1-01

TURNING OFF THE WORRY MACHINE

Matthew 6:24-34

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 1/1/23

 

 

WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

 

REPEATEDLY IN OUR STUDY OF THIS SERMON WE HAVE BEEN FACED

WITH THE MOST CHALLENGING TEACHINGS OF JESUS.

 

TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION.

 

JESUS DEMANDS A BASIC CHOICE FROM US

WHEN HE STATES BLUNTLY:​​ 

 

“NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. . .

YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND WEALTH,”

“NO ONE CAN BE LOYAL TO TWO RIVAL CHIEFS. . .

YOU CANNOT BE LOYAL TO THE GREAT PROVIDER

AND TO POSSESSIONS AT THE SAME TIME.”

 

TWO GREAT PRINCIPLES ARE THE FOUNDATION

OF JESUS’ TEACHING ON WEALTH AND POSSESSIONS.

 

THE FIRST OF THESE GREAT PRINCIPLES IS THAT

ULTIMATELY, EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD.

 

FROM THIS IT FOLLOWS THAT THE CORRECT ATTITUDE

TOWARD EACH AND EVERY THING THAT HAPPENS TO BE OURS

IS ONE OF BEING THE BEST STEWARD THAT WE POSSIBLY​​ CAN BE.

 

WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY REMIND OURSELVES,

CONCERNING EACH OF OUR POSSESSIONS:

“THIS IS ULTIMATELY GOD’S, AND I AM CALLED TO USE IT

AS ITS​​ REAL OWNER WOULD HAVE IT TO BE USED.”

 

THE SECOND OF THESE TWO GREAT PRINCIPLES

UNDERLYING JESUS’ TEACHING ON MONEY IS THAT

WEALTH IS ALWAYS A SECONDARY GOOD.

 

IF WE LOVE MONEY MORE THAT WE LOVE GOD OR NEIGHBOR,

WE HAVE, IN EFFECT, GIVEN GOD A PINK SLIP AND SET UP AN IDOL

IN GOD’S PLACE.

 

JESUS DOES NOT TEACH THAT WEALTH IS WRONG IN AND OF ITSELF,

 

BUT THAT THE POSSESSION OF WEALTH IS A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY,

 

A RESPONSIBILITY THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO LIVE UP TO.

 

ASSUMING THAT NO ONE IN HIS OR HER RIGHT MIND​​ 

WOULD CHOOSE TO WORSHIP AN IDOL OVER THE LIVING GOD,

 

JESUS MOVES ON TO SOME VERY PRACTICAL TEACHINGS

ABOUT HOW TO KEEP GOD FIRST IN OUR LIVES.

 

SIGNIFICANTLY, ALL THESE TEACHINGS​​ 

HAVE TO DO WITH THE ELIMINATION OF WORRY.

 

NOW, WHEN JESUS TAKES ON WORRY, HE IS NOT TAKING ON

THE NORMAL, GARDEN-VARIETY CONCERNS OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

 

HE USES A VERY SPECIFIC WORD FOR “WORRY” WHICH MEANS

“TO BE FILLED WITH FEAR OF THE FUTURE.”

 

AFTER COMMANDING US NOT TO WORRY, JESUS GOES ON TO

GIVE US SEVERAL REASONS ABOUT WHY WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY.

 

HE FOLLOWS THESE WITH SOME PRACTICAL SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

ABOUT HOW NOT TO WORRY.

 

ACCORDING TO JESUS, WE DON’T HAVE TO BE FILLED WITH WORRY

BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN US

THE GIFT OF LIFE,

 

AND HAVING ALREADY GIVEN US THE GIFT OF LIFE,

WE CAN TRUST GOD TO GIVE US THE THINGS WE NEED​​ 

TO SUPPORT LIFE.

 

FINALLY, IT COMES​​ DOWN TO A BRAVE ACT OF TRUSTING GOD.

 

DURING THE TERRIBLE DAYS OF THE BLITZ

IN WORLD WAR II LONDON, A FATHER,​​ 

HOLDING HIS SMALL SON BY THE HAND,

RAN FROM A BUILDING THAT HAD BEEN STRUCK BY A BOMB.

 

IN THE FRONT YARD WAS A SHELL HOLE.

 

SEEKING SHELTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,

THE FATHER JUMPED INTO THE HOLE

AND HELD UP HIS ARMS FOR THE SON TO FOLLOW.

 

TERRIFIED, YET HEARING HIS FATHER’S VOICE​​ 

TELLING HIM TO JUMP, THE BOY CRIED “BUT I CAN’T SEE YOU!”

 

THE FATHER, LOOKING UP AGAINST THE SKY TINTED RED

BY THE BURNING BUILDINGS, CALLED TO THE SILHOUETTE

OF HIS SON, “BUT I CAN SEE YOU. ​​ JUMP!”

 

THE BOY JUMPED, BECAUSE HE TRUSTED HIS FATHER.

 

THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS PLAIN:

 

TRUST IN GOD ENABLES US TO FACE LIFE OR MEET DEATH,

 

NOT BECAUSE WE CAN SEE,

BUT WITH THE CERTAINTY THAT WE ARE SEEN;

 

NOT THAT WE KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS,

BUT THAT WE ARE KNOWN.

 

JESUS GOES ON TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BIRDS.

 

THERE IS NO WORRY IN THEIR LIVES,

NO ATTEMPT TO PILE UP GOODS FOR​​ 

AN UNFORESEEN AND UNFORESEEABLE FUTURE,

AND YET THEIR LIVES GO ON.

 

MORE THAN ONE JEWISH RABBI WAS FASCINATED

BY THE WAY IN WHICH THE ANIMALS LIVE.

 

“IN MY LIFE,” SAID RABBI SIMEON, “I HAVE NEVER SEEN​​ 

A STAG AS A DRYER OF FIGS, OR A LION AS A PORTER,

OR A FOX AS A MERCHANT,​​ 

YET THEY ARE ALL NOURISHED WITHOUT WORRY.

 

IF THEY ARE NOURISHED WITHOUT WORRY,

HOW MUCH MORE OUGHT I,

WHO AM CREATED TO SERVE MY MAKER,

TO BE NOURISHED WITHOUT WORRY?”

 

THE POINT THAT JESUS IS MAKING

IS NOT THAT THE BIRDS DO NOT WORK.

 

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT NO ONE WORKS HARDER

THAN THE AVERAGE SPARROW TO MAKE A LIVING.

 

THE POINT THAT JESUS IS MAKING

IS THAT THEY DO NOT WORRY.

 

THERE IS NOT TO BE FOUND IN THEM

THE HUMAN WEAKNESS OF STRAINING TO SEE

A FUTURE THAT CANNOT BE SEEN,

 

AND OF SEEKING TO FIND SECURITY IN THINGS STORED UP

AND ACCUMULATED AGANST THE FUTURE.

 

JESUS MOVES ON AND ASKS THE RHETORICAL QUESTION:

 

“AND CAN ANY OF YOU BY WORRYING​​ 

ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO YOUR SPAN OF LIFE?,”

 

“CAN WORRY ADD EVEN ONE MORE STEP

TO THE LENGTH OF YOUR LIFE’S JOURNEY?”  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

 

OF COURSE THE ONLY ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION​​ 

IS “OF COURSE NOT!”

 

JESUS HOPES THAT THE ONLY CORRECT ANSWER​​ 

TO THIS SELF-EVIDENT QUESTION WILL CAUSE US TO REALIZE

THAT WORRY IS BOTH USELESS AND POINTLESS.

 

JESUS GOES ON TO SPEAK ABOUT THE LILIES OF THE FIELD.

 

A LITTLE CULTURAL HISTORY WILL HELP US TO SEE

WHAT HE’S GETTING AT.

 

THE TYPICAL OVEN IN ISRAEL WAS MADE OF CLAY.

IT WAS LIKE A CLAY BOX SET ON BRICKS OVER THE FIRE.

 

WHEN IT WAS DESIRED TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE

ESPECIALLY QUICKLY, HANDFULS OF DRIED GRASSES​​ 

AND WILDFLOWERS WERE THROWN INSIDE THE OVEN.

 

THE FLOWERS HAD A​​ VERY SHORT LIFE, YET GOD CLOTHED​​ THEM

WITH A BEAUTY WHICH IS BEYOND HUMAN POWER TO IMITATE.

 

IF GOD GIVES SUCH BEAUTY TO A SHORT-LIVED FLOWER,

HOW MUCH MORE WILL GOD CARE FOR US?

 

JESUS GOES ON TO ADVANCE A POWERFUL ARGUMENT

AGAINST WORRY.

 

WORRY, HE SAYS, IS CHARACTERISTIC OF “THE GENTILES,”

​​ “THE NATIONS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR WAY.”

 

BY “GENTILES,” JESUS MEANS HERE​​ PERSONS WHO BELIEVE

IN CAPRICIOUS, UNPREDICTABLE GODS.

 

BY IMPLICATION, JESUS IS SAYING THAT WORRY​​ 

IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION IN ANYONE WHO HAS LEARNED​​ 

TO CALL GOD BY THE NAME OF “FATHER.”

 

HIS FOLLOWERS ARE CALLED NOT TO WORRY

BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE LOVE OF GOD.

 

BUT ALL OF US DO WORRY, AND​​ NEED TO BE REMINDED

OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD, AND THE LOVE OF GOD.

 

ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES FROM THE LIFE​​ 

OF MARTIN LUTHER – THE MARTIN LUTHER​​ 

WHO STARTED THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION IN GERMANY –

IS THIS STORY FROM HIS MARRIAGE TO KATE.

 

IT CONCERNS A TIME WHEN MARTIN​​ 

WAS WORRIED AND DEPRESSED.

 

IN VAIN DID KATE, HIS BELOVED WIFE, TRY TO CHEER HIM.

 

AT LAST SHE PUT ON A WIDOW’S GARMENT​​ 

AND WENT AROUND THE HOUSE IN DEEPEST MOURNING.

 

WHEN LUTHER OBSERVED THIS, HE ASKED, “WHO IS DEAD?”

 

“GOD,” REPLIED KATE.

 

“DON’T TALK SO FOOLISHLY!” RETORTED THE GREAT REFORMER.

 

“WELL, MY DEAR DOCTOR,” ANSWERED KATE,

 

“YOU ARE SO DOWNHEARTED THAT I CONCLUDED

GOD MUST BE DEAD, AND SO I PUT ON MY MOURNING APPAREL.”

 

LUTHER UNDERSTOOD THE LESSON HIS GOOD WIFE​​ 

WISHED TO TACH HIM, EMBRACED HER,​​ 

AND CHOSE TO LET GO OF HIS WORRIES.

 

LUTHER HAD TO CHOOSE TO LET GO OF HIS WORRIES,

AND SO DO WE.

 

HOW DOES ONE DO THAT?

 

BY CHOOSING TO TRUST GOD!

 

ONE CANNOT TRULY TRUST GOD

AND INDULGE IN WORRY AT THE SAME TIME.

 

IT’S AN EITHER-OR CHOICE.

 

EITHER I ALLOW MYSELF TO INDULGE IN WORRY

AND STOP TRUSTING GOD –

 

OR I CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD​​ 

AND AM EMPOWERED TO LET GO OF MY WORRIES.

 

WHEN LLOYD C. DOUGLAS, AUTHOR OF “THE ROBE”​​ 

AND OTHER NOVELS, WAS A UNIVERSITY STUDENT,

HE LIVED IN A BOARDING HOUSE.

 

DOWNSTAIRS ON THE FIRST FLOOR

LIVED AN ELDERLY, RETIRED MUSIC TEACHER,

NOW INFIRM AND UNABLE TO LEAVE THE BUILDING.

 

DOUGLAS SAYS THAT EVERY MORNING THEY HAD A RITUAL

THEY WOULD GO THROUGH TOGETHER.

 

HE WOULD COME DOWN THE STEPS,​​ 

OPEN THE OLD MAN’S DOOR, AND ASK,​​ 

 

“WELL, WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS?”

 

THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN WOULD PICK UP HIS TUNING FORK,

TAP IT ON THE SIDE OF HIS WHEELCHAIR, AND SAY:

 

“THAT’S​​ MIDDLE C!

 

IT WAS MIDDLE C YESTERDAY;

 

IT WILL BE MIDDLE C TOMORROW;

 

IT WILL BE MIDDLE C A THOUSAND YEARS FROM NOW.

 

THE TENOR UPSTAIRS SINGS FLAT,

THE PIANO ACROSS THE HALL IS OUT OF TUNE,

 

BUT, MY FRIEND, THAT IS MIDDLE C!”

 

THAT ELDERLY GENTLEMAN HAD DICOVERED

ONE THING UPON WHICH HE COULD DEPEND,

 

ONE CONSTANT REALITY IN HIS LIFE,

 

“ONE STILL POINT IN A TURNING WORLD.”

 

FOR FOLLOWERS OF JESUS,​​ 

THE “ONE STILL POINT IN A TURNING WORLD,”

 

THE ONE ABSOLUTE OF WHICH THERE IS NO SHADOW OR TURNING

IS THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

 

JESUS GOES ON TO GIVE US TWO MORE TIPS

ON HOW NOT TO WORRY.

 

“STRIVE FIRST FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD,”​​ HE SAYS,

“MAKE CREATOR’S GOOD ROAD YOUR FIRST AIM.”

 

WE KNOW HOW IN OUR OWN LIVES A GREAT LOVE

CAN DRIVE OUT EVERY OTHER CONCERN.

 

SUCH A LOVE CAN INTENSIFY OUR JOY IN DAILY LIVING,

INSPIRE OUR WORK, SATURATE OUR WHOLE BEING.

 

IT WAS JESUS’ CONVICTION THAT WORRY IS BANISHED

WHEN GOD AND GOD’S KIN-DOM

BECOME THE PRIMARY POWER IN OUR LIVES.

 

FINALLY, JESUS, VERY MUCH IN THE SPIRIT

OF TODAY’S TWELVE-STEP PROGRAMS,

ADMONISHES US TO LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME.

 

I LIKE HOW CORRIE TEN BOOM SUMMED UP THIS PASSAGE

WHEN SHE WROTE:​​ 

 

“WORRY DOES NOT EMPTY TOMORROW OF ITS SORROWS;

IT EMPTIES TODAY OF STRENGTH.”

 

AND HOW VICTOR HUGO, AUTHOR OF “LES MISERABLES”

SUMMED UP THIS PASSAGE BY WRITING:

 

“HAVE COURAGE FOR THE GREAT SORROWS OF LIFE

AND PATIENCE FOR THE SMALL ONES.

 

AND WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR DAILY TASK,

GO TO SLEEP IN PEACE.

 

GOD IS AWAKE!”

 

A GREAT VERSE ABOUT WORRY – ONE WELL WORTH KNOWING –

COMES TO US FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PETER.

 

IT’S ONLY ONE LINE, BUT I CAN THINK OF NO MORE

CONSOLING AND EMPOWERING LINE IN ALL THE BIBLE THAN THIS:

 

“CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.”

(1 Peter 5:7)

 

THIS VERSE CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS:

 

“CAST ALL YOUR WORRY ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU,”

 

AND “CAST ALL YOUR FEAR ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.”

 

I – ALONG WITH MILLIONS OF OTHERS –

HAVE FOUND IT HELPFUL TO VISUALIZE, TO SEE MYSELF DOING THIS.

 

AUTHOR SUE MONK KIDD DESCRIBES THIS WELL. ​​ SHE WRITES:

 

“IN A CHURCH WHERE I ONCE BELONGED,

THERE WAS A PARTICULAR STAINED GLASS WINDOW

THAT ALWAYS DREW MY ATTENTION.

 

IT SIMPLY PORTRAYED CHRIST STANDING WITH HIS HANDS​​ 

HELD OPEN TOGETHER IN FRONT OF HIM.

 

ONE SUNDAY I WAS SITTING IN CHURCH FEELING THE HEAVINESS

OF A PROBLEM THAT HAD BEEN TROUBLING ME FOR SOME TIME.

 

MY EYES WERE DRAWN TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOW

ONCE MORE.

 

THE FIGURE OF CHRIST HOLDING HIS HANDS CUPPED

IN FRONT OF HIM SEEMED TO BE WAITING

FOR SOMEONE TO DROP SOMETHING INTO THEM.

 

I STARED AT THE OPEN HANDS.

 

“GIVE IT TO ME,” THE SCENE SEEMED TO WHISPER.

 

AND IN THAT MOMENT I IMAGINED MYSELF

REACHING INSIDE ME AND LIFTING A HEAVY STONE OF WORRY

FROM WITHIN AND PLACING IT INTO THE HANDS IN THE WINDOW –

 

THE WAITING HANDS OF CHRIST.

 

AND AS I DID, I FELT A SUDDEN LIGHTNESS. . .

THE FREEDOM THAT COMES ONLY FROM RELEASING OUR BURDENS

AND TRUSTING THEM TO GOD.

 

THE PROBLEM I HAD BEEN CARRYING​​ 

DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RESOLVE ITSELF,

BUT MY HEART WAS NOW FREED

TO FIND A CREATIVE SOLUTION I HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE.

 

FROM THAT DAY FORWARD,​​ 

THAT WINDOW BECAME MY “WORRY WINDOW” –

 

A PLACE TO WHICH I COULD COME

AND LEAVE MY FEARS AND ANXIETIES EVERY WEEK. . .

 

A PLACE THAT HELPED ME LEARN TO LET GO AND TRUST.”

(End quote)

 

AS JESUS’ FRIEND PETER ENCOURAGES US TO DO:

 

“CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.”

 

“CAST ALL YOUR FEAR ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.”

 

“CAST ALL YOUR WORRY ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.”

 

AMEN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Independent and United Church of Christ