Don’t worry

Matthew 6:1-34Along with the Pharisees’ concern for material gain came the problem of anxiety (6:25). The command “don’t worry” was repeated three times (6:25, 31, 34) for emphasis. When God is the master of a person’s life, that person has no need to be anxious about his physical needs. This does not mean that believers should refuse to work and expect God to provide for them. The fulfillment of human responsibility is necessary (like the bird that is fed only by seeking the food that has been provided). God will meet the needs of those who responsibly seek to obey him. With the problem of daily provision solved, believers are free to seek more important things in life, such as the kingdom of heaven (6:33).In Matthew 5 the Father was presented as the model for perfect righteousness (5:21-48). Therefore, God the Father was the one to please with obedience and to seek after, not the hypocritical Jewish leaders (Matthew 6). In Matthew 7 a starting place for curing hypocrisy (for effecting true repentance) was presented; it called believers and any person who might judge other people to purify their own lives first before trying to change others (7:1-27; especially 7:5).

PREVIEW“I’m not worried,” we say nervously, “just quite concerned.”Life is full of concerns—fleeting, chronic, financial, relational, mild, or severe. These worries can drive us crazy just thinking about them. They can also cause us to question our faith in God. Does God care about our concerns? Is he doing anything to help us out?In this passage, Jesus points out the lessons in trust that we can learn from nature, assuring us of the futility of worry and of the certainty of God’s care. As you read, strengthen your dependence on God’s gracious care, and watch your worries melt away.PERSONAL APPLICATIONJesus knew that his disciples naturally worried about having enough of life’s necessities, so he reassured them that God would provide for their needs. He pointed out that God provides for the animal kingdom, so he also would provide for them—they mattered much more than the animals (Matthew 6:25-34).Worrying about our needs accomplishes nothing and ignores the fact that God works to meet those needs. Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to be lazy or not to work, just to trust God and not to worry.Do what you can about the concerns you have, but also realize that God, who loves and cares for you, has made provision for them as well.

He will not let your needs overwhelm you. Whenever worries plague you, follow these three steps:

(1) tell God about your concerns, asking him to provide for your needs;

(2) do what you humanly can to work on your concerns; and

(3) trust in God’s goodness—remember that he cares for you more than even you care for yourself and will provide all you need at the right time.

The command don’t worry about everyday life does not imply complete lack of concern, nor does it call people to be unwilling to work and supply their own needs. Food, drink, and clothes are less important than the life and body that they supply. Because God sustains our lives and gives us our bodies, we can trust him to provide the food and clothing he knows we need. Worry immobilizes us, but trust in God moves us to action. We work for our money to supply food and clothing, but we must always remember that these ultimately come from God’s hands. When the need arises, we need not worry, for we know that our God will supply.

Every promise in Scripture holds a responsibility for us and most of the times we stop reading the full passage in context.

Matthew 6:1-34 tells us not to worry, but right at the end as far as verse 33 Matthew explains to us that for this promise to work in our lives we must not only believe it in full , we must now stop worrying and change our focus not as a ultimatum but as a action of faith to build His Kingdom and to seek more important things in life, such as the kingdom of heavenAnd then all other things will be added unto you

(Mat. 6:33).But seek yefirst the kingdom of God,andhisrighteousness;andall these things shall be added unto you.

Strong’s Lexicon Greek(Kingdom)

932

basileiva , bas-il-i’-ah: from 935; properly, royalty, i.e. (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively):–kingdom, + reign.

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“What is the concept of ‘already but not yet’?”……Answer: The theological concept of “already but not yet” holds that believers are actively taking part in the kingdom of God, although the kingdom will not reach its full expression until sometime in the future. We are “already” in the kingdom, but we do “not yet” see it in its glory. The “already but not yet” theology is related to kingdom theology orinaugurated eschatology.……The “already but not yet” paradigm was developed by Princeton theologian Gerhardus Vos early in the 20th century. In the 1950s George Eldon Ladd, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, argued that there are two meanings to the kingdom of God:

1) God’s authority and right to rule and

2) the realm in which God exercises His authority.

The kingdom, then, is described in Scripture both as a realm presently entered and as one entered in the future.

Ladd concluded that the kingdom of God is both present and future.……The “already but not yet” theology is popular among the Charismatics, for whom it provides a theological framework for present-day miracles.

“Already but not yet” is officially embraced by the Vineyard Church and underpins many of their teachings.……There is a sense in which God’s kingdom is already in force. Hebrews 2:8–9 says, “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death” (ESV). In this passage, we have a “now” (we see Jesus crowned with glory), and we have a “not yet” (not everything has been subjected to Christ). Jesus is the King, but His kingdom is not yet of this world (see John 18:36).……Also, in 1 John 3:2, we read, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Again, we have a “now” (we are the children of God), and we have a “not yet” (our future state). We are children of the King, but we must wait to see exactly what that entails.……Add to this the facts that Romans 8:30 says we are “glorified” and Ephesians 2:6 says we are seated with Christ “in the heavenly realms” as if these were completed acts.

We don’t feel very glorified, most of the time, and our surroundings do not much resemble “heavenly realms.”

That’s because the present spiritual reality does not yet match up with the future, physical reality.

One day, the two will be in sync.……So, there is a biblical basis for the “already but not yet” system of interpretation.

The problem comes when this paradigm is used to justify the prosperity gospel, name-it-claim-it teachings, and other heresies.

The idea behind these teachings is that Christ’s kingdom is in full operation and that prayer can make it “break through” into our world.

Evangelism is thought to “advance the kingdom.”

And people are told they never need be sick or poor because the riches of the kingdom are available to them right now.……The Bible never speaks of “advancing the kingdom,” however. The kingdom will come (Luke 11:2). We must receive the kingdom (Mark 10:15). And the kingdom is currently “not of this world” (John 18:36). Jesus’ parables of the kingdom picture it as yeast in dough and a tree growing.

In other words, the kingdom is slowly working toward an ultimate fulfillment.

It is not sporadically “breaking through” to bring us comfort in this world.……The King Himself offered the kingdom to the Jews of the first century, but they rejected it (Matthew 12:22–28).

One day, when Jesus returns, He will establish His kingdom on earth and fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 51:3, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”

Until then, Jesus is building His church (Matthew 16:18) and using us for the glory of His name.