Sermon for 9/8/13--Trinity 15

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Do Not Worry

Matthew 6:24-34

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

The reason we shouldn't worry isn't that God rewards us for not worrying. Rather, we don't need to worry because the Lord's already got everything covered! Too many churches and preachers read and hear and proclaim these words as if they’re meant to be a challenge. If you stop worrying, then God will bless you. If you put God first, then He'll do His part to hook you up with whatever you need. This is exactly wrong. Jesus tells you not to worry because there is no reason to worry. He's already taken care of everything! He's already dealt with all your problems and all your enemies. He's taken care of your present before you were even born and your future before you ever get to it. That's just the kind of God Jesus is. So He tells you not to worry to remind you that it's silly to be worried about things He's already taken care of.

Think about it. What is there to worry about that the Lord doesn't have in His care? What about your sins? They would cut you off from God forever. But Jesus took care of that. He was nailed to the cross, suffered and died to take away your sins. He left them buried in His empty tomb. Over and over by the promise of your Baptism, by His Word, and with His body and blood, He forgives your sins. No more worrying about your sins. They're taken care of. And no more worrying about death either. Jesus has that covered too. He robbed death of its power by rising from the dead on Easter. Now death for you is just a rest before your life everlasting. Jesus took care of that. How could food, clothing, or other necessities be beyond His power? He's got all of that covered too. This is the Lord who fed thousands. He will make sure you get your daily bread.

At every point in your life, your Lord has already defeated your enemies and promised to take care of you. Worry is just when we forget that. So don't worry—not because it shows God something, but because God has already taken care of everything. You just don't need to get worked up about any of it. That's living like the birds and lilies do. Wouldn't it be nice if we could stop worrying? Wouldn’t it be nice is we could leave behind our fears about money? Our kids? Our marriages? Our jobs? The situation in Syria? The decisions being made in Springfield or Washington DC? Wouldn't it be great if those things didn't bother us? They bother us because we forget Jesus has taken care of them. Look at it this way: Have there been any bird droppings on your car? That means the Lord is feeding the birds. Are there any flowers growing? That means the Lord is clothing them. And there are better signs and proofs than that. Yes, you can look at the birds and lilies, but don’t forget to look at your Baptism, too! That's the promise to you that Jesus has taken care of everything. Look at His Word. Hear him speaking to you with the voice of the pastor in the pulpit. Eat and drink the Word made flesh in His body and blood. You can't get any better promises from Jesus than these.

Hear again the promise Jesus makes to you: your heavenly Father knows what you need. He's already got you covered. That's why Jesus came. That why He went to the cross and rose from the dead: so you know that it's all be taken care of. There's just no need to worry: the Lord took care of all of it. He'll keep taking care of you against sin and death. He’ll keep providing your daily bread and all you need to support this body and life. Your worrying cannot change what the Triune God has done for you.  He's taken care of it all before you could ever worry about it. And He even adds all the rest of God's kingdom and blessing to you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.