Matthew__6
Scripture Matthew 6:25-27 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”
Observation-What does it say? The book of Matthew sheds just a brief light on Jesus’ birth. It then takes a rather quick jump into the ministry of Jesus. After being tempted and fasting in the desert for forty days, Jesus gets right into the mix of his ministry. Chapter six is right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. This is one of the first times we see Jesus talking about our motives for our actions, warning us not to desire the adoration of men. He tells us to tithe and give to the poor in secret, act as if you are not fasting when you are, and don’t pray in a way as though you were putting on a show. Jesus then tells us how we ought to pray. Interestingly enough, he tells us how to pray before telling us how to get rid of anxiety. There must be a direct correlation here.
Understanding-What does it mean? I learned to hustle pretty early in life and have always been proud of the way that I have been able to “take care of myself.” My parents didn’t always have extra money for some of the superfluous things I wanted. So I started looking for ways to make money for myself. I roamed the neighborhood looking for cans to recycle, asked my neighbors to mow their lawns or walk their dogs. One of my dog walking jobs went absolutely haywire once. I was approximately nine years old, maybe 55 pounds soaking wet, and took my neighbors Labrador, of equal weight and much greater strength, for a jaunt down the street. All of the sudden, the lab took off chasing another dog on the opposite side of a wrought iron fence. For about two minutes, I was in tow, being dragged through the shrubs, back and forth as these two dogs battled it out to see who could bark the loudest. When I walked through the door with twigs in my hair and green stains all over my clothes, my mom asked what happened, to which I replied, “You don’t even want to know.”
More than once in my life, I have found myself in the hospital for longer than anyone really wants to be in the hospital. A few of those times were as a result of my own doing, and some as a result of things outside of my control. You get a lot of time to think when you are in the hospital. Every time I found myself getting worried that I would no longer be able to take care of myself, that I was right on the verge of my whole life coming down around me, because of my inability to get better miraculously. But through these times, I got a glimpse of how small my faith can be that I don’t trust the God who made the universe to take care of me and my finances.
Throughout scripture, God shows himself faithful to his people, even when they are unfaithful. He brought Israel out of the desert, even after the stunt with the golden calf. He used Jonah in Nineveh, even after he ran away. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 10:29 that not even sparrows die apart from His will. We know from Psalm 139 that we are God’s craftsmanship and He cares for us. If God can do all these things, then he can take care of me too.
Life Application Jesus just like the father in Mark 9 asked, help me in my unbelief. When things get tight, help me to know there is a bigger plan. When it seems impossible, help me to find ways to give beyond my means. And when I feel like all the odds are stacked up against me, just let me know you are there.
-Tyler Galloway