“Don’t Worry!?!?!?!?!?” based on Psalm 126 and Matthew 6:25-33

So. Here we are. Back in the “sowing of tears,” and “going out with weeping.”

Again.

And once again, perhaps this is not the moment that you are in the mood to hear, “Don’t worry.” Perhaps, like me, you are prepared with a list of perfectly reasonable things that one could be worried about, and all of them without over-responding to reality.

Right?

And yet, once again, I have to admit that Jesus was talking to people who also had pressing concerns, life and death concerns, including about where their next meals were coming from. It was to people whose lives were being shortened by poverty, who lacked access to basic resources that Jesus said, “don’t worry.”

Which I think means we aren’t able to ignore it.

I find, when I stop fighting with this passage and listen to it, that Jesus is making some pretty pragmatic points. He isn’t actually saying, “don’t worry, be happy.” He is saying, “Don’t worry because worrying doesn’t get you anywhere. You don’t solve your problems by worrying about them.”

Which is just true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked myself up into a lather about particular concerns just to have those particular issues never actually emerge in my life, or in the world. I always seem to worry about the WRONG things.

In the end, this gospel passage comes to an interesting conclusion. Strive for God’s kin-dom, and trust God, and you will be OK.

Now, take a breath. I know, and you know, that things aren’t going to be OK for everyone. We aren’t being hopelessly naive here. The world is a hard place and lots of people struggle profoundly. Like in the time of Jesus, lack of access to resources results in people’s deaths, even when there are enough resources to go around.

So, what was Jesus getting at? The man was not hopelessly naive.

I hear two really important points in what in Gospel lesson. The first is a point mostly to those at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The people that society has deemed expendable. The ones whose lives are shortened by greed at the time. To those people, Jesus says, “God doesn’t see you as expendable. You matter.” To make this point Jesus reminds them that all the wealth and resources of the world can’t dress a person as beautifully as the flowers. And nature itself cares for the birds, and God loves you more than the flowers and the birds. Perhaps that sounds trivial, that people matter. But I think it isn’t. I think that’s everything. I think that’s in the core of the good news. God cares about EVERYONE, NO ONE is expendable, and whenever anyone is treated as expendable, that is against the will of God.

The other piece is equally central. “Strive first for the kindom of God and God’s goodness, and the rest will follow.” Here is the thing. It actually will. Because the more people are striving for the kindom, the more people are living out God’s goodness, the better things get. Even in the most impoverished places on earth, if people work together, they have a lot more than when they compete. And the more people buy into “everyone matters” the closer we get to sharing life-giving resources responsibility.

I’ve also noticed, in the past few weeks, that striving for the kindom of God and seeking God’s goodness is the one of the most inspiring things I can do. It is harder to worry about cabinet choices when one is face to face with a breakfast guest who is sharing about their life. It is hard to worry about what will come in a few months when sitting with someone at the end of their life. It is hard to maintain hopelessness when reflecting on lives well lived. It is in a whole lot of pretty small actions that hope gets rebuild. And, around here, we have plenty of small actions that need doing that end up building the kindom of God and seeking God’s goodness.

I remember learning eight years ago that I am lucky to have a pulpit, because working to find the good news keeps me focused on it. I’ve watched, even in the past few weeks, the ways that regular committee meetings can be sources of comfort and hope. Even just being in shared reality helps.

This time around, I don’t want to be as easily swayed. I don’t want to spend years being angry, or to be dismayed all the time. This time, we have a pretty good sense of what is coming. And I, for one, want to be grounded in God’s goodness and centered in community and ready to be able to stand in front of those who are vulnerable without wavering. To do that though, I can’t let myself drown in despair, let go of hope, or even burn with righteousness anger.

Luckily, we know about stuff that grounds us in God and community. Worship. Prayer. Mission. Ministry. Human Connection. Laugher. Joy. Play. (PLAY!) Humor. Music. Art. Bodily Movement. Nature. Sabbath.

And, a lot of that we’re pretty good at.

So, here is your permission: put on your oxygen masks. We are going to need to be able to take deep breathes to do this well. But with God, we can be love in even this world.

And, I’m not going to tell you not to worry. But, please remember: God loves everyone, and building the kindom helps build resilience to despair. Also, best of all God is still with us.

I think that’s plenty to be thankful for, how about you? Amen

Nov. 24, 2024

Rev. Sara E. Baron 
First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 
603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 
Pronouns: she/her/hers 
http://fumcschenectady.org/ 
https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady