What are you worried about? Seriously, I’d like to know. What sort of things cause you to worry? Anyone want to share with us one of their worries? I tell you one of mine. I worry about expectations. I worry about the expectations you have of me. I worry about whether or not my bible classes communicate the truths of Scripture in a clear, concise, correct way. I worry about my sermons – do they glorify our God, do they speak to your hearts, do they encourage and equip you for your life as a Christian. I worry about our interactions; do I come across abrupt and insensitive or am I negligent and careless? It’s not just you either. I worry about the expectations my family has of me. Do I meet the expectations of my children, or more importantly, my wife? What about the expectations I have of myself? Am I who I want to be? Where I want to be? Am I doing the things I want to do? Finally, and most worrisome of all, am I meeting the expectations of my God? That’s the one that worries me the most because I know that I am not. I worry about expectations.
Anybody ready to share a worry yet? Maybe you are worried about sharing your worries with 100 other people? You don’t need to be. Most of us worry about the same sort of things. Those of us who are parents and grandparents worry about our children and grandchildren. We worry about them making friends, falling in love, driving cars, eating healthy, going to church. Even without children there seems like there are plenty of things to worry about. Career – getting a job, keeping a job, retiring from a job. Finance – making money, saving money, spending money. Lifestyle – buying a home, maintaining a home, moving into a nursing home.
What are you worried about? Those of you who are too shy to share your worries with me, I want you to think about the thing that worries you the most. What is it that randomly pops into your mind throughout the day and distracts you from doing what needs to be done? What do you find yourself repeatedly talking about with your friends and family? What is it the keeps you from falling asleep, causes you to toss and turn throughout the night, and is the first thing on your mind in the morning? I want you to think about your biggest worry. Now, with that worry in mind, let’s take a look at our gospel lesson for today. In Luke 12:22-34 Jesus tells His disciples; He tells you and me, “22 don’t worry about it”.
A crowd of thousands has gathered before Jesus. In the crowd are Pharisees and teachers of the law who are looking for a way to discredit Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples to watch out for the Pharisees and teachers of the law but not to worry about them. Jesus tells them, “11 When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Someone in the crowd interrupts Jesus as He is speaking to His disciples, “13 Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus tells the sibling a story about storing up wealth in barns and warns him about not being rich toward God. Jesus then uses the interruption to teach His disciples a lesson. “22 Jesus 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 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.”
Jesus does not want His disciples to worry because worry is very destructive. The word that is translated as “worry” in our text means “to be pulled or torn apart” the image is similar to that of a clan of hyenas tearing away at the flesh of an antelope. The word “worry” can also mean “to be tossed back and forth” it is a metaphor taken from ships that are tossed up and down back and forth on the deep by wind and waves. Our English word worry comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word that means “to strangle” or “to choke.”
Think about how your biggest worry affects you; mentally, emotionally, and even physically and you can decide for yourself whether the image of hyenas tearing away at the flesh of their prey or waves tossing a ship back and forth is a good description for what your worry is doing to you. Mentally, emotionally, and even physically worry is very destructive. Jesus does not want His disciples to be torn apart or tossed around. So, He tells us, “22 don’t worry about it”.
Jesus does not want His disciples to worry because worry is very deceptive. Worry deceives us into believing that we do everything while God does nothing. Have you ever noticed that? Think about the kind of things you think and say when you are being torn and tossed by worry. “How am I going to...?” What do I do if…?” “When will I get…?” “Where will I go when..?” “Why can’t I…?” “I” “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”. It’s like we have completely forgotten that God exists. As if we have no recollection of the blessings He has given us in the past. Like all that we have and all that we own is a result of our own efforts.
Jesus asks His disciples and by extension you and me a question. “25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Worry accomplishes nothing. Worry provides nothing. Worry prevents nothing. Corrie Ten Boom, who spent time in a concentration camp because she helped Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust, once wrote, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow,” “it empties today of its strength.” When you worry, you do nothing.
Instead of spending energy and efforts on worrying, Jesus tells His disciples, “24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” He tells them, “27 Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you?” Jesus invites us to reconsider our imagined reality. He invites us to consider the care, compassion, and concern He has for His creation, all of His creation from the bird in the air and the flowers in the field to you and to me. Consider the Raven that He feeds, consider the fields He dresses with lilies, consider that He considers you, and these are His words, “much more valuable” then they. Consider everything that Jesus does for His creation and, “22 don’t worry about it”.
Finally, Jesus does not want His disciples to worry because worry can be deadly, spiritually speaking, that is. Worry is a result of weak faith. Jesus says to His disciples, “O you of little faith! 29 … do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.” In his small catechism, Luther explained the meaning of the first commandment (You shall have no other gods) by saying we “should fear, love, and trust in God above all things”. Worry does none of that. Worry is the opposite of fear, love, and trust in God. Worry disrespects God, worry questions God, and worry doubts either God’s ability or desire to provide. When we worry, we break the very first of the commandments. When we worry, we sin.
The more we worry the more we sin. The more we sin the more we look and, dare I say, act like pagans. Jesus says to His disciples, “the pagan world runs after all such things.” The pagan runs after things like food and clothing because they are afraid they won’t have enough. You see, they don’t believe in an all-powerful God who’s throne is in heaven and whose kingdom rules the earth.[1] They don’t believe in an all-knowing God who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.[2] They don’t believe in a loving God who has promised to provide and protect.[3] The pagans don’t believe in God and so they worry. Worry is something that pagans; it’s something that unbelievers do. Is worrying something that you really want to do? Worry is not something Jesus wants us to do and so He tells us, “22 don’t worry about it”.
Worry is destructive, worry is deceptive, and worry can be deadly. So, whatever it is that randomly pops into your mind throughout the day and distracts you from doing what needs to be done, whatever you find yourself repeatedly talking about with your friends and family, whatever keeps you from falling asleep, causes you to toss and turn throughout the night, and is the first thing on your mind in the morning, whatever it is, don’t worry about it.
Easier said than done, right!? It’s not like we can just listen to a Bobby McFerrin song and suddenly we are whistling our worries away. Thankfully, Jesus has something more powerful and effective in mind. Jesus tells His disciples to, “31 seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” Jesus tells us to look not with eyes of flesh but with eyes of faith. He invites us to look beyond all the worrisome things of this world and see the heavenly kingdom that has been prepared for us. When the worrisome things of this world begin to cloud our vision, we are to use our eyes of faith to seek the kingdom built not by the slaughter of enemies but by the sacrifice of a Son. Seek the kingdom full of people whose sinful filthy rags have been exchanged for the Savior’s robes of righteousness. Seek the kingdom of which you became a subject not because of your nobility but because of His humility. Seek the kingdom in which a banquet has been prepared and seat has been reserved for all who believe in Jesus as their Savior. Seek this kingdom and despite whatever worrisome things you are dealing with in the here and now, you will soon see, there is nothing for you to worry about. Amen.
[1] Psalm 103:19
[2] Ephesians 1:11
[3] Jeremiah 29:11