clothing for them to wear made from animal skins. Everything they needed at that time God provided. And he provides for us as well.
This is one of those passages that in the modern world we tend not to think of. Most of us have ample resources for food and clothing. We tend not to give this too much thought. But in biblical times these things weren’t available in abundance like we have now. You can even go to a single store, like a Walmart or a Target to find many choices for both. Regardless of what we have access to now, Jesus’ point is an important one. Life is more than food and clothing.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS?
(V.26) “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
If God shows so much care for birds, what will he provide for us? Key in on that phrase, “Are you not of more value than they?” How much does God value us?
First, we are made in his image. We are designed to think what God thinks, feel what God feels, and do what God does. We are the only creatures designed by God to imitate his attributes.
Second, God’s attitude toward humanity is found in Christ. II Corinthians 5 tells us that God exchanged Jesus on the cross for us as if we were of equal value to him. Consider how incredible this is. God considers you of equal value to Jesus! If God gave up Jesus to the cross for us, then imagine what else he might do for you.
(V.27) And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Anxiety can shorten life.
Why is it we don’t worry about eternity but we worry about our earthly future, even our soon future?
We have a general idea about our future, and that we worry about. But we know very little about heaven, but we rarely worry about that. Shouldn’t we trust God for our earthly life just as we do our eternal life?
(V.28) “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin.”
Jesus is not encouraging laziness or passivity, but trust. Scripture elsewhere encourages planning and hard work to meet our needs. Proverbs 6:6-11 says, “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”
(V.29) “I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
This is quite a saying. Scripture says that when the Queen of Sheba came to see Solomon and saw his court, servants, and treasuries, in I Kings 10:5, “there was no more breath in her.” But Jesus teaches that God’s natural beauties surpass man-made glories.
(V.30) “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
The natural world is filled with beauty and creativity. If God gives attention to this much detail in natural wonders then how much more will he do for us? Yet these things are destined to perish, but you and I have eternal life if we know Christ. We are destined for eternity.
(V.31) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall wear?’
In ancient times finding food was challenging. You had to make your own clothes. And you didn’t find these things in the kind of abundance like we have right now. Truly, in our western society we are wealthy compared to ancient peoples.
(V.32) “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
By mentioning the gentiles Jesus is essentially saying, “all the world” seeks after these things. Jesus acknowledges that they are real needs and that God knows our needs and will meet them.
(V.33) “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM? HOW DO WE DO THAT?
Here Jesus gets right to the point. What priority does God’s kingdom have in your life? This verse is a promise. Consider Elijah as an example. When he fled from Jezebel and hid, God provided him with food and shelter while he sought to serve the Lord. For Elijah, God’s kingdom was first, and these things were added to him.
(V.34) “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
God’s promise to care for our needs is daily. There are some things, as we noted earlier where positive anxiousness is appropriate. But not the needs God has promised to fulfill. Really, anything, because all things fall under God’s sovereign care.
INTERPRETATION
What is Jesus’ big idea? Don’t be anxious. Trust and work. But don’t be anxious.
God uses us to provide for our own needs. But he also uses others. Today’s lesson hit home for me. As a missionary, I am responsible for raising our financial support to care for our needs. When giving slows down or some people drop off I sometimes get anxious about it. But I have God’s promise that he knows our needs and will take care of them. So now I turn to helping someone else with his needs, such as a missionary friend who is in great need and I’m trying to help him raise some support. If God is caring for us, we should turn and help care for others as well.
APPLICATION
Dealing with anxiety.
- What areas of life give you anxiety? Submit those to God in prayer and declare that you will trust his provision.
- Don’t let a little anxiety become full-blown worry. Remember God’s promises for your situation and step out in obedience to his word to perform your task.
- When feeling anxious, turn your thoughts to God’s promises. Such as the promise in our passage that God is mindful of our needs.
- Gratitude and prayer can help battle anxiety. Practice them.
- Seek to help someone else with their anxiety. Express positive words of affirmation and confidence and bring God’s promises to bear on the situation.
(1) Birkey, A. J. 1979–1988. “Anxiety; (Be) Anxious.” In The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, 1:148. Wm. B. Eerdmans.
