Luke 12
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Don’t worry, be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) ….. Bobby McFerrin’s favorite song will not get out of my head this morning. It is a Monday morning so I am not complaining about having such a positive song stuck in my head! The truth is though that being “happy” isn’t as easy as singing a catchy tune or flipping a switch in one’s mind. Jesus in Luke 12 addresses worry. We have previously covered this story found in the gospel of Matthew. Now, we take a look at Luke’s version of the story. I am sure we could all use some words of comfort on that subject today. Let’s find that encouragement in verse 23, “23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.”
Ever think it would be easier to live in a society where money was not the main form of currency? Money as main currency is a relatively new concept. Actually, it wasn’t until after the great reformation that societies began to base one’s wealth mainly off of the amount of money one has. Before, it was almost always certainly determined on land size, livestock size, household size, etc. Now, though, when we think of someone wealthy we tend to think immediately about the money someone has, not the land or other belongings (although in farm areas such as this sometimes we do think of land).
While Jesus is speaking of clothes and food in verse 23, he is also making a statement about wealth. LIFE IS BIGGER THAN WEALTH. Or in today’s terms, life is bigger than money. That is a hard truth to swallow because without money we do not eat, we do not have shelter, and we risk our safety. I think that is the point tho. There is more to life than physical safety. There is spiritual safety! Jesus provides us a spiritual safety that no amount of money can provide. We may suffer here for a little while. That was promised to us. but our security in Christ is never threatened by a pandemic. Because of that reason, I say to you… Don’t worry, be happy… (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh)…
Pastor Mat