Do not be Anxious – Matthew 6:25–32
At surface value, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-24, “do not be anxious” can seem dismissive. Upon further investigation, within the context of his life, Jesus is offering us a framework of faith to not just cope with the anxieties of life but to truly become a non-anxious presence.
3 things to keep in mind about Jesus' Sermon;
The Sermon on the Mount is not an isolated speech.
The whole sermon is Christ describing what life in the kingdom and allegiance to him looks like.
Obedience to the Sermon on the Mount is a practice in imagination.
5 headlines to you from the New York Times this week,
“War Displaces 1 in 5 Ukrainians, U.N Estimates”
“Another Covid Surge may be coming. Are we Ready for it?”
“Federal Reserve Announces First Interest Rate Hike Since 2018”
“As Offices Open and Mask Mandates Drop, Some Anxieties Set In”
“Netflix is starting to crack down on password sharing”
Jesus is not dismissive of our anxiety, rather he is offering us the chance to reconsider its place in our life.
Anxiety is a warning signal hard-wired into our bodies and is an essential component of human survival.
The verb Matthew chooses is one that has this connotation of choking or strangling. The anxiety Jesus seems to hone in on is a pattern of rumination and self-sabotage that seems to choke the joy out of life.
I think Jesus invites us to investigate our thoughts and feelings to gauge what we’ve given too much power to.
Creation itself demonstrates the care of our Father.
All of creation, everything under the sun, finds its very existence and continued persistence in the care of our triune God.
In his third iteration of the prohibition, Jesus will say “do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.“
When ruminating cycle of anxiety begins to choke you– Jesus’ encouragement is to recognize God’s provision in the creation and to anchor yourself to the moment.
Jesus invites us to exchange working for our Kingdom for resting in His.
The Kingdom is God’s plan, story, and desire for humanity and creation. The Kingdom of God is the place in which His will is “done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Righteousness refers to our ethical conformity with that Kingdom.
In order to become a nonanxious presence, there are three things to reflect on–
What narratives or situations in my life have I allowed to become bigger or more powerful than they actually are?
How can I become more present to my body and the events of today?
How can I adjust my expectation so that they conform to the Kingdom of God?
In John 15, Jesus says,
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” –John 15:9–11.
The verb for abiding– has much to do with dwelling, staying, residing persisting, to be at home. To learn to abide is to learn to make our home in God’s love.
“Prayer is learning to relax into God”– Ronald Rolheiser
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." – Augustine
