Trinity Lutheran Church, Beloit, WI
December 5th, 2012
Midweek Advent Divine Service
Matthew 6:25-34
“The future in faith”
Introductions, etc...
Today's Gospel reading includes Jesus'
familiar words about worry. Look at the birds of the air and lilies
of the field, and don't worry. You're worth more to God than they
are. Each day has enough trouble of its own. The Gentiles run after
all these things, but you, Christians, seek the kingdom of God and
all these things will be added to you. Familiar words. Words which,
I have to admit, hit home for me.
We all worry, don't we? The future is
uncertain. Cloudy. What will tomorrow bring? And we have enough
experience in this sinful, broken, world, to know that things don't
always turn out the way we want. Disasters strike without warning.
Frustrations arise. Our best laid plans... well, you know how it
goes. Disappointment after disappointment teaches us that tomorrow
is a thing to be feared. That heartache and trouble lurk just around
the corner. And so we worry.
What will we eat? What will we wear?
Where will we live? Will we have enough money to pay the bills?
Will I have a job? Will my retirement funds hold up? What if I get
sick? What if I am sick, can the doctors help me? What about my
children? Will they be ok? Will they grow up to be responsible,
respectable, and live a good life? Or will they make mistakes, get
in trouble, or turn away from my values? There are worries about the
world at large – wars and rumors of wars. There are worries about
the economy. And if that's not enough you can worry about a silly
ancient calendar that ends on December 21st this year.
I have to admit, being a missionary
doesn't make you immune to worry. We can worry about where we'll be
living, what we'll be eating, how we'll adjust to a new country. We
can worry about what we'll eat, and can we afford it, and how will
our children fare? When will we leave, when will we return, what
does the future hold for us? And what about this new congregation –
will it grow? Will people respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Or
will it be a long, hard slog with little to show for our time and
energy?
I don't know what your worries are, but
I certainly know mine. I don't know what your worries are, but I
know the human condition. Jesus tells us not to worry for a reason.
He knows our weakness.
Jesus tells us not to worry. He calls
us to repent of serving that other master – the mammon, the
material, the things of the world. Turn away from the false gods of
money and food and house and home, even friends and family. Nothing
should come before the true God. Nothing should concern us as much
as his will for our lives. And no one should worry about these
earthly things, when the heavenly things are what truly matter.
But even in this call to repentance is
a gentleness, a kindness, for his little ones of little faith. These
words of Jesus don't come across as an angry diatribe against you
tedious little sinners who will never get it through your thick
skulls..... instead, he speaks tenderly, about the Father's love for
us – far more than the birds or the flowers, and of our great value
to him. He knows our needs, better than we do. And if he cares for
them, won't he care for us?
Jesus knows well to what lengths the
Father would go to care for our needs. And our greatest need, all
the more. We need to be redeemed, saved, snatched from the jaws of
sin and death. We need a savior. And our God provides, richly. He
sends his own Son.
To Adam and Eve who worried about their
frightful life in the newly fallen world, God promised a savior who
would crush the serpent's head. To Abraham, who worried that he
would see no heir, and would have to leave everything to his
servants, God promised descendants more numerous than the stars, and
one descendent through whom all nations would be blessed. The Old
Testament believers, though they worried about their tomorrows, also
looked in faith and hope, trusting the promises of God, that he would
provide, that he would save.
The long awaited Advent of the Christ
was fulfilled in the little town of Bethlehem. The king then came to
his holy city, riding on a donkey. And his work reached its climax
when he came to the place of the skull and was crucified. He came,
he accomplished salvation, he provided for our need.
For our part, we have a future that is
secure in him. A future that leaves us no need to worry. We have
the promise of his return. We have the promise of our own
resurrection. And we have the promise of a forever home in his
presence, where God himself will wipe every tear from our eyes.
Don't worry about tomorrow, because God holds your future in his
hands. Don't worry about the things of this world, but trust him who
created it all for your good, and will one day restore to you all
things. In this world, troubles will come, but this world is not
where our future lies. We who live in Christ, die in Christ, and
rest from our labors, only to live in Christ forever.
As you prepare for the celebration of
his birth, don't worry about the little things or the big things. As
you look forward to his second Advent, the advice and encouragement
is the same. Don't be anxious about tomorrow. For the same God who
provided even his only Son to die for you – is the God who will
care for you tomorrow and always. In Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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