June 18, 2005
The real riches Mt 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?' or ‘What are we to drink?' or ‘What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
Seek the kingdom of God first over all other things and everything that you need will be given to you. This reading says to not worry about tomorrow. It is sufficient to trust in God for all my needs. The material things in life are passing. It is a teaching that is simple. The ability to live this way, I think means being able to live totally in the moment, the present time with an open heart and a mind that is not wandering but set on God's kingdom. A divided mind with one eye on possessions and one on God will be weakened and distracted. There was an interview with a person lately who used a modern wisdom saying "Be on time but always know where you're going" My eyes must always be set on the kingdom of God, then all else will follow.
Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?' or ‘What are we to drink?' or ‘What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
Seek the kingdom of God first over all other things and everything that you need will be given to you. This reading says to not worry about tomorrow. It is sufficient to trust in God for all my needs. The material things in life are passing. It is a teaching that is simple. The ability to live this way, I think means being able to live totally in the moment, the present time with an open heart and a mind that is not wandering but set on God's kingdom. A divided mind with one eye on possessions and one on God will be weakened and distracted. There was an interview with a person lately who used a modern wisdom saying "Be on time but always know where you're going" My eyes must always be set on the kingdom of God, then all else will follow.
posted by Joan Morris at 6:54 AM
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