The key verse for the Sermon on the Mount is found in...
Mt 7:24 (NASB)
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock..."
The portion of the Sermon on the Mount we will be looking at today is found in...
Matthew 6:25-34 (NASB)
The Cure for Anxiety
25 "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?
26 "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?
27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Our text for this sermon has even more impact when studied in the context of the key verse for the sermon on the mount. When I build my life on the solid rock foundation of the words of Christ I don't need to worry about anything; well, supposedly.
In his book, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation, Robert Mulholland said, "Biblically, anxiety and care are symptoms of a failure of trust." (Mulholland, 86) So, how do I deal with the worry and anxiety that I encounter in my every day living experience on this earth? If I have worry or anxiety am I living short of the expectations Christ has for me here on this earth? These are the questions we want to address this morning.
Stress is a major cause of sickness today.
In an article on cronic stress Wikipedia had this to say: "It has been discovered that there is a huge upsurge in the number of people who suffer from this condition. A very large number of these new cases suffer from insomnia. In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, the authors found that stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and cardiovascular disease and in speeding the progression of HIV/AIDS." (Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller GE (2007). Chronic Stress)
I would say that dealing with stress is an important issue for every Christian.
In his book, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation, Robert Mulholland talks about purgation. When I first read that word I thought of the Catholic teaching on purgatory. A place where you go to suffer a little while before you go to heaven.
One of the definitions of purgation in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary reads, "to make free of something unwanted". In detail it defines purgation as... Purgation: the act or result of purging. Purging: (purge) Latin - to purify, purge, pure (1 a:) to clear of guilt (b:) to free from moral or ceremonial defilement (2 a:) to cause evacuation from (like the bowels) (b:) to make free of something unwanted; to free of sediment c: to get rid of
Mulholland's discussion of purgation is especially helpful in understanding Matthew chapter six. Listen to his words. "Purgation deals with the deep-seated attitudes and inner orientations of our being out of which our behavior patterns flow." (Mulholland, 85)
Essentially Mulholland says that worry and anxiety come out of human reliance on self instead of relying on God for our well-being. Referring to Benedict Groeschel he points out that we need to purge ourselves of this reliance on self and enter into a relationship of radical trust in God. Mature faith in God, he says, has a decline of anxiety and an increase of peace. (Mulholland, 85)
If you are familiar with the desert you can identify with the words of the prophet Jeremiah in Jer. 17:5-8...
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NASB)
5 Thus says the LORD, Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant.
7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD.
8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.
If you have lived in the desert long you have seen this very picture. The bushes just barely staying alive in the heat of the dry summer blast. Yet down by a dry wash stands a tall cottonwood tree full of life. It's green leaves provide an inviting shelter of shade that gives relief from the smothering heat. This green tree provides a beautiful picture of a Christian who has found relief from anxiety by their trust in God.
The apostle Paul had this same view. Let go of anxiety and you will have peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)
[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
[7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
These two verses taken in their context help us understand how this is possible.
Philippians 4:4-5 (NASB)
[4] Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
[5] Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
In these two verses Paul talks about rejoicing and having a gentle spirit. In verse four Paul says we are to rejoice in the Lord always. How on earth do you do that? Always? Come on Paul, rejoice always, be anxious for nothing. By what authority can you make such unrealistic statements?
Mulholland says, "Why not simply exhort us to 'rejoice' and 'be not anxious' and leave it at that? Then we could use our own discriminating judgment as to which situations called for rejoicing and which called for anxiety. To be so dogmatically inclusive is simply unrealistic in the kind of world we live in." (Mulholland, 85)
One of the great things about the Word of God, the Bible or Scriptures, is that it is not just a book of advice, admonishments, and commands. It is more importantly a book of practical applications. It gives us repeated example, in great detail, so that what we read is not some kind of lofty standard which we strive to achieve on our own. It is lived out in the experiences of those who have followed Christ before us.
For example, in the first part of his letter to the Philippian church, Paul shows how his imprisonment served to expand the Kingdom of God.
Philippians 1:12-15 (NASB)
[12] Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
[13] so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
[14] and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
[15] Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
As Paul continues to write in this fourth chapter of Philippians he talks about rejoicing in all circumstances.
Philippians 4:10-14 (NASB)
[10] But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.
[11] Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
[12] I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
[13] I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
[14] Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.
Mulholland says, "It would appear that Paul is not expounding theory but exhibiting a truth he has learned through years of faithful discipleship. Paul provides here not the argument for trust but the anatomy of trust." (Mulholland, 86) Paul lived what he preached. When he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always", that is the way he lived his daily life. When he said, "Be anxious for nothing", it is because he had come to a place in his life where he was anxious for NOTHING.
The NASB subtitle for our text, found in Mt 6:25-34 is; The Cure for Anxiety. The more firmly we plant our lives on the rock foundation of the words of Christ, the less worry we will have about the real needs we face in our lifetime. Look at what Jesus had to say about worry and anxiety.
Matthew 6:25 (NASB)
The Cure for Anxiety
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?
Christ gets very specific about what we are not to worry about. "Your life", He says. In the context of the Sermon on the Mount we know He is talking about the real needs of life, the things that keep us alive.
♦ Food: Another word for food is energy or fuel. Food is what supplies the body the necessary energy to function properly. You can survive for about two weeks without food.
♦ Drink: Hydration is another important necessity for the proper health of the body. You cannot survive for more than a few days without water.
♦ Clothes: Clothes provide protect from the elements of the climate around us. Without proper clothing we are subject to exposure. It is possible that you may not survive one day without proper clothing.
Matthew 6:26 (NASB)
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?
There are two important points made in this verse:
1. Provision: God takes care of birds. But! Not only does God take care of the birds, God sustains all of creation, all of the universe.
2. Worth: You are worth more to Him than all of creation. Mankind is special and God has made a special place for us to live in the universe where we are safe and where our needs are met. (Read quote in The Case For A Creator, by Lee Strobel, pg. 618-617. )
Matthew 6:27 (NASB)
And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Mankind is in God's hands. Yet in our culture we are over stressed about staying healthy and alive. Don't get me wrong, good health and life are very important and precious to God, and they should be precious to us as individuals as well. But ultimately our health and life are in God's hands.
I think there are a couple of reasons we have anxiety over our health.
♦ We don't like the pain and discomfort even though much of it could be avoided by taking better care of ourselves. I know that by personal experience. I was almost crippled with
arthritis pain until I lost 60 pounds and started exercising regularly.
♦ We fear death, we fear the unknown which is an indication of a lack of trust in God and His promises. This is what Jesus is addressing in this passage. Trust in God is the
ultimate stress reliever and stress is one of the biggest contributors to poor health.
Matthew 6:28 (NASB)
And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
This verse speaks of God's extravagance in His care for mankind.
Matthew 6:29 (NASB)
yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
Compared to what a man can do to be extravagant, God far exceeds that effort and ability. His creation is a constant reminder to mankind that He takes care of us with extravagant love and care.
Matthew 6:30 (NASB)
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
God wants to do much more for mankind. Does it seem incredible to you that God has a desire to care for us with this kind of extravagance?
Matthew 6:31 (NASB)
Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
If God is willing to do so much for creation, we don't need to worry about His promise to fulfill our real needs in life.
Matthew 6:32 (NASB)
For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
The world works at meeting their own needs not realizing that God knows us intimately and knows what our real needs are and is waiting for us to trust Him to supply those needs. Unfortunately Christians are too quick to follow their example.
Matthew 6:33 (NASB)
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The key that allows God to fulfill our real needs, is to seek His Kingdom as the first and most important thing in our daily lives. I can testify that He blesses us far above our real needs.
Matthew 6:34 (NASB)
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Seeking His Kingdom above our own desires and will, is the cure for anxiety.
It is one thing to believe there is a cure for anxiety, but it is quite another thing to live an anxiety free life. We still have to deal with our feelings and emotions. To trust God fully does not relieve all the feelings and emotions of anxiety but trust in God gives us a rock solid foundation to stand on while the storms of our emotions and feelings rage all around us like a horrific tornado.
Look at Paul's anxiety. Paul cannot identify with all circumstances that cause anxiety and worry but he certainly can identify with the most traumatic circumstances one can face. Paul has seem the worst that life can throw at an individual.
Paul shows the emotions and feelings of anxiety in his life yet he was as firmly planted on the rock as anyone we know of in history. Out of his letters flow the encouragement of a man who fully trusted God without doubt, no natter what was going in in his life. Yet he dealt with the feelings and emotions of worry and anxiety in his own life.
For example, Paul prayed three times to be delivered from a thorn in the flesh. Praying three times indicates an ongoing problem. His reference to the flesh indicates something was going on with his body. Knowing all the painful experiences that Paul went through that are recorded in the Scriptures, I kind of wonder what was going on in his body that bothered him so much he prayed three times to get relief from it. No doubt it was causing anxiety in his life.
At one time Paul talked about what seemed to be a depression that made him long for death. Paul had been beaten and left for dead. Well I could go on and on about the torture and abuse Paul suffered as a follower of Jesus Christ but how do these facts fit in with the cure for anxiety and worry?
All of these are not inconsistent with Christ's command not to be anxious.
♦ Because our weaknesses show us our great God, unless we are
wrapped up in ourselves and our own self preservation.
♦ Because our weaknesses show His strength Unless we are trying to do it on our own.
♦ Because our weaknesses help us grow and make us strong, unless we are stuck in the
mediocrity of self effort.
♦ Because our weaknesses hold the keys to the Kingdom of God in testimony to others, unless the world looking on, only sees another individual struggling on their own and the only difference is that they have a different title, the title Christian.
I think Paul expressed it well when he wrote his second letter to the Corinthian church.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NASB)
[7] Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me - to keep me from exalting myself!
[8] Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
[9] And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
[10] Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
In these verses we find the profound expression of Jesus teaching on the cure for anxiety and worry. Here Paul shows us how he lived out Christ's admonition...
Matthew 6:25-34 (NASB)
25 "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?
26 "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?
27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Mulholland, M. Robert, Jr. Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation; Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1993.
NASB - New American Standard Bible (NASB). Cedar Rapids: Laridian, 2002