Jesus knows the ways we worry, but asks us to believe that our lives are more than the things we worry about. When we trust in God, rather than worrying about the things of this world, God reminds us of who we are, assures us of God’s faithfulness, and increases our capacity to love our neighbors.
Vicar Natalie Wussler
The Day of Thanksgiving
Texts: Joel 2:21-27; Psalm 126; Timothy 2:1-7; Matthew 6:25-33
Beloved in Christ, grace to you and peace in the name of the ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
“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 clothes?” Jesus asks. And it’s a good question. Because while many of us here thankfully don’t have to worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear on a daily basis, unlike most of the people listening to Jesus, we do worry about a lot of other things–our financial security, our cars, our jobs, our homes, the state of the world and how it will affect us, our loved ones, and millions more. Jesus asks us, are our lives not more than these things? This question is hard for us, because these things are at the core of the ways we live our lives. Of course we need basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. But Jesus says that our life, our value, and our worth should not be in the things that give us earthly security. Jesus is rightly saying that once we value these things above God, worry often follows.
Because worry says that our security and identity are wrapped up in material things. It causes us to see our lives through a tunnel vision of all that we do not have and all the ways we are not enough. We start to believe we are nothing beyond what we have and what we produce. We hear these messages from our world all too often, and they strike fear and worry into our hearts, a worry that causes us to respond with fear, not with love. It provokes us to put our security in our wealth, in what we do, and how much influence we have. We begin to let the world forge our identity, instead of God.
Jesus knew how worry warps our lives, and so he says before all these things, before food, water, or clothes, to seek first the reign of God and God’s righteousness. God’s reign welcomes and loves the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. It makes room for everyone. No exceptions. God’s reign, not security in material things that are here one day and gone the next, is what we should seek. And in the seeking, you will find God and God will help you find yourself.
You are a beloved child of God, above all else. You are loved beyond all reason or measure by the God who created the universe, who provides for the lilies and sparrows, who knows you and cares for you deeply. That’s the God who is with you. Your identity does not rest in material things, it rests in the love that God has first shown you. You can rest from the weariness of worry and trust in God’s love that is at work within you.
And when our identities are secure in God’s love, we’re reminded of God’s faithfulness, to us and to people throughout time. “Do not fear, be glad and rejoice, for God has done great things,” says Joel to Israel, after a major drought and plague of locusts ends. God’s faithfulness to the Israelites brought joy to their hearts and helped them move forward in courage and thanksgiving. We too are empowered by the ways God shows up in our lives. Even in the midst of the struggles of this life, we too can respond in thankfulness for all God has done for us.
During my second summer trip with youth at my previous church, we were traveling to Whiteville, NC. Our first day landed us at a church in Dayton, OH. The next morning we woke up and hopped in our vehicles, only to find out the bus wasn’t starting. We were stranded with no shelter, no extra food, and no way to get all our students from Ohio to North Carolina. Worried is a bit of an understatement. How and when would we get out of Ohio? Where would we sleep that night? How would we give our students a good experience? Our anxiety made it hard to see a way out. But things started to shift. Our hosting church let us stay for an extra night, and made sure we had enough food and water. Some church members even got our students discounted tickets to a waterpark nearby. We found van rentals and had just enough adults to drive them. And, most miraculously, our students had positive, optimistic attitudes the whole time. They treated us and each other with grace and kindness. We were surrounded by generosity and saw God in every detail. We couldn’t help but thank God. And slowly our worries about the bus, getting to North Carolina on time, and keeping our students content disappeared. And we were on our way the next morning.
From droughts to buses breaking down, thankfulness helps us set our worries aside, because we have confidence in our God who has been with us and worked through us in all kinds of difficult times.
And as we are held together by God’s faithfulness, seeking God’s justice and love for all in the world, we walk with so many other beloved children of God. This reign of God is a community, bound together in love for our neighbor and thanksgiving for God, a community that is salt and light to the earth, where people live in humble service to one another. Where God’s will is done on earth as in heaven. And as security in the things of this world becomes trust in our good God, we are assured that God gives us what we need for this journey. And as worry is replaced with God’s love, we are reminded that we draw from an ever-flowing spring that increases our capacity to love our neighbor. And in our abundance that first comes from God, we pour out to all those in need, inviting them to the ever-growing table that ensures all are satisfied. And then people are fed, given drink, and clothed, given more than enough. That’s when tears transform into shouts of joy. That’s when all these things are added to us.
In the name of the ☩ Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
