Posts
Icon of Elijah fed by a raven (detail) - Byzantine Museum, Athens, Greece
Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."
- Luke 12:22-31
Yesterday, we read that as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him''; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind." My study bible notes here that Jesus warns us against anxiety -- not thoughtful planning. It says, "Our physical well-being is directly dependent on God, and only indirectly on food, drink, and clothing. Anxiety over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care."
"For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things." Here is a notion that all the world -- including those Gentiles who served pagan idols -- feel dependent on earthly things, and also that we are assured God knows what we need. In this understanding, our dependence is upon God, not upon the things of the world. It is a freeing, liberating, way of life.
"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." My study bible points out that the kingdom of God is the central theme of Christ's teaching. It says, "Calling us to be free from anxiety about earthly things, Jesus directs us to look to heaven, secure in the faith that God will provide needed earthly blessings." Our focus is on the Kingdom, where we are "all-included" and embraced, meaning every need we have and what it is to be a human being in every sense.
Once again, as we observed in yesterday's reading and commentary, there is no sense in Christ of a division between the heavenly and the earthly in us: if we seek first this kingdom, all else is added to us. God's embrace includes the awareness of the things we need as human beings. But we are encouraged to focus on seeking that kingdom, and leaving the rest as part of our dependence upon God. This is not a separation of awareness from the things of the world or the needs of our bodies or social and community lives. Rather, it is a re-arrangement of priorities, and a diminishing of anxiety; in fact, in Jesus' perspective here anxiety is to be turned away, put aside. Clearly, it is something indicated to be unhelpful, not good for us. Undoubtedly it is one of those things that, in the parable of the Sower, is part of those thorns that choke the seeds with "cares, riches, and pleasures of life," and so prevent us from bearing good fruit. This is still important advice. All we have to do is look around ourselves and see the levels of disease and ailment -- psychological and physical, in individual and community -- caused by excess anxiety and the stress it creates. Anxiety diminishes our focus on what's most important, and, like the parable of the Sower teaches, distracts us from what is really essential. It harms our bodies and souls and spirits. It distracts from good goals. Anti-anxiety medication is among the most prescribed medications, and that doesn't include all the ways in which self-medication is also used as a coping mechanism for anxiety (via, for example, alcohol and other types of drugs). Jesus' "prescription," so to speak, is for reliance upon God. This is a development of a different set of goals, the subject of our true desire being a deep relationship with God, a sense of belonging to this Kingdom, and allowing our other "dependencies" to rest upon this single first focus of seeking the Kingdom. It is a way of restructuring ourselves psychologically, a healthy "coping" mechanism, a rootedness in prayer. It is also a way to form a basis in good community, another healthful coping mechanism. In yesterday's reading, we were given the prayer to "Our Father," in which we pray "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is heaven." Surely, anxieties can distract us from this goal. All in all, God is aware of our condition. Christ has been one of us, and subject to the same problems we are. We know His life, His foundation of ministry and preaching the Kingdom. We know His vulnerability to the same worldly things that we are. Sometimes we place so much emphasis on what "the world" seems to think we are supposed to have, that we miss entirely the fact that what we have may be adequate for our needs, but that we are not focusing on the spiritual needs that feed everything else, including our sense of security and peace. I love Jesus' focus on the things of this world and their beauty: the ravens, the lilies in the field, our own height. The ravens put me in mind of Prophet Elijah, who was fed by ravens as the Old Testament story goes (see 1 Kings 17:1-7). If we look closely at these birds mentioned here, we'd learn what great intelligence they have, and that they are sometimes capable mimics of other animals, including human speech! This glimpse of details about this one example given by Jesus teaches us with what care God seems to equip and bless even these birds, gifted with logic and a great sense of playfulness. The lilies of the field come in all kinds of gorgeous apparel, and grow wild in all kinds of places, gracing us with the free beauty God gives them. Lilies also serve as symbolic reminders of Resurrection. In these small examples, then, are tremendous gifts, beauty and wonder that uplift us -- and work in us, upon observation, to dispel anxiety. Dwelling upon a life of participation in the Kingdom is a way of actually seeing what blessings are right in front of us. We are graced with so much, including our own capacities and blessings for all the varieties of abilities in human beings. When we seek the Kingdom, we put these gifts to good use, and may be surprised and delighted by what is before us, uplifted and inspired by what potentials we may find. Can we share His focus?
