What, Me Worry?

Looking at the birds flying around, and the grass blowing in the breeze, Jesus shifts our attention off of us, and directs it back to God. And God’s faithful abondance. He reminds his disciples that just as animals and flowers are made by God’s divine hand, so too are each one of them. If God takes care of the least of these in creation, then surely that includes every human being too.

Life is a journey of learning and application. We move through each day asking questions, seeking answers, and developing theories. Then we put to practice what we’ve learned by asking, seeking, developing and practicing. It is a steady, flow in and out. Just as each breath builds upon another, so too does each life lesson.

For the entirety of Lent, we have been looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s gospel. Here, Jesus is teaching his students what it means to be a new kind of community - a people who are formed and fashioned for doing the work in God’s Kingdom.

Lent is a great way to practice being a kingdom community. It allows us the grace needed to grow without limits or fears.

Today we are given a lesson that is very dear to my heart. Whenever I read it, it reminds me of how God is able to enter our pain and suffering, and transform it into something new, a new life.

READ Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.     Matthew 6:25-34

Just a few weeks after I had been accepted to Fuller Seminary, I awoke from a deep sleep with a massive, crushing pain in my chest. I was having trouble breathing. It felt like someone was smashing my face with a pillow.

As I struggled for air, an angry voice in my head kept repeating, “How will I put shoes on their feet? How will I put shoes on their feet?” 

In the midst of having a massive panic attack, my focus was stuck on how I was going to support my family on a minister’s measly salary.

Instead of running to God for protection, I chose to run to God for a fight for putting me in this predicament. And boy, did I let God have it.

I unleashed a torrent of words that was more suited for a sailor than a seminarian. No matter what I said or how loud I screamed, the only response i got was, “How will I put shoes on their feet? How will I put shoes on their feet?” 

​This only made my rage implode causing my chest pains to worsen.

In retrospect I know I was having trouble accepting my call to ministry. I had been fighting it for decades. I had also been fighting God just as long.

But at that moment, I needed God to prove that this was real. Or that I wasn’t delusional.

Now, I’d later learn the unofficial term of what I was about to do is called Bible Roulette - this is where one challenges God to prove God’s self by opening the bible and randomly slamming one’s finger down on verse. That verse, of course, will be the answer you’re looking for.

In between short sips of air and the voice screaming “How will I put shoes on their feet?” I attacked the Bible next to my bed and smashed my finger down on the page. And this is what I read. “Why do you worry about clothing?”  

That was all it took. God won. I didn’t have the fight in me anymore. As I surrendered and let go of my fear, that tight grip on my heart was released. All my worries seem to just melt away.

One of the most repeated phrases in the entire bible is “Do not be afraid,” or a variation like “Do not fear,” or “Do not worry.” I’ve been told that this phrase is repeated in the Bible 365 times. In these few verses alone, Jesus says four times.

Between the wars and threats of wars, a lingering pandemic, and a fragile economy It’s hard not have a little worry and fear rattling around inside your head. You might not worry what you’re going to eat or wear, but many of us are afraid of what others think or worry what they say behind our backs.

Parents will always worry about their children. And children will worry about their parents. You might worry about getting a promotion, while someone else is fearing losing their job. It wasn’t that long ago when there was worry and fear about having enough toilet paper for everyone.

According to Jesus, focusing our energy on that stuff won’t add another second to your life. It won’t give you any more sleep. Or less grey hairs. Instead, we’d do well to follow the advice of Alfred E. Neuman, the iconic spokesman for Mad Magazine who famously quipped: "What, me worry?"

His sage advice was always the opposite of what my teachers were telling me at school. For some reason they wanted us to worry. Worry about our grades, worry about our future, and definitely worry about being judged by God. It’s as if they wanted us to be full of fear, instead of being filled with faith.

watch service here

Looking at the birds flying around, and the grass blowing in the breeze, Jesus shifts our attention off of us, and directs it back to God. And God’s faithful abondance.

​He reminds his disciples that just as animals and flowers are made by God’s divine hand, so too are each one of them. If God takes care of the least of these in creation, then surely that includes every human being too.

God’s kingdom is about abundance, not scarcity. During my panic attack I had lost sight of this powerful truth. I suspect these new disciples had too. Granted, they had a good reason to be worried and afraid. After all, they quit their jobs and left the security of their family and community to follow Jesus.

We too might have legitimate reasons to fear where Jesus is leading us. I certainly did.  But what good does it do? How does it help us become a community formed and fashioned for God’s kingdom? 

Here’s what we need to remember: God is faithful to a fault.

Jesus looks at the world around him, and essentially tells the twelve to empty themselves of their fears and worries so they can be filled with the abundance of God’s provision and care. “Live in God’s faithfulness and you’ll be alright.”

This is God’s Kingdom. God is still in control.

If we believe God is an intimated, caring, and a trustworthy parent who provides all that we need, then it’s possible for us to become a community that shares the same intimacy, care, and trust with others.

As Jesus will spend the rest of his ministry demonstrating, God gives us all that we need to enter every space as a living manifestation of God’s loving abundance.

As Jesus shows us, God’s perfect love helps us become perfect at loving each other.

Because God is more faithful, we can be faithful to one another.

Because God is more merciful, we can always show mercy. Because God is more than gracious, we can always be gracious.

We can love God, love others, and serve both because God is forever faithful. God’s will always prevail…even if and when we fail.

Looking at Anamesa, that space between heaven and earth, Jesus reminds us that every living thing is under God’s care.  And God will not leave us without resources or support. Just as God has not abandoned the forest and oceans, God will not abandon you or me. Once we wrap our head and heart around this reality, worry or fear will lose all its power over us.

When we come to embrace God’s faithfulness and goodness, then we can go out into the world as “a living witness to the character of God’s loving abundance and care for creation.”  

So you see, Alfred E. Neumann was right. “What, me worry?” All is okay and we’ll be okay too. Or to quote Richard Rohr, “Stop fretting and fearing and enjoy divine union now.”

As we make our pilgrimage through Lent to Easter, we might face challenges and circumstances that could cause a panic attack or two. But I’ve learned, time and time again, that we can face life’s uncertainties and contingencies knowing God is ever faithful and ever present; creating new life out of our pain and suffering. And even out of death.

As we walk towards the Good Friday cross, and the darkness that follows, may we never lose site of the Easter light that broke through the darkness - where God proved to the world what God is capable and willing to do to for all of creation.

The One who looks out for the transient life of grass with such beauty and care, is also looking out for you and me.

Instead of worrying about what you will eat, or drink or wear let’s use our time and energy being a people whose faith is in grounded in God’s faithfulness; whose love mirrors God’s love; and whose focus is on the Kingdom of God and righteousness.

If we trust Jesus at his word, then all these things will be given unto you.


Work Cited
Adapted from Seriously, Don't Worry About It by Ian Macdonald on 08.22.2021