Beware of Worry.  (Luke 12:22-34)

Caveat about clinical anxiety or  Bipolar effected depression or anxiety from this or other mental health conditions like Schizophrenia.

Everybody worries sometimes but some people have raised it to an art form, they worry all the time about everything. But then all of us worry, so how should we handle worry.

Would you like for me to tell you how to handle worry from an expert? Would you be interested? Jesus, if anybody should know how to handle this, it's him because he's the one that put us together. Let me share with you what Jesus taught about worry and how to handle it. I'm going to begin reading with verse 22.

Do Not Worry

22 Then 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 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 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! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

(Luke 12: 22-26)

27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour 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—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them

(Luke 12: 27-30)

. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(Luke 12: 31-34)

There's a lot in this passage, but the structure of it is incredibly simple. The first thing he says is, "Do not worry." And after he establishes that, then I think he tells us how to manage worry. So, let's begin.

(Luke 12: 22-26)

Before we get into how, look at the verse 22, he is speaking to his disciples. Please note, this is to believers. This is not said to to unbelievers, as it becomes very evident later in the passage. 

He's talking to people who know the Lord. Then, look at verse 22 carefully. He says there, "Therefore." When you see the word "therefore," you need to ask, "What is it there for?" 

Well, in this case, obviously, it's a conclusion based on what he has just taught. Do you remember what he just talked about? I know that was yesterday. The basic idea is, "Do not covet, do not be greedy." 

Therefore, he says, "You should not worry either." In the latter part of this passage, yesterday he said to, "Lay up with your treasures in that you are rich toward God." Don't covet, be rich toward God, and “therefore” if you do that then don't worry.

This passage emphasizes the importance of not worrying about material things, such as food and clothing, and instead trusting in God's provision. Jesus is guiding his followers away from a preoccupation with possessions and the anxieties associated with them. Let's break down the key points and the two things he suggests addressing the problem of worry.

Life here is more than material possessions (verses 22-23): Jesus highlights the significance of life beyond physical needs. He contrasts the value of life with the pursuit of food and clothing, emphasizing that our existence is not defined by the abundance of possessions.

Consider the Ravens (verse 24): Jesus uses the example of Ravens, which don't sow or reap or store food, yet God provides for them. He asks his followers, "Are you not more valuable than birds?" This encourages believers to trust in God's care for them, recognizing their inherent value.

He continues. (Luke 12: 27-30)

Consider the wildflowers (verses 27-28): Jesus directs attention to how God beautifully clothes the lilies of the field, which neither toil nor spin. The message is clear: God's providence extends to the smallest details of creation, and believers can trust Him to provide for their needs.

Do not worry (verses 29-30): Jesus reiterates the command not to worry about clothing. Instead, he encourages faith, pointing to God's knowledge of our needs and His willingness to provide.

Seek the Kingdom of God

(Luke 12: 31-34)

The first thing believers need to do to address worry is to seek God's Kingdom. By prioritizing God's Kingdom and His righteousness, believers align themselves with God's will, and they can trust Him to take care of their needs.

Do not worry about tomorrow (verses 34): Jesus emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and not being overly concerned about the future. Each day has its own challenges, and worrying about the future detracts from the trust placed in God.

The key teachings in this passage include trusting in God's provision, recognizing the value of life beyond material possessions, and prioritizing the Kingdom of God. By following these principles, believers can overcome the anxiety associated with worry and focus on their relationship with God.

I believe this passage is intentionally juxtaposed with the previous one. Look at what Jesus said. 

He talks about birds, sowing, and reaping, and having barns and storehouses. Doesn't that remind you of the foolish farmer we looked at last time? The one who was already rich, and then he had a bumper crop, and he had to figure out how to store it, and decided to tear down his existing storehouses and build bigger barns. It's almost as if this is connected to that, and I'm certain it is because of that word that opened todays passage "Therefore."

So, Jesus is essentially saying, "Don't worry about this. Should you sow? Yes. Should you reap? Absolutely. Should you have a barn? Well, if you've reaped, you should have a place to store it. 

Should you go to the supermarket and buy groceries? Of course. Should you have clothes in your wardrobe? But, what is Jesus really saying? He's saying, "Don't worry about that. Don't let that be the focus of your life. God takes care of that stuff."

His illustration involves a raven now. Remember, he taught something similiar in the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded by Matthew. Do you recall what he said in the Gospel of Matthew? He talked about birds, specifically sparrows. But here, he mentions ravens. Let me clarify the difference. 

You could buy sparrows; they had a little value. But according to the Mosaic law, ravens were considered unclean animals and the least respected of the birds. So, he's saying, "Look, God feeds the birds, even ravens. They don't sow or reap; they don't have barns. Have you ever seen a raven with a barn? I doubt it. Yet, God feeds them. 

Are you not more valuable than a bird? That's how you handle this - to be rich toward God. God feeds birds and bird brains like us."

Then, he raises another thought: "Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to your stature?" A cubit was the measurement from the tips of the fingers to the elbow, generally considered to be  about 18 inches, though some argue it was nearer 24 inches. 

So, let me challenge you: think as hard as you can, worry for the rest of the night, worry all day tomorrow, or even all of next week. Then come back next week and tell me how much height you've added. You won't be able to do it.

Worrying is useless. It's as useless as trying to add your height. That's Jesus' point. So, don't worry about that.

In other words, worrying is ineffective.

He uses two illustrations: the first was about ravens, and the second about lilies. The first one pertains to food, and the second to clothing.

 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." In verse 22, he had already mentioned not worrying about what you eat and what you put on. So, he's providing practical examples. Lilies are beautiful, even more so than Solomon in all his splendour.

The emphasis is on trusting the Lord for food and clothing. The birds are provided for, the flowers are adorned with beauty, so trust God. It's a straightforward message, trust the Lord, and you'll know how to deal with worry.

At the end of the previous passage, Jesus urged not to lay up treasures for yourself on earth but treasures in heaven. Being rich toward God involves having faith. James speaks of those who are rich in faith. 

So, are you rich toward God? It all comes down to faith. Trust in God's provision and be rich in faith.

James in chapter 2 of bis letter addresses the worry problem, trust God. He emphasizes this further in verse 29, stating, "Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind." The common theme in these verses, starting from verse 24, is the concern about eating and clothing.

To sum it up, Jesus instructs not to seek anxiously what to eat or drink. Yes, you should plan to provide yourself with food, but do it without an anxious mind. Seek it without worry because you trust God.

The Greek phrase translated as "anxious mind" is intriguing. It was used to describe a ship caught in a storm, being tossed all over the place. This aligns with Jesus' message: trust God and don't let your mind be tossed like a ship in a storm.

In James 1:6, doubt is compared to a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, leading to instability.

Applying this, Jesus advises not to go through life worrying, especially to the point of an anxious mind. Don't let your thoughts toss and turn like a ship in a storm. 

The crucial distinction lies in the approach; it's not that one should never give thought or work towards material things, but rather, it should not be done with an anxious mind. In positive terms, the emphasis is on making sure seeking material things doesn't become one's passion. The backdrop is the concern that you might never have enough.

Jesus here directs his followers to seek the Kingdom of God. This is more than a passive action; it's about being rich toward God with a passion, caring about the things that concern Him – His Kingdom, righteousness, mercy, and the like. 

By seeking the Kingdom of God, the promise is that these material needs will be added, alleviating the worry associated with them.

So, Jesus encourages his disciples not to fear. He refers to them as a "little flock," portraying a shepherd's concern for defenceless lambs. The shift back to addressing worry is apparent, and he emphasizes not fearing.

The climax of this section is in the final verses where he tells us that it is in fact Father God’s good pleasure to provide for His children's basic needs.

Trusting the Lord and seeking His Kingdom result in immediate blessings. The contrast is stark: for those who worry, lack trust, and fail to seek the Kingdom of God, there is neither immediate blessing nor future reward. 

In verse 33, Jesus delivers a strong directive: "Sell what you have and give alms." The prescription is clear, divest yourself of possessions, extend charity, and accumulate heavenly treasures. This approach, seemingly radical, is akin to potent medicine. Perhaps, Jesus is addressing the tendency in this age to hoard, to cling tightly to possessions  and at the same time be consumed by worry.

However, this doesn't imply neglecting financial wisdom. Having a budget and being a wise steward of resources are not condemned. Jesus isn't advocating an empty purse/wallet or an absence of financial planning. The key message is against hoarding, especially when motivated by self-centeredness, reminiscent of the foolish farmer in the previous parable we looked at yesterday.

Consider the fear associated with worrying about not having enough. Jesus' instruction to sell is one dramatic remedy for this fear. Often, fear of scarcity hinders generosity. By encouraging to give, Jesus challenges the grip of fear and poverty, suggesting that generosity leads to treasures in heaven.

The final verse further exposes the connection between treasure and the heart. If you sell and give generously, your treasure will be in heaven. The conventional understanding of this verse is often reversed. Many preach that if your heart is right with God, you will give right. However, Jesus presents it differently, give, and your heart will follow.

So, when faced with anxiety about material needs, Jesus provides a solution: Trust God, seek His Kingdom, and be generous. To others. In doing so, your needs will be met, and your heart will be aligned with heavenly treasures. The formula is clear: Don't worry; trust God, seek His Kingdom, give generously, and your heart will be where your treasure is – in heaven.

You got it that's the sum of this whole passage. Do not worry you got that down trust God you got that down, seek the Kingdom of God, got that down. You do that and all these things like what you eat and what you put on are going to be added to you here and you're going to have treasure in heaven.

That's a deal so why worry, let me close by saying two things

Number one, do not worry, worry is wrong it's unnecessary and in this passage Jesus teaches it's useless. 

Some people are worried wards are going to worry even when there's nothing to worry about 

Number two can you guess what I'm going to say next. Trust God. Life is not found in the selfish hoarding of material possessions real wealth is a rich relationship with God. The beginning of worry is the end of faith and the beginning of faith is the end of worry, and that's all that sums it all up.

You got a choice you need to worry go to bed toss and turn or you can trust God and turn it over to him and seek the Kingdom of God.