“Worry warts”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation– Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Luke 12:22-31 (Forward, p. 19) CEV p. 1077
Worry, I would surmise, is probably one of the most persistent, habitual and widespread of all human habits, but is probably one of the least useful. It is good to face the future and be prepared for it, but this is not at all the same as worrying. Worrying essentially in non-productive, getting a person nowhere, sort of like spinning your wheels in slush or snow or mud. It is the opposite of actual planning to meet the possible outcome, or of action as to how to ‘get yourself out of the mess’. All of this makes abundant sense.
However, it is interesting to note that in today’s passage Jesus focuses on the problem of worry but doesn’t spend much time talking about any such things. Instead, He points His audience to the giver of all good things, namely God. Here, He mentions two things in this regard:
a) First of all, He reminds them of God’s care of nature. Do crows, for instance, ever go without? No, God feeds them—or at least, provides the ways for them to find their own food. To be honest, sometimes I wish that crows, to mention just one bird, were a little less looked after! Same thing for pigeons. “Aren’t you”, Jesus asks, “worth more than these?” And, the lilies of the field, so very fleeting, so temporary, are they not exquisite in their colourful petals? Jesus suggests that even the finest dressed from among humankind were not clothed, outfitted, as wonderfully as these. “Won’t God,” Jesus asks, “do even more for you?”
b) But there is a more important reason not to worry, according to Jesus. It is because we belong to God. God knows what we need—yes, even before we are aware of it or ask for it. God simply want us to trust Him to provide. No, instead of focusing on any such things we are simply to go about ‘business as usual’ in terms of the kingdom. Indeed, to put God’s kingdom first, to give it top priority (our only priority, actually) and leave all the rest to Him. Indeed, in some ways He is like our employer, one can always be counted upon to come through with what we need. To worry simply denotes a lack of faith in Him, or, more tellingly, of really knowing Him for who and what He is. To truly know Him would cure any of us of ever being or becoming the proverbial ‘worry warts’. Amen.
Forward notes: “He 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. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well’” (verses 22, 31).
“Rogation Days are an ancient tradition in the church to pray for crops and harvests. On a day where food is the focus, the gospel reminds us not to worry about food. And this is a passage that speaks clearly today: in a time in which inflation and supply chain disruptions have created significant worry, Jesus continues to remind us not to worry. For most of us, that is easier said than done.
“What are we to do in a perfect storm of social, emotional, and market stresses? I believe Jesus’s suggestion to seek God’s kingdom still carries weight. The truth is that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the cares and pressures of life, and when that happens, it’s easy to lose sight of our calling to participate in God’s mission to the world. In uncertain times, we must believe that our prayers, our voices, and our actions can reshape our reality.”
Moving Forward: “How are you handling the stresses of today? Write out these words and carry them with you, in a wallet or purse, as a tangible reminder of Jesus’s faithfulness.”