Gospel of Matthew 6:22-33

“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life… .”

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink… . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? … So why do you worry… ? Therefore, do not worry…” (Matt 6:25, 27-28, 31).

In the span of seven verses, brethren, our Lord tells his disciples four times: “Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not worry.” It is a message that folks living two millennia ago, seemingly, with similar cares to our own—about food, clothing, the necessities of life—needed to hear. But these were persons who did not know Christ, and they did not know his power, at least, not in its fullness. They had not yet experienced his miraculous resurrection from the dead; his incredible ascension; the awe-inspiring, logic-defying works of the Holy Spirit of God through the saints of the faith, apostles, prophets, and teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They had the tradition and the history of the Jewish faith, God working intimately with and providentially for his people, providing for them in the wilderness, delivering them from foreign captivity, preserving their inheritance, the Promised Land, and Jerusalem, the City of David. But they did not have an additional two thousand years to witness the wondrous works of God through his Church: the blind receiving their sight; the deaf, their hearing; the lame made to walk; the infirm made well again. What a testimony! It is understandable that the disciples, hearing these words of Jesus, would need to hear them! They are spiritually infantile, right? They would worry. Thank God we are not like so much like them.

            Clearly, … we are just like them. We have the goods news of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. We have the promise of eternal life. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are covered. Our bellies are full. We have warm beds to sleep in, roofs over our heads. We have persons who call us “father, mother, brother, sister, friend.” We have a thriving faith community. We have people who love us and pray for us and care about us. And… we worry. We worry tremendously.

            The “we” is important. “We” worry tremendously. I worry tremendously. Without reason, without cause, spiritual or material. I have food, and drink, and clothing, loving family and friends, and I worry: about finances, over whether I am doing a good job… at my job, whether or not people “like me.” I worry.

[But] … if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, … for after all these things the Gentiles seek. … But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt 6:30-33).

We worry, brethren, because we do not comprehend fully enough the gospel of Jesus Christ. God, the Creator of heaven and earth, has united himself to man in the person of Jesus Christ. That man, Jesus Christ, who has overcome sin, death, and the devil—the instigator of all wants and cares, passions and appetites which discomfort us, discourage us, distract us, and worry us—he, Jesus, has overcome, and has united himself personally to us, in the Sacraments of Baptism and the holy Eucharist. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” says the Apostle (Col 3:3). Christ’s life is our life. Christ’s victory is our victory. Brethren, why do we worry?!

            The Apostle says elsewhere,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds” (Phil 4:6-7).

This is the Apostle, brethren, who was himself imprisoned, who was himself shipwrecked, who himself suffered want, and hunger, and exposure, and ridicule, and mocking, and assassination attempts! He had a lot to worry about! But he says: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:16-18).

            We fear hunger and thirst. We worry about what we will eat. What is food? “But… it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). We fear sickness and death. We worry about our health. “[But]… do not fear those who can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). But death is significant, we will contest! Yes, death is significant. It is the signifier of the temporary victory of sin in us. But it is not the end. Suffering, starvation, thirst, illness, blindness, pain, fatigue, poverty, loneliness, apathy, shame: these things are only temporary! They are a passing reality! They are hard, some of them, very hard, to endure—I do not make light of their reality, because they are not light but heavy burdens which we all must bear in the life, as we await the resurrection of the dead and the coming glory of the Kingdom of God—but they are passing. The final reality is the revelation of St. John: “… there shall be no more death [nor fear of death!], neither sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be anymore pain” (Rev 21:4).

            “Christ is risen from the dead.” We chant that at every service; we chant that at Morning and Evening Prayers; we sing it joyously and triumphantly for forty days! It is not true for forty days only, brethren! “Christ is risen from the dead!” And he is still risen, and will always be risen, and he is risen in us. I hunger and thirst, but Christ is risen! I am cold and naked, but Christ is risen! I am homeless and jobless, but Christ is risen! I am sick and dying, but Christ is risen! I am in pain and suffering, but Christ is risen! I am sad and mournful, but Christ is risen! I am lonely, but Christ is risen! Christ is risen! Say it: Christ is risen! Christ is risen! Christ is risen!

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).

“Do not worry about your life” (Matt 6:25) … “for you [have] died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord, Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.      

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!