Giving Thanks at All Times
6th Sunday after Epiphany, Year B
Harvest Thanksgiving
(12 February 2012)
Text: Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
25 “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 clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
New International Version - for other versions see 
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Sermon
It has been three years since I began my ministry here at Good Shepherd and Our Saviour’s, and a lot has happened in those years. This past week, the people of Marysville and other regions remembered Black Saturday from three years ago: a day when tragic circumstances saw the loss of lives and livelihoods; a day that is still raw to many; a day that has not lost any of its grief, despite the years that have passed.
Since then, our neighbours in the northern states and also in our own state have dealt with the other extreme of nature, as they lost lives and livelihoods through devastating floods. Our neighbours across the Tasman in Christchurch continue to suffer the effects of the groans of the earth, with more earthquakes and aftershocks.
Then there are other tragic circumstances that have hit people that are not due to nature. Heinz closed up shop, putting many out of work. The same thing happened to Toyota and other industries. Each day there seems to be another industry that is laying off workers. The recent expected cut to interest rates didn’t happen, which many had banked upon, and instead we were threatened with the banks raising their rates. In fact, some banks have raised their interest rates outside of action by the Reserve Bank. There are anxious times out there, and it’s hard to remain faithful to what Jesus says today when he says, “Do not worry about your life” (v25).
Jesus’ listeners also lived in an insecure world. Most of them had only the bare essentials of life, and all of them were dependent on the weather and the soil for the crops that were needed to sustain them. They were aware of this dependence. And because of this dependence they were very tempted to worship the gods of their neighbours, who were supposed to provide favourable weather if they were worshipped. And that’s why many Israelites abandoned their God. He seemed to be less effective than the gods of their neighbours, who worshipped the sun, the rain, and the rivers in hopes of securing a good harvest each year. Their neighbours used to taunt Israel because of their seemingly powerless God: “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:2, 3)
It was this insecurity that led people to be anxious. What if there isn’t enough rain this year? What if I cannot provide food for my family? There were no guarantees in life, and people were painfully reminded of that fact all the time. Joel tried to reassure the Israelites of God’s goodness: “Don’t be afraid – be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things. The pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing fruit. He sends the rains – abundant rains in autumn and spring because he is faithful. (Joel 2:21-24)
But that’s not always our experience, and we soon forget the good times when difficulties arise. When difficulties arise we are tempted to abandon God and chase whatever works. It’s a bit like being at the supermarket and constantly changing lanes to the other checkout, because that one looks like it might be moving faster, only to find it’s not.
An essential part of thanksgiving to God is trusting in him at all times. Trusting him in lean times; not forgetting him in good times. God is not like the gods that others worshipped, that seemed to respond depending on what they sacrificed to them. God, our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is our creator, and has promised to look after us always.
Life might not always pan out for us how we would like it to. We will get sick no matter how faithful we are – no matter how many times we come to church. People we love will pass away. The economy will recover, but it will also go into recession again. That’s the life-cycle. So life with God is not about jumping on board when things are good, and chasing after other things when we’re not so sure about the future.
This is why Jesus highlights the underlying issue of worry. When it boils down to it, Jesus knows we are tempted by the appearance of security that money particularly seems to offer. Jesus tells us that God, our Father, is intimately involved in each of our lives. Our problem is that we base God’s involvement in our lives on material things – things we can see and touch. God is not absent or uninvolved in His world, as we may be tempted to believe at times. Trust in God doesn’t mean we don’t or won’t go through lean times, but in all things we are to have faith in God, that he is caring and providing for us.
Jesus uses the example of birds being fed by God, and since we are more important to God than birds then surely he’ll look after us as well (Matthew 6:26). That’s not always easy to accept.
Will God pay the mortgage if it falls behind?
Will God bring my loved one back?
Will God find me a job?
That’s not what having trust in God means. Trusting God means a life of thanksgiving, because in all things we know that God is going to be there for us, giving us hope. Sometimes life doesn’t get better. But that doesn’t mean God has neglected you. God assures us that he is with us always until the end of the age. Not just at certain points – Always.
We know this life is not perfect – far from it. God knows that this life is not perfect, even though when it was created God declared it to be ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:31). Heaven is what we aim for. Heaven is not ‘very good’ – it is perfect. And that is what God is preparing you for. And that is why God is walking with you as you journey to that home.
The description Joel gives is a future description – a time when God will no longer be hidden by our worries and anxieties. That’s why Paul says that God wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. What truth? The truth that God loves and cares for his children; that he is the Lord God and that there is no other God (1 Timothy 2:4-5).
So let us trust Jesus when he says that we are more valuable than any other creature that God has created. We are created in God’s own image, and he knows all that we need. Let us seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, where life will be restored and healing given (Matthew 6:33). And for that we have so much to be thankful.
Pastor Peter Ghalayini