Luke 12: 27-31
[Jesus said] Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. If this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith? Do not constantly chase after what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be worried about it. To be sure, the nations of the world chase after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need them. Instead, continue to seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.
Applying God’s Word for Today: Let us be content in every situation.
The imagery Jesus used when He shared a story with the believers around Him was timeless and remains just as applicable today. We wake up, go to our closet, and even if there is only one outfit to wear, we still fret about what to wear. If we have more, the question is, “What am I going to wear today?” Is it right for the meeting? Does it match? What is everyone else going to wear? I don’t want to stand out, or maybe I really want to stand out to make my point. Jesus tells us not to chase after what we eat, drink, or wear; rather, pursue the kingdom of God, and God will provide our necessities.
Jesus’ example of the weeds of the field being dressed in the splendor of flowers that surpass Solomon in all His glory. How much more will God make sure that those He sent His Son to redeem from all our sins will not be neglected? God loves us so much that He willingly sent Jesus to suffer and die on the cross as our atoning sacrifice. Jesus willingly went to the cross to defeat sin, death, and the Devil, so that we have eternal life, ours by faith in Jesus. Moreover, if our Triune God would go to such extremes to save us, how much more will He not also take care of our daily needs on earth? As Jesus said, seek the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you. We do this by strengthening our faith through the Word and the sacrament. Read, study, and share God’s word with others who do not know about Jesus, so that they, too, will seek God’s kingdom.
Dear Lord God, instill in us the faith to always seek your kingdom. Grant us contentment in this life, and let our pursuit be of that which will increase our faith and lead us to know and trust in Jesus for our salvation. Please forgive us when we fail and restore us to you. Amen.
Worry is the opposite of faith. It focuses on our efforts and on what we lack. By contrast, faith holds on to God’s blessings and the promise of our Savior, who overcame our greatest problem – sin. By faith, God promises to provide us with our necessities, so we reach our end, heaven.