But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  

 

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

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 12:13-31 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was speaking to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has  killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.   Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." 

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  My study Bible comments that it was a custom for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes.  But a dispute over an inheritance can be detrimental to salvation.  This greed is pure idolatry, my study Bible comments (Colossians 3:5) and unfitting for those who know God.  Notice how incompatible this question is with what Christ has just finished saying, in yesterday's reading, above. 

 

 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  My study Bible says that the question, "Whose will those things be which you hae provided?" is the key to understanding the saving up of material goods.  St. John Chrysostom writes that the only barns we need we already have:  "the stomachs of the poor."  St. Basil the Great taught that the bread in our cupboard belongs to the hungry man; the coat hanging unused belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in our closet belong to the one who has no shoes; and the money we hoard belongs to the poor.  St. Ambrose teaches, "The things which we cannot take with us are not ours.  Only virtue will be our companion when we die."  My study Bible says that even when Joseph stored up grain in Egypt (Genesis 41) it was for the benefit of the whole nation.  These teachings apply to parishes as well as to each person. 

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."  Here my study Bible comments that Christ is warning against anxiety, not against thoughtful planning.  Our physical well-being is directly dependent upon God, it says, and only indirectly on food and clothing.  Anxiety over earthly things can demonstrate a lack of faith in God's care.  The nations of the world is a reference to the Gentiles, who served pagan idols, and remained consumed by dependence on earthly things.  My study Bible says that those who follow God can be freed from this dependence.   The kingdom of God is the central theme of Christ's teaching.  As we are freed from excess anxiety about earthly things, Christ guides us to look to how we please God (seek the kingdom of God) and be secure in the faith that God will provide our needed earthly blessings. 

What does it mean to seek the kingdom of God?  Christ has given us prescriptions, so to speak, in all of His teachings, about how to do that.  We are to pray, we are to seek God's righteousness.  We are to love God with all our hearts and minds and soul and strength -- and to love neighbor as oneself, extended that love through practice.  To dispute over an inheritance does not seem to indicate that one is seeking a righteous judgment but rather contesting something legitimately given out of greed and covetousness.  Let us think for a moment about what such disputes entail, the expense and effort and time, not to mention the family dynamics of such a circumstance.  This indicates that one has not sought God's will in such a dispute but rather values material wealth first over the kingdom of God.  We make such choices all the time; we are presented with such choices all the time -- and in today's passage, Jesus is clearly coming down firmly on the answer for us all.  We're to seek first the kingdom of God, in all things, and at all times.  This may seem difficult, if not impossible to do in a world obsessed with material goods and consumption.  It's exacerbated through modern conditions of comparison to others and being offered all kinds of goods through images, advertising, social media.  Social media often offers to us what we supposedly "should" be seeking in life, because everyone else does it, because all our friends do, or even family members.  But this is not where the Christian heart must be focusing.  These are all great distractions to seek something else and take our mind and our focus off of God, and Christ's teaching for us and for our lives.  There really is no compromise on this; Jesus teaches that we cannot serve both God and mammon.  We have to make a choice.  Note that Jesus does not say that we must live without blessings of a material kind -- what He does say is that we need to seek the kingdom of God.  He tells us that "your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."    Seeking the kingdom of God, therefore, applies to all times and circumstances.  We seek God's will through prayerful life, putting all things -- our troubles, concerns, worries, needs, and choices -- before God and seeking the discernment to find God's way.  Sometimes I have found that an important practice in life is seeking to give control up to God, to accept what comes with gratitude.  Regardless of circumstances, I find that letting go to God helps me with clarity and also with charity; sometimes those in need are brought to me with what God thinks I can offer, even if that's just a kind word or smile.  So often, we forget what blessings we really have to share; a focus on the purely material blinds us to the other things people need and desire for their hearts as well.  Let us seek that Kingdom and God's blessings, and we will find that we have so much more than we know.

But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 

 

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

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 12:13-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus criticized them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." 

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." My study Bible notes that it was a custom for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes.  But a dispute over an inheritance, my study Bible says, is detrimental to salvation.  This greed is pure idolatry (Colossians 3:5) and unfitting for one who knows God.  My study Bible asks us to notice how incompatible this question is with what Christ has just finished saying (see yesterday's reading, above).  Note Christ's important words, giving us the emphasis on what is truly life-giving; if we think our life consists in the abundance of things we possess, we are on the wrong track.

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  My study Bible says that the question, Whose will those things be which you have provided? is the key to understanding the saving up of material goods.   It notes that St. John Chrysostom writes that the only barns we need we already have; that is, "the stomachs of the poor."  St. Basil the Great, my study Bible adds, taught that the bread in our cupboard belongs to the hungry man; the coat hanging unused belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in our closet belong to the one who has no shoes; and the money we hoard belongs to the poor.  Moreover, it says, St. Ambrose teaches, "The things which we cannot take with us are not ours.  Only virtue will be our companion when we die."  Even when Joseph stored up grain in Egypt (Genesis 41), it was for the benefit of the whole nation.  Such teachings, my study Bible notes, apply to parishes as well as to each person.  

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."   My study Bible comments that here Jesus warns against anxiety, and not against thoughtful planning.  It says that our physical well-being is directly dependent on God, and only indirectly on food, drink, and clothing.  Anxiety over earthly things, it notes, demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care.  The nations of the world:  my study Bible explains that because the Gentiles served pagan idols, they remained consumed by dependence on earthly things.  Those who follow God can be freed from this dependence.    To seek the kingdom of God is the central theme of Christ's teaching, the true gospel message.  Christ calls us to be free from anxiety about earthly things, and look to heaven as the center of life and its Source, secure in the faith that God will provide needed earthly blessings.  

In today's reading, there is a subtle shift toward the Cross that we might miss if we believe that a reference needs to be explicit.  But the shift toward the Cross is there in the sense that Jesus begins to shift the attention of His disciples from the purely material to the transcendent.  That is, He is taking them toward a sense that life does not come from purely material accumulation "for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  In this context, we must consider their expectations of what His kingdom will be and when it will appear.  As Jesus is now on the journey toward His Passion, this shift in the attention of His disciples is important.  In order to understand and experience the events that are coming, it will be necessary to have a perspective capable of taking in and accepting the deeper values of the Kingdom which will sustain them on their future apostolic journeys.  As St. Paul will write, "And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (1 Corinthians 4:12-14).  In the parable Christ teaches, the subject touches upon death, making us think about our relationship with God and the things we take with us when we leave this world -- and again, there is the beginning of the journey toward the Cross.  The man in the parable who has made his storehouses has failed to consider even what will happen with his material goods at his death, and has not nurtured his soul -- although that would be possible with acts of  mercy toward those in need.  Jesus says, "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  In selfishness, we lose out on our life, we take away a richness that is not possible to gain through material consideration alone.  Our wealth must have a meaning, and we must consider ourselves stewards, for "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" James 1:17).  Our goods are a means toward expressing the things that the Cross will teach us, our management of things under our care reflects our beliefs and values.   When He teaches, "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things,"  Jesus conveys two things.  First, the nations of the world are those who have neither Jewish spiritual history nor Christ Himself at the time these words were spoken.  (Of course we could make an argument today about what bearing Christ's teachings have on the nations of the world today).  Second, the Father knows that we have material needs for our lives.  Jesus' true emphasis here is on what we put first:  "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."  In our understanding of the Cross, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for His friends because He put the Kingdom first, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2).  But in Christ's so doing, the gruesome instrument of Roman capital punishment became for us the life-giving Cross of Resurrection.  Jesus is not preaching a sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice or deprivation, and neither is He preaching a life absent an abundance of good things.  But He is preaching in the light of the Cross and the transcendent reality that feeds all things, adding redemption to our lives as it transfigures.  A focus on the purely material will not gain us those things, will not give meaning to what we have, will not teach us good stewardship nor planning.  For it is in the light of Christ that we learn what beauty and compassion mean, what our true needs are most deeply in the soul, and how to beautify life with what is nurturing when we need it.  Christ's compassion waters us with His love (John 6:51), giving us life in abundance.  The beauteous images He suggests here -- the lilies clothed in more splendor than Solomon in all his glory, and the ravens for whom God cares -- teach us that an appreciation for the beauty and goodness of the world is always present with Him, and in the sight of God.  Let us look to the light of the Cross to show us how to plant and nurture our gardens, so that whatever we have is simply added to the beauty of the Kingdom He offers, which our anxiety and worry cannot give to us.

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

 

Lilies of the field, ©Author's collection

 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 unto 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?  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?"  My study bible says that Jesus is warning against anxiety here, and not against thoughtful planning.  It notes that our physical well-being is directly dependent upon God, and only indirectly on food and clothing.  Anxiety over earthly things may express a lack of faith in God's care.  

 

"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 unto you."  My study bible says that because the Gentiles -- the nations of the world -- served pagan idols, they remained consumed by dependence on earthly things.  But those who follow God, putting as priority faith and seeking the kingdom of God, can be freed from this dependence.

I love the imagery in this text.  Jesus shows us the ravens, who are highly intelligent birds, but do not sow nor reap, and have neither storehouse nor barn.  But Jesus tells us that God feeds them.  The next example Jesus uses is our own height.  Through worry and anxiety, can we grow taller?  A cubit was approximately a foot and a half -- and no, we haven't really figured out how to achieve that (which Jesus calls "the least").  So anxiety for the rest will achieve us nothing.  Then Jesus chooses the example of the lilies of the field.  The permanent photograph at the top of my blog is meant to represent these, taken of a type of lily species which spreads itself all over certain areas.  They don't toil or spin -- allusions to the making of cloth.  But still, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these beautiful, stunningly colored lilies.  Jesus compares the value of human beings to this "grass" of the field -- which lasts for so short a time, and asks us to consider how much more God will clothe us.  I have written recently in a commentary on another passage (see Monday's reading) on Jesus' own apparent conduct of His ministry, and His singular focus on the particular things that were essential to Him.  In that reading, Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds thought He was.  Of course, there were all kinds of answers, and we note that in the Gospels, the crowds are almost always wrong.  But Jesus does not spend His time worrying about what the crowds think; He is, instead, seeking out those of true faith, who are capable of understanding and becoming disciples.  Just consider what was at stake, and yet, He does not spend His time on the details of what everybody is going to think.  In today's reading, Jesus gives explicit advice to His disciples to also share His own focus on the things that God calls us to, and to leave the rest in the hands of God and to expand their faith.  By pointing out the birds and the beauty of the natural world, He does not mean that we are to do absolutely nothing in our lives, as my study bible points out.  But He is telling us about priorities and our focus in life.  He is telling us about the great importance of faith as antidote to anxiety.  He is especially telling us to focus our efforts on what will be truly rewarding for us.  If we expend all our anxiety and worry (and time and energy) on things that really aren't of much consequence, then what have we done with the potentials that God gives us as human beings -- potentials especially valuable and powerful in comparison with the birds and the wildflowers?  If we are really going to be His disciples, and follow His tremendous example, we should focus on how we live our lives as we are called by Christ, and on doing the will of the Father in this world (see yesterday's reading, above, and the Lord's Prayer).  While Christ had a tremendous mission upon which a universe relies, we each have our own crosses to bear -- and our focus needs to be on what is essential in our lives.  In a world that seems to be developing increasingly precarious problems for us to worry about, it seems that growing problems of anxiety are in deep need of correction beyond prescription drugs and other therapies -- and this is where Christ's faith and focus comes in.  We need to get our priorities in line, and put things in proper focus.  So much emphasis on social media contributes to the skewing of priorities and directly impacts the anxieties which Jesus mentions.  All the focus on appearance and wealth are evident on social media.  Used for political leveraging and encouraging people to keep up with the latest slogans and concerns also takes us outside of a faith focus, and one aligned with those crowds who always simply follow the crowd!   It is perhaps more necessary than ever to cultivate our own discipline in focusing on what is truly important and essential in life, and also taking time out for prayer and alignment with Our Father in heaven and how we seek to bear God's kingdom into the world.  Too much focus on every detail we cannot control isn't healthy, and is not what Jesus prescribed.  Nor is it what He did in His ministry.  When asked a question that alluded to nationalist politics, He taught, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:25).  Let us remember which takes top priority, and follow Christ in His discipline that He taught us, for our health, wholeness, and sanity.  Cultivating our faith in today's world is perhaps a higher priority and greater necessity than ever.

But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your east; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

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 if 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 12:13–31 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.   Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your east; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  My study bible explains that it was a custom for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes.  However, it says, a dispute over inheritance is detrimental to salvation.  Notice how unfitting the question from the crowd is, coming directly after Jesus' words in yesterday's reading (above).   So, in this particular setting, it is considered a form of idolatrous greed (Colossians 3:5), unfitting for those who know God.  Jesus puts the full reliance on material goods into perspective when in the parable God asks, "Whose will those things be which you have provided?"    St. John Chrysostom writes that the only barns we need we already have:  "the stomachs of the poor."  St. Basil the Great taught that the bread in our cupboard belongs to the hungry man; the coat that hangs unused belongs to the one who needs it.  The shoes which rot in our closet belong to the one without shoes, and the money we hoard belongs to the poor.  St. Ambrose says, "The things which we cannot take with us are not ours.  Only virtue will be our companion when we die."  My study bible adds that even when Joseph stored up grain in Egypt (Genesis 41), it was for the benefit of the whole nation.   It says that these teachings apply to parishes as well as to each person.  Notice again, the context into which Jesus' words apply our attitude toward wealth:  it is a fool who "lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  

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 if 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."   My study bible says that Jesus is warning against anxiety, not against thoughtful planning.  Our physical well-being is directly dependent on God, and only indirectly on food, drink, and clothing.   It adds that anxiety over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care.  

In many different dimensions Jesus gives us greater expressions for our faith, and by contrast, the lack of it.  Here, Jesus applies the understanding of faith in God to material possessions.  He does not say that we can live on air, or simply drink water, or have no need for material things.  On the contrary, He assures us, "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things."  Our Father knows that we have need of these things.  Our faith is not one that separates life into the material and the spiritual, focusing on only one.  Rather, it is just the opposite:  life as lived with a foot only on one side or another is false.  We are to live in this world, understanding that there are material things of which we have need, but only in a commingled understanding of the dedication of all things to the purposes of God.  Our lives are to be infused with all of life -- in this world as fully human, but also of the kingdom of God as fully faithful follows in communion with Christ and in participation in His life and the grace He offers us, in all aspects in which that can manifest.  There is nothing left out, no either/or choice here.  Rather -- the choice is for a fullness of life.  It makes sense to think that, since all things come from God in the first place, since life itself is a gift of God, we place our lives in God's hands, and therefore whatever we have, or make, or do in our lives is in the service of salvation.  This does not mean that we are to starve and it does not mean we punish ourselves.  Rather, we seek God's purposes for what we have.  The treasure in heaven, without which earthly treasures are rather empty and meaningless, is the capacity to use our worldly gifts for God's purposes:  to put our worldly goods to use for our faith.  If the two great commandments that Jesus gives us are to love God with all our heart and strength and soul and mind, and to love neighbor as oneself, then out of that great love for God so we also consider our lives as lived in this world in nurturing and helping those in need.  We become more fully "like God" when we also are generous and abundant with what we have, our hearts expand with the knowledge of what truly great gifts we have when we have the capacity to share them with others in need.  There is truly nothing more truly wealth-generating than the understanding that one has the capacity to enrich others' lives.  It makes what we have that much more valuable, and gives us a consciousness of our own wealth of resources.  It almost doesn't matter what the amount is (and this is especially true when we follow Jesus' teaching about the widow who gave two small coins to the treasury of the temple, Luke 21:1-4).  And it doesn't just apply to material wealth.  We have other resources we spread to help the world:  our time, our skills, our compassion or empathy, our ability to communicate a needed message, our support, our intelligence, our food, our prayers, and a host of other things we don't necessarily think of as wealth.  Anyone in the world, even the poorest among us, have gifts to share and give to others.  All of these, in service to our faith and through discernment within our love for God and seeking God's guidance, can be "spent" in such a way that we accumulate treasures in heaven, which make all the things we think we have just that much richer and abundant.  The greatest key to understanding how this works is Jesus' final statement to us in today's reading:  "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."  All we really have to do is to seek that kingdom in the ways that we're taught, in the ways that grace leads us, in the faith it takes to pray and seek a deeper communion with God -- and "all these things shall be added unto you."  It is all about putting our lives as firmly, deeply, blessedly, and persistently in God's hands, and resting in that place of faith.  The abundance we have might surprise anybody.  Let us not take even the tiniest gift we have for granted -- for its use in faith brings an abundance of blessing.

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

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 unto you."

- Luke 12:22-31

Yesterday we read that it came to pass, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that 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 be 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."   My study bible notes here that Jesus is warning against anxiety, and not against thoughtful planning.  It notes that our physical well-being is directly dependent upon God, and indirectly on food and clothing.  It says that great anxiety over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care.  This statement, life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing, is a statement about the true reality of our natures as creatures of God.  We are something more, and His emphasis is on the more that we truly need.

"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?"  God's love and care extends to all of nature.  Ravens are an interesting bird for Jesus to mention.  As animals they are known in cultures worldwide for their intelligence.  In Scripture, it is said that a raven fed Elijah in the wilderness (see 1 Kings 17:2-16, a story in itself about dependence upon God).  If we think about it, that God endows a bird with such intelligence teaches us Jesus' point about the value of human beings.  The lilies are themselves gorgeous, arrayed in great beauty by God -- even the purple reserved only for kings in Christ's time.  All of nature, therefore receives the abundance of God's gifts; therefore how much more will we receive?

"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."  Today, as ever, we know the truth of these statements.  The nations of the world fight wars over resources they wish to claim.  But Christ is saying that there is something else that comes first.  My study bible says that in Christ's time, the Gentiles (the nations of the world) served pagan idols, and therefore remained consumed by dependence upon earthly things.  To follow God is to be dependent first upon God, for "your Father knows that you need these things."

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."  Here is the central theme of Christ's teachings, and also of our faith.  We put first God's kingdom and God's righteousness.  My study bible says that in 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 what God knows are needed earthly blessings.

Jesus' admonition here is falsely read to mean that we have no need of things mentioned here (as if we live upon air, and matter or material needs are somehow sinful), or it is misunderstood to suggest that in fact God promises us tremendous material bounty and riches in reward for our faith.  Neither of those two interpretations is worthy of Christ nor worthy of the God whom we worship, and neither is worthy of the beauty of our faith, for both reduce our faith to a kind of extreme materialism, one without balance.  But it is precisely of the balance of the world in which we are created to live that Jesus speaks here:  we are creatures who live in both realms; human beings with body and soul, corporeal beings who need spirit to live.  In John 6:63, Jesus says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  Here, Christ teaches us one single formula for how we are to live even as beings who have needs in this world:  "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."   The formula is simple:  we put one thing first.  This one thing, the kingdom of God, is worthy of all other sacrifice.  Moreover, there is nothing else worthy of such sacrifice but this kingdom.  To lose our lives in excess anxiety is throwing away the life we're given by God, a waste of our time.  Jesus asks, "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?"   All the anxiety, time, effort, thinking, and ruminating in the world will not gain us what we truly seek.  Our mission is plain:  we put the kingdom first, we put all things in the hands of God, and our dependency there first.  This is not to say that we won't have jobs, lives, resources to plan wisely for, families to take care of, and all kinds of worldly things to consider in our lives.   Scriptures, again, are full of the stories of those who have lived fully human and worldly lives while seeking first the kingdom of God.  But our command, and our wisdom, is for one thing first of all in our hearts, and that is the one thing that leads to all the rest.  Let us note that what precisely all the rest contains isn't up to us, and it's not a promise engraved in stone like some cash jackpot guaranteed by the lottery this week!  But it is a promise that God knows what we need, and that our work is to understand our dependence upon God and to seek God's kingdom for ourselves as the place where we truly dwell.  Psalm 91 echoes the promises of Christ:  "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (Psalm 91:14-16).  Let us remember that living the life of the Kingdom is a day-by-day and hour-by-hour practice.  We don't swear allegiance one moment and presume we are then set up for life; neither do we take it upon ourselves to understand what this means in terms of what our lives should look like.  The saints of every age are unique, and their unique missions testify to the idea that each one takes up his or her own cross daily to dwell in this place and to practice one's faith.   In prayer, we seek to cement the relationship in which we put God's kingdom first, and then we seek to meet each challenge of life in that faith, asking for guidance, good choices, as well as insight and especially growth.  Life offers us an infinite variety of moments in which we can choose to seek that Kingdom first, and allow ourselves to dwell in God's righteousness -- and remember that it is all a great, long learning curve.  This is where we are as disciples; we are "learners" as the Greek word for disciple truly means.  Let us set our hearts where they need to be, and follow where that learning leads us in each of our lives.  The great beauty of the kingdom of God rivals that of any worldly glory, but we need to be able to see.

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

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will tore all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

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 12:13-31

Yesterday we read that as Jesus warned of "woes" to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  My study bible points out the incongruity between this question and the things that Christ has just been saying, speaking of dependency upon God, and fearless witness, living for the Gospel.  It also adds that it was a custom for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes.  As we have already learned that Jesus is the "knower of hearts," we understand His warning to this man about covetousness.  Where is the focus of this person's heart?  We all must take it to heart that Jesus teaches us that "one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Such a standard -- judging by the abundance of things one possesses -- is true covetousness, a mistaken focus.

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will tore all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."   Jesus tells a parable which reveals to us a higher power at work in life than all of our plans and our worldly perspectives.  My study bible cites the teaching of St. Ambrose on this parable:  "The things which we cannot take with us are not ours.  Only virtue will be our companion when we die."  This passage invites us to consider what our worldly goods are for, and in whose service they are put.  Christ invites us to full dependency upon God, so this should apply to our considerations for our material lives and wealth as well -- the perspective we need on wealth is the one given us by our faith!

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."  My study bible notes here that Christ is not referring here to thoughtful planning, but rather is warning against excessive anxiety.  Where is our focus?  A sense of dependency upon God is essential to developing the perspective on our material lives that are necessary to our well-being, and our personal balance.  It's not that these things don't matter, for as He says, "Your Father knows that you need these things."  Christ is calling us to understand the limits of anxiety and obsessive planning, toward a deeper understanding and reliance upon our relationship to God.  When Jesus says that all these things the nations of the world seek after, He's referring to pagans who worship idols, fully dependent upon earthly things.  Let us note that in these examples Jesus gives, each speaks to the love of God for each of us, even in our worldly lives and for the things that we need.

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."  Here is our first priority, the focus that we need in order to put all else into the proper focus for our lives.  My study bible says that the kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus' teaching.  It notes that, 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.

The basis for our worship services is an attunement to the reality of the kingdom of heaven.  This is not simply a kind of place that exists separately from this world.  Rather, it is a reality that intersects with our world, that is integral to our own identities, albeit one that is hidden and that we don't often perceive.  Jesus invites us into this perception, an active and knowing awareness that God is not just at work in our lives, but is closer than our heartbeat, ever-present with us, watching and knowing and caring.  Moreover, not only is God concerned with us, but Jesus calls us to be fully concerned with God.  Our awareness of the things of God, and the kind of living awareness of God's richness for us, must create a backdrop to life in which our priorities are all affected.  We must live for this Kingdom, the life that our communion with God calls us toward.  Our focus starts there, and this puts everything else into its proper order for us.  Will we lose an inheritance?   Do we have as much as others do?   Are our lives focused only upon how much we have?  These questions can be answered in the light of God's love, or in the absence of awareness of God's love -- and in either case, the answers will be different as black and white.  We are called to the life of the Kingdom, and this means allowing our faith to put into perspective that which we truly need, and that which we don't.  When it looks like we may lack something, faith teaches us about patience.  It teaches us about proper goals.  It teaches us about fulfillment of God's goals for us.  Perhaps there is something we need to let go -- a goal that is unsuitable or that leads us down the wrong path.  To take up one's cross daily means that God is calling us to transcendence, to a kind of perspective that is beyond what we already know and understand.  It is quite remarkable what can happen when we put our affairs in the hands of God, and approach life in a prayerful manner.  An abundance of wealth in life can seem to solve many problems, but it really doesn't work magically to resolve our basic struggles for meaning and purpose.  A focus on wealth, in fact, can create far more problems than it would seemingly resolve.  Jesus gives us images of care and wonder:  the ravens who are cared for by God -- a highly intelligent bird, known for its cleverness in nature; the lilies of the field, robed in splendor which Jesus calls more gorgeous than Solomon in all his glory.  And, as in the sayings He gave us in yesterday's reading (above), we are once again assured of our great value to our Creator.  The image of beauty Christ gives to us in comparing the lilies to Solomon's array gives us an important sense of the Kingdom:  it is beauty itself, and this is what it adds to our lives.  It doesn't matter what our circumstances are, it is participation in the joy and love and richness of the Kingdom that truly adds the dimension of beauty to us, and gives us insight and sensitivity to what beauty truly is.  Christ invites us to learn the virtues through faith, to give up our anxieties to God and put our trust where it belongs -- in the One who truly knows all of our needs.  In times that are uncertain and changing, can we do this?  It will take us to riches we couldn't find otherwise, to a resilience and release from anxiety we can't find elsewhere.

Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 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!"  As in yesterday's reading, today the lectionary skips forward to chapter 12, in preparation for Ascension Day tomorrow.

 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."  My study bible says that here Jesus warns us against anxiety, but not against thoughtful planning.  Our deepest dependency for physical well-being is on God, and only indirectly on food, drink, and clothing.  Anxiety over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care, a note tells us.  Jesus' words here remind us of the love of God, and the care of God, even for the ravens and the grass.  And to God, we who may bear the Kingdom into the world are of so much greater value.  Therefore our first priority is our dependency upon and relationship to God before all other considerations, planning, and concern.

"For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things."  The nations of the world are the Gentiles, who worship idols and therefore remain consumed by dependence upon earthly things.  This is an idea of connection to "worldly" material power, rather than dependency upon God.  To depend upon God is to be free of dependencies which base all our well-being and self-awareness on worldly circumstances.  But again we note that this is not an extreme form of rejection of material life at all; Jesus reassures us that our "Father knows that you need these things," making God's care intimate and personal.

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."  Here is the central theme of Jesus' teaching, the kingdom of God.  All His preaching is focused on this.  My study bible says that, 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.

We may be tempted to read Jesus' words as rejections of material life.  But then again we must remember God is creator of all the world, our bodies as well as our souls, and everything about the world itself.  To reject material life is to reject God's own creation. Rather, we are asked to make a distinction between material life and materialism.  These are two different things.  On the one hand, we can see the world as created by God and ourselves as stewards in it, asked to make wise decisions about the protection, care, and prolonging of the good qualities of life -- and not only for human beings for but for all the life of the world.  But if we look at that phrase, for the life of the world, and find it in Jesus' teachings, we read John 6:51:  "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  This is directly impinging on our understanding of our material lives, as it conveys to us the entire sacramental understanding of Christ.  We seek  the kingdom of God, meaning that it is this dependency, and goal, and drive that sustains and builds and enhances our own ability to be good stewards of the world, and to know how to use wisely our material goods and manage properly our needs for them.  We have a choice:  a completely selfish perspective based on materialism, a purely materialistic perspective on our lives and the life of the world.  Or, we seek the kingdom of God, which may direct how we use, live, work, and share the beauty of the world, how we value its goodness in particular as a gift from God, and how we relate to one another on every level of life in the world.  All we have to do is simply look around to find ourselves easily persuaded that there are selfish ways of using power in seeking material goods, and there are also ways of balancing that understanding and power and by seeking God's wisdom and perspective first in doing so.  Our dependency is there because it is that direction that makes all the difference between a world guided by our own selfishness and its destructive potential, and a world in which we may build something of value and beauty that recognizes our need for righteousness; that is, right-relatedness to all the world and everything and all others in it.  That is, the whole of the life of the world.  Let us remember His gift and sacrifice, and ask ourselves to what extent we are meant to follow in His footsteps for the life of the world.  The anxiety we are asked to put aside is anything that stands in the way of our primary dependency and recognition of that dependency upon God, and our deep desire for God's kingdom to manifest in the world, as we were taught to pray in yesterday's reading:  "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2). 

Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

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 12:13-31

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees, they began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  My study bible says that it was customary for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes.  But a dispute over an inheritance can be detrimental to salvation if it simply exacerbates covetousness and greed, which are actually forms of idolatry.  The real question is a matter of emphasis and the centrality of God to one's life (see Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13).  

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."   What the emphasis in life?  What do we focus on?  Jesus seems to teach here that in fact our time is not truly our own, so we must spend it wisely.  If we're not thinking about salvation, then we're wasting our time.  What is it to be rich toward God?  In the Gospels, almsgiving is consistently presented as a way to store treasure in heaven.  How we practice mercy is a way of building up the treasure we take with us into eternity, something that truly belongs to a soul.  The meaning of this parable presented by Jesus is that this rich man has actually cheated himself.  My study bible says that "Whose will those things be which you have provided?" is actually the key to understanding the saving up of material goods.  St. Ambrose writes, "The things which we cannot take with us are not ours.  Only virtue will be our companion when we die."  Even when Joseph stored up grain in Egypt, it was for the benefit of the whole nation.  My study bible adds that these teachings apply to parishes as well as each person.

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."  There is a depth of emphasis on what God knows about us here in these words.  Jesus' beautiful preaching asks us to look around at the beauty of the world and to understand that God knows all about us and all about the needs that we have.  Our first trust should be there.  An anxious mind is one that is spending one's time thinking all about the material goods one can get.  The emphasis here is about what we put first.  Seeking the kingdom does not mean we leave behind all our needs.  But it does mean there is something that is our recognized treasure that is central to all the rest of life and into which we place our trust, to which all these things are added unto you.

Jesus places a great emphasis here on how we spend our time.  What do we think about?  What is it we dwell upon?  What gives us anxiety?  What is it to be rich in the things of God?  There is always a system of exchange at work.  Christ seems to teach that we can't really have it both ways; we must put an emphasis on pleasing God or mammon.  Our time is limited.  He doesn't leave out the good in life that we need.  Neither does he leave beauty and enjoyment out of life.  He points out the care God provides for the ravens, even for the beauty of the lilies of the field.  These things are not wrong nor bad.  But the more essential thing is what we put first, and then "all these things shall be added unto you."   We store up treasure in heaven by building up the things of the Kingdom in this world.  By practicing charity and mercy, by helping others, by keeping our focus on the love of God, we build treasure every day that is also a true part of ourselves, a part of the soul, the reality that will stand before God.  There's a key to true richness here, that joy and wealth don't really come from an abundance of riches.  In fact, we should all understand that when one can feel an internal wealth it changes our perception of our own lives, our feeling of wealth in life.  The loneliest and saddest place in the world can be a life full of "stuff" without meaning and without connection to love and true beauty.  We can delude ourselves, as the rich man in Christ's parable, by thinking it must be so.  But we are more than just a body; our very lives exist in the fullness of what it is to be a human being made in the image of God.  There is nothing that can make a person more wealthy than understanding what they have to give to others, or the abundance of love they can find within themselves, the great treasure of resources God provides which is surprising and inestimable.  Charity is so much more than wealth.  It's a frame of mind.  What a person needs may not be money. It might be a thoughtful caring word, a reassuring smile, maybe a telephone call.  St. Basil says that a coat hanging unused belongs to the person who needs it.  A conversation -- one's time -- with a person in need may do more to give hope and support than an impersonal donation.  There are all kinds of ways to spend our lives focused on the Kingdom and the wealth and abundance we create there.  Let us not forget to trust God to find the place we need to be, and to understand the good gifts of life and all that we need.  Lest we forget, let us not neglect prayer when there is nothing else we can give; it's the source of so much that can change a life.