The middle section of that passage records Jesus' teaching to his disciples about the basic necessities of life:
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.This promise from God to provide all the believer's daily necessities is not only extraordinary, but it is also very difficult to believe and trust in. What I was so struck by was the patience of our Lord in reassuring the disciples (and us!) of this promise.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Look at the number of times he repeats the command or the reassurance:
- v 22, "do not be anxious about your life ... about your body"
- v 24, "how much more value are you than the birds!"
- v 26, "why are you anxious about the rest?"
- v 28, "how much more will he clothe you..."
- v 29, "do not seek what you are to eat ... nor be worried"
- v 30, "your Father knows that you need them"
Praise God for his inexhaustible grace!
No comments:
Post a Comment