EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Matthew 6: 24-34)
“THEREFORE I TELL YOU DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE”
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU AND I SAID TO OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS: “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT OK?
AND HOW MANY TIMES HAVE THEY ANSWERED US: “IT’S OK FOR YOU TO SAY DON’T WORRY, BUT I’M THE ONE WHO HAS TO FACE MY PROBLEM”?
WHEN JESUS SAYS DON’T WORRY IT SOUNDS SIMPLISTIC. WE SAY TO OURSELVES THERE’S NOTHING HERE THAT I HAVEN’T HEARD A THOUSAND TIMES.
BEFORE YOU DISMISS THE WORDS OF JESUS MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANT WHEN HE SAID DON’T WORRY. WE MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS FORBIDDING AND WHAT HE IS COMMANDING.
WHEN HE USES THE WORD WORRY, JESUS IS NOT TALKING ABOUT ORDINARY CONCERN THAT WE HAVE ABOUT LIVING AND MAKING A LIVING.
HE IS NOT ADVOCATING A SHIFTLESS, THRIFTLESS, RECKLESS, THOUGHTLESS, ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE; HE IS FORBIDDING THAT DREADUL, WORRIED FEAR WHICH TAKES JOY OUT OF LIFE.
THINK OF A WIFE WHO WRITES A LETTER TO HER HUSBAND WHO IS AWAY ON A BUSINESS TRIP: “I CANNOT SLEEP NIGHT OR DAY BECAUSE OF THE WORRY I HAVE ABOUT YOUR SAFETY”
THINK ABOUT A 12 YEAR OLD BOY WHO LOST HIS MOTHER THROUGH A RARE ILLNESS. SHE DIED SHORTLY AFTER BEING RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL ONE DAY.
HERE IS WHAT HE WROTE ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE:
“AFTER MOM’S DEATH, I WOULD WANDER ABOUT THE HOUSE AIMLESSLY, GOING FROM ROOM TO ROOM. I WAS UTTERLY CONFUSED AND LOST. I MISSED MY OTHER TERRIBLY.
EVERYTHING SHE EVER TOUCHED BECAME PRECIOUS TO ME: HER PRAYERBOOK ON HER BEDSIDE TABLE, THE LITTLE YELLOW BUCKET WHICH SHE USED TO WATER HER PLANT, AND THE VACUUM CLEANER SHE USED TO CLEAN MY ROOM.”
THE BOY WAS HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME. THEN ONE DAY HIS EYES SPOTTED A CARD UNDER THE GLASS TOP OF HIS DRESSER. HE RECALLED SEEING IT THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME JUST BEFORE HIS MOTHER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. BUT HE DIDN’T BOTHER TO READ IT. SUDDENLY HE PULLED IT OUT AND READ THIS MESSAGE FROM HIS MOTHER.
“FOR EV’RY PAIN WE MUST BEAR, FOR EV’RY BURDEN, EV’RY CARE, THERE’S A REASON.
FOR EV’RY GRIEF THAT BOWS THE HEAD, FOR EV’RY TEARDROP THAT IS SHED, THERE’S A REASON.
FOR EV’RY HURT, FOR EV’RY PLIGHT, FOR EV’RY LONELY, PAIN-RAKED NIGHT, THERE’S A REASON.
BUT IF WE TRUST IN GOD, AS WE SHOULD, IT WILL TURN OUT FOR OUR GOOD. HE KNOWS THE REASON.”
AFTER READING THIS MESSAGE THE BOY SAID: “I COULD PICTURE MY MOM COMING INTO MY ROOM BEFORE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL AND PUTTING THE CARD THERE, AS IF TO SAY: ‘IT’S ALRIGHT SON. GOD KNOWS THE REASON.’”
FROM THAT MOMENT ON I WAS ABLE TO COPE WITH MY MOM’S DEATH. HER OWN TRUST IN GOD RUBBED OFF ON ME?”
THE GREEK WORD THAT JESUS IS USING IN THIS PASSAGE MEANS TO WORRY ANXIOUSLY.
THE PEOPLE THAT JESUS WAS TALKING TO WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ATTITUDE TO LIFE. A GREAT RABBI TAUGHT THAT A MAN OUGHT TO MEET LIFE WITH A COMBINATION OF PRUDENCE AND SERENITY.
THEY INSISTED THAT EVERY MAN MUST TEACH HIS SON A TRADE, FOR, THEY SAID, NOT TO TEACH HIM A TRADE WAS TO TEACH HIM TO STEAL. THEY BELIEVED IN TAKING ALL THE NECESSARY STEPS FOR THE PRUDENT HANDLING OF LIFE. AT THE SAME TIME THEY SAID “HE WHO HAS A LOAF IN HIS BASKET, AND WHO SAYS, ‘WHAT WILL I EAT TOMORROW’ IS A MAN OF LITTLE FAITH?”
JESUS WAS TEACHING A LESSON WHICH HIS COUNTRYMEN KNEW VERY WELL—THE LESSON OF PRUDENCE AND FORETHOUGHT AND SERENITY AND TRUST COMBINED.
WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT HOW WE DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST WORRY?
HE BEGINS BY POINTING OUT (MATT. 6:25) THAT GOD GAVE US LIFE, AND, IF HE GAVE US LIFE, SURELY WE CAN TRUST HIM FOR THE LESSER THINGS. IF GOD GAVE US LIFE, SURELY WE CAN TRUST HIM TO GIVE US FOOD TO SUSTAIN THAT LIFE. IF GOD GAVE US BODIES, SURELY WE CAN TRUST HIM FOR RAIMENT TO CLOTHE THESE BODIES.
THE FIRST ARGUMENT AGAINST WORRY IS THAT, IF GOD GAVE US LIFE, WE CAN TRUST HIM FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT LIFE.
JESUS GOES ON TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE FLOWERS (MATT. 6:28-30). HE LOVED THE LILIES OF THE FIELD THE SCARLET POPPIES AND ANEMONES THAT BLOOMED ON THE HILLSIDES OF PALESTINE. THEY BLOOMED FOR ONE DAY. THEY WERE CLOTHED WITH A BEAUTY WHICH SURPASSED THE BEAUTY OF THE ROBES OF KINGS.
AND YET AFTER THEIR BRIEF MOMENT OF LIFE THEY WERE USED FOR NOTHING BETTER THAN FOR BURNING.
IF GOD GIVES SUCH BEAUTY TO A SHORT-LIVED FLOWER, HOW MUCH MORE WILL HE CARE FOR A MAN AND A WOMAN? SURELY THE GOD WHO IS SO GENEROUS TO A FLOWER THAT LASTS A DAY WILL BE MORE GENEROUS TO US WHO WILL LIVE FOREVER.
WORRY COMES FROM THE HEART. IT COMES FROM CHASING AFTER THINGS THAT WE USE TODAY AND DISCARD TOMORROW. WHAT ARE WE TO EAT? WHAT ARE WE TO DRINK? WHAT ARE WE TO WEAR?
JESUS WHO WANTS US TO BE FREE OF ANXIOUS WORRY ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS SAYS TO US: “SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS GLORY AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU BESIDES.”
JESUS WHO KNOWS WHAT WE NEED DOES NOT WANT US TO BE ANXIOUS AND WORRIED. HE GUARANTEES US THAT “ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU BESIDES.”
JESUS WHO TAUGHT US TO CALL GOD OUR FATHER IS TELLING US THAT A FATHER WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HIS CHILD NEEDS.
THE PSALMIST PUTS THESE WORD IN THE HEART OF GOD:”CAN A MOTHER FORGET HER INFANT, BE WITHOUT TENDERNESS TO THE CHILD OF HER WOMB? EVEN SHOULD SHE FORGET, I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU”?
IT WAS JESUS CONVICTION THAT WORRY IS BANISHED WHEN GOD BECOMES THE DOMINATING POWER OF OUR LIVES.THE MAN WHO FEEDS HIS HEART ON THE RECORD OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN THE PAST WILL NEVER WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
YOU AND I ARE STILL ALIVE. OUR HEADS ARE STILL ABOVE WATER. WE ARE BETTER OFF THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
SUPPOSE SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU A LONG TIME AGO ALL THE CHALLENGES AND HURDLES YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO REACH THIS DAY IN YOUR LIVE? YOU WOULD SAY THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTION.
THE LESSON OF LIFE IS THAT SOMEHOW WE HAVE BEEN ENABLED TO BEAR THE UNBEARABLE AND TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE WE TRUST IN THE INVISIBLE.
ONE DAY A GERMAN MYSTIC MET A BEGGAR. HE SAID TO THE BEGGAR: "GOD GIVE YOU A GOOD DAY, MY FRIEND". THE BEGGAR ANSWERED, "I THANK GOD I NEVER HAD A BAD ONE."
THEN THE MYSTIC SAID: "GOD GIVE YOU A HAPPY LIFE, MY FRIEND." "I THANK GOD," SAID THE BEGGAR, "I AM NEVER UNHAPPY."
IN AMAZEMENT THE MYSTIC SAID: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" "WELL, SAID THE BEGGAR, "WHEN IT IS FINE, I THANK GOD; WHEN IT RAINS, I THANK GOD; WHEN I HAVE PLENTY, I THANK GOD; WHEN I AM HUNGRY, I THANK GOD; AND SINCE GOD'S WILL IS MY WILL, AND WHATEVER PLEASES HIM PLEASES ME, WHY SHOULD I SAY I AM UNHAPPY WHEN I AM NOT?"
THE MYSTIC LOOKED AT THE MAN IN ASTONISHMENT. HE SAID:"WHO ARE YOU?"
"I AM A KING," SAID THE BEGGAR. "WHERE THEN IS YOUR KINGDOM?" ASKED THE MYSTIC. AND THE BEGGAR ANSWERED QUIETLY: "IN MY HEART."
THE PSALMIST SAYS IT BEST:
REST IN GOD ALONE, MY SOUL.
ONLY IN GOD IS MY SOUL AT REST;
FROM HIM COMES MY SALVATION.
HE ONLY IS MY ROCK AND MY SALVATION.
MY STRONGHOLD; I SHALL NOT BE DISTURBED AT ALL.
ONLY IN GOD BE AT REST, MY SOUL.
FOR FROM HIM COMES MY HOPE.
HE ONLY IS MY ROCK AND MY SALVATION,
MY STRONGHOLD; I SHALL NOT BE DISTURBED.
WITH GOD IS MY SAFETY AND MY GLORY.
HE IS THE ROCK OF MY STRENGTH; MY REFUGE IS IN GOD.
TRUST IN HIM AT ALL TIMES, O MY PEOPLE!
POUR OUT YOUR HEARTS BEFORE HIM.
R. REST IN GOD ALONE, MY SOUL.