Stop and Smell the Roses (Matt 6:25-34)

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES (MATTHEW 6:25-34)

While cruising at 40,000 feet, the airplane shuddered and Mr. Benson looked out the window. “Good lord!” he screamed, “one of the engines just blew up!” Other passengers left their seats and came running over; suddenly the aircraft was rocked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side.

The passengers were in a panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn’t maintain order. Just then, standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about. His words and his demeanor seemed to make most of the passengers feel better, and they sat down as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft. There, he grabbed several packages from under the seats and began handing them to the flight attendants.

Each crew member attached the package to their backs. “Say,” spoke up an alert passenger, “aren’t those parachutes?” The pilot said they were. The passenger went on, “But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?” “There isn’t,” replied the pilot as a third engine exploded. “We’re going to get help.”

All of us worry at one time or another, whether it is about family, work, school, health, money, safety, looks and aging. Dictionary.com says the verb means “to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts” and the noun means “a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.” Worry affects young and old, men and women, believers and unbelievers. “Worry” occurs five times in the passage (vv 25, 27, 28, 31, 34, 34). Is the alternative to worry “don’t worry, be happy,” as popularized by a song? Why do people worry? What does the Bible teach about worry? How does one overcome worry?

See God Work
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matt 6:28-31)

One morning I was at the Yuen Long MTR station bus terminal waiting behind a Pakistani man for a ride to the office when two pigeons flew to the concrete ground looking for food. Even as they pecked in vain at everything in sight on the ground, one of them walked nonchalantly passed a cigarette butt. I thought the pigeon did not see it, but the other pigeon, too, passed it without fanfare.

Seeing the sight, I couldn’t contain myself and blurted out to the man I had gotten to known: “The birds are truly clever. They do not eat the cigarette butt.” Then the man opened his bag and took out some bird seeds as I marveled, “Wow, how come you have seeds in your bag?” He answered, “Because I have birds at home, too.” Then he scattered them on the ground to the birds’ delight. I asked, “How much do the seeds cost?” “HK$10 for a big bag.”

After the birds had gobbled up hundreds of the seeds, I teased the man, “Any more?” Sure enough, he opened his left hand to more seeds, though half the previous measure. Then our bus came and I sat behind him, asking questions. “What do birds eat besides seeds?” He was quiet, taken back by my question. So I offered, “Do they eat meat?” He said no. Do they eat fruits? No either. Do they eat plants? Ditto. Finally, I had to ask some intelligent questions. Do they eat bread? He said yes. Worms? Yes, too. I learned a lesson from the birds that day. Birds do not buy stocks, real estate, or foreign currency. They do not eat or require much. Their diet includes seeds, bread and worms.

Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (v 26)

The structure of the passage is best divided by the three “DON’T worry” admonitions (vv 25, 31, 34), with the more passionate, powerful and persuasive “no” (me) in each instance, which occurs less than half the regular “no (ouk)” in the New Testament – 734 to 1,545 times. Jesus commands his disciple not to “worry” (v 25), which is in the imperative mood. Instead of worrying, a participle (v 27), believers are to “look at” (v 26) the birds of the air and “see/consider” (v 28) the flowers of the field –both imperatives as well.

Worry is negative, and the first of two positive alternatives and imperatives in verse 26 is “look at/behold” (em-blepo), which is not your normal “look.” It is more intense, intentional and introspective due the prefix “in (en).” NIV translates the same word elsewhere as “looked closely” (Mark 14:67), “looked directly” (Luke 20:17), “looked straight” (Luke 22:61) and “looking into” (Acts 1:11). It is the way Jesus looked at the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21), the Lord looked straight at Peter when the rooster crowed (Luke 22:61), a servant girl looked closely at Peter in the courtyard (Mark 14:67), and how the disciples were looking intently up into the sky as Jesus was taken up before their very eyes (Acts 1:11)

Birds do not labor much, like money or lack food. Birds do not store food in “barns” (v 26), which is plural. The plural “barns” tells of the folly of only one other person in the New Testament (Luke 12:18), which is the rich fool who dreamed of pulling down his “barns” to build greater one for all his fruits and goods.

God, our Heavenly Father, does two things in the passage: feeds the birds of the air (v 26) and clothes the flowers of the field (v 30). “Feed” means more than eating; it could mean pamper or rear (Vine’s). Elsewhere the same word is translated as brought up (Luke 4:16), taken care (Rev 12:6), nursed (Luke 23:29), and fattened (James 5:5).

The second positive admonition is verse 28’s “see” (kata-manthano) or literally “learn thoroughly,” which, like “look at,” is a compound verb in Greek. God, our heavenly Father, not only feed the birds of the air, but He also clothes the flowers of the fields. I love this contrast between what people “wear” (v 25) and how flowers are “dressed” (v 29) and “clothed” (v 30). Men’s and ladies’ wear (v 25) is simply something to “put on” (enduo) in Greek, but birds are dressed (v 29) or “throw all around” (periballo) and clothed (v 30), or amphiennumi - to enrobe, both or double.

Set Your Priorities
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt 6:31-33)

A French soldier in World War I carried with him in battle this little receipt for worry: “Of two things, one is certain. Either you are at the front, or you are behind the lines. If you are at the front, of two things one is certain. Either you are exposed to danger, or you are in safe place. If you are exposed to danger, of two things one is certain. Either you are wounded, or you are not wounded. If you are wounded, of two things one is certain. Either you recover, or you die. If you recover, there is no need to worry. If you die, you can’t worry. So WHY WORRY.” http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1037372

The second “don’t worry” assertion in verse 31 ends with the popular verse 33, but there is more behind this verse. Verses 32 to 33 list two reasons (“for”) in verse 32, a rebuttal (“but”), one resolve (“seek”) and its result. The two parallel reasons are indicated by the two “for’s” (gar) in verse 32 – “and” in NIV is “for” in Greek, introduced for the first time in the passage. The rebuttal is indicated by the conjunction “but” (de), the resolve by the last imperative of the passage, and the result is “all these things will be given to you as well.” Since verse 33 parallels verse 32, the provider is the heavenly Father.

The second reason (gar) not to worry is because our heavenly Father knows what we need (v 32). God’s providence is always sufficient and never short, stable and never shrinking, steadfast and never sparing.

Revealing and addressing God as “father” in Matthew is exclusive to Jesus and never the disciples or anybody else. “Heavenly Father” (vv 26, 32) reminds readers of our residence in heaven, our reliance on God, and our relationship to Him. Recognizing oneself as God’s “child” is not a term in the multitudes vocabulary either.

Why are verses 32 and 33 parallel? The two “for’s” will find their contrast in verse 33. “Run after” is epi-zeteo – preposition included, or “seek upon,” also translated as “desire” three times in KJV (Acts 13:7. Phil 4:17). This is how Jesus described the evil and adulterous generation that “seek” after a sign (Matt 12:39, 16:4). Instead believers should “seek” (zeteo) God’s kingdom and righteousness. The first kind of seeking is aggressive, the second kind is active. The former is demanding, and the latter is determined. One is compelled, the other is consistent.

To seek His Kingdom and His righteousness (v 33) means asking Him to dwell in our lives, deliver us from cravings and direct us in decision-making. We do not worry because all the resources, reserves and riches in the world are His. Since verses 32 and 33 are parallel, what is “given” in verse 33 is what you “need” in verse 32. In His wisdom, He knows what we need versus what we want.

Seize the Day
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34)

Here are some quotes on worry:
“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” (Erma Bombeck, God’s Little Devotional Book for mothers)
“Worry is like a parrot sitting on your shoulder – jabbering 吱喳地叫on about all the awful things that could happen to you, how dreadful they will be and how little you can do to prevent them.”
“Worry is like trying to swim across a stream with an anchor tied around your feet.”
“Worry is like blood pressure: you need a certain level to live, but too much can kill you.”

Stress experts classify stressors into four categories: important, controllable stressors ; important, uncontrollable stressors ; unimportant, controllable stressors; and unimportant, uncontrollable stressors

Ask yourself if the worries that occupy your mind, own your feelings and order you around are important and controllable to you. You can begin with your purchases, your possessions, your pursuits. You can do this by yourself, with a friend or your spouse, or in a group.

It is pointless and paralyzing and to worry about future things you cannot control or change. Someone has said that the average person is crucifying himself between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow. Worry is counterproductive, costly, and cruel. The results of worry are helpless feelings, health problems, and heart trouble. It is negativity working overtime, imagining the worst, and Satan’s given advantage.

The truth is we can only seize the day, or carpe diem in Latin. “Day” (v 34) is a contrast to “tomorrow.” What we can control is today, today’s tasks, troubles, and thoughts. Beryl Pfizer says, “If I spent as much time doing the things I worry about getting done as I do worrying about doing them, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.” We should work on our problems instead of worrying about them. We can face up to them or fret about them. The former is progressive, the other is regressive. The previous action is out of faith (v 30), the other out of fear.

One way is to work on yourself – an actual person – and not worry about the future – an abstract fear. Further, a person who worries about the future doubts and denies God’s goodness at work, Hs guidance in life, or His grace is sufficient. The worrier’s focus is on self, not God.

Worry does nothing but distracts and derails us from the present, dragging and drowning us into the future we cannot control. You can transform tomorrow when you tackle today. We are to take life one day at a time, one thing at a time, and one step at a time. Worry magnifies the problem and minimizes the person. The problem gets stronger and the person weaker.

It’s been said, “The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.”

G Campbell Morgan said, “Evil (“trouble” in NIV) does not mean sin. It means adversity.” (The Gospel According to Matthew)

Conclusion: The way to overcome worry is to pray, to prioritize, and to prepare. God is not against work; He is against worry. He is not against action; He is against anxiety. He is not against planning; He is against pessimism. Are you a worry wart? Is worry affecting your mind, mood and motivation? Do you call on the Lord or do you cling to your load? Have you confided and committed your worries to the Lord?