8th Sunday After Epiphany - Matthew 6:24-34
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| More Than These |
Welcome to the first lectionary sketch of the week. I will try to do a drawing (Sometimes more, sometimes less detail depending on the week's work load) that corresponds to an aspect of the lectionary readings for the week (usually the Gospel reading).
8th Sunday after Epiphany - Matthew 6:24-34
More than these
In this reading, Jesus tells his disciples that they have no need to worry about the necessities of life by comparing them to the care God has for birds of the air and lilies of the field. The birds do not sow or gather grain into barns nor do the lilies worry and spin, but God feeds and clothes them. You can imagine the disciples who are prone to worry saying, "well when you put it like that Lord..." (See Dr. Gibbs in His Concordia Commentary). How much more value are you to God? Jesus is not preaching the prosperity gospel that says, God will bless you with great material wealth if you follow him or that you will always have a smooth road. In fact you might face more struggle because you are a disciple. This is about worry of the necessities of life. He is calling his disciples to the reorientation that being named a citizen of God's Kingdom means. Not that we no longer have concern, but we no longer need worry about accruing possessions in order to sustain ourselves. That way leads to worry and frustration and puffing yourself up so that you are stronger to prevent death. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also. That is the way of the world. Jesus way is different. Jesus himself endured hunger, thirst, and nakedness on the cross and it led to death. But God raised him from the dead because God has the last say on death. You have been called into the Kingdom of God through Baptism, into a Kingdom of a Just King, the Creator. When it is all said and done, He is the one who sustains you. Though you work to put food on the table, we can truly say that it is a gift from God. With this mindset, we can recognize that every gift of food and clothing, house and home, friend and family is a gift from God. We have gifts right now to recognize as God's care for us. But no matter what happens to us this world, we have a promise from God himself that He has the final say through Jesus' Resurrection from the dead. So once and a while, look at the birds and the lilies and the grass. As you look at the amazing and magnificent way that God feeds and clothes them, think about how much more you are than these.
