“You’ll never have to worry about money again, if...” if what? How would you finish that sentence? You’ll never have to worry about money again, if – you win the lottery? That’s a common one. If you could get a better job? If you inherit a large estate? If… what?
Jesus would say to each one of us, right now - you’ll never have to worry about money again. When was the last time you worried about money? There are lots of things that cause us to worry. Most of the time, the “what if’s” cause us to worry. Have you ever had a case of the what if’s?
What if I’m suddenly sick or hurt and unable to work? What if I lose my job, and I have no income, and the unemployment or disability check really isn’t enough to make ends meet. What if my expenses go up? Dental bills. Medical bills. Car repair bills. Home repair bills. What if what if what if.
I would never worry about money again if… what? Jesus talks to us this morning about money. Not worrying, being at peace, being content, being happy – those things have nothing to do with how much money you have, according to Jesus. Those things have everything to do with how much faith you have. You’ll never have to worry about money again, Jesus says today, and he’ll tell you how in these 11 verses from Matthew.
Jesus starts out by telling us why we worry so much about money. It’s because money sometimes is our god. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Sometimes we try to serve two masters in our lives. One master is God: “I love God, and I serve God. He’s my master.” But then, there’s another master…
Money. “I love money. Whenever I get money, I’m always very excited. The more money I have, the happier I am. My goal in life is to get as much money as I possibly can. Yes, I love God. But I also love money.” Is that you?
Jesus tells us today that you can’t serve both. Eventually, one of them has to give. Either you’ll love God and not spend all of your time trying to get money. Or, you’ll love money, and little by little push God out of your life. You can’t love both. And when you try to live that double life, you have problems. You start to worry.
Listen to what Jesus says about worry… “Do not worry about your life.” Jesus isn’t saying, “Don’t plan for the future” or “Don’t save” or “Don’t buy food and clothes” or “Don’t work.” Jesus wants us to do all those things, but without worrying.
And here’s why: “Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus says. They don’t sow or reap. They don’t really do anything for a living. If anything should die of starvation, it should be the birds. But, look at verse 26: “Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” In the eyes of God, you are more valuable than a bird. You are a human being with a soul! If God takes care of the less important creatures – the birds – he will certainly take care of the more important creatures – you.
Jesus also talks about the grass – look at how God clothes the grass of the field with flowers. Aren’t you more important to God than grass? God will take care of you as well.
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Worrying doesn’t help extend your life. If anything, it makes you die sooner - the stress of worrying can kill people. Being nervous and obsessed with your financial future isn’t helpful. And then Jesus, “O you of little faith.”
Isn’t that ultimately why we worry about money? We sometimes have such little faith. We don’t trust the promises of God. He promises to watch over us. He promises to give us what we need for our physical lives – food, clothing, a place to live – the basic necessities of life – God has promised to us. Often times he gives us those things by providing us with work – a way to make money, so that we can buy those things. I promise to take care of you, God says. But we don’t believe. We doubt. “O you, of little faith,” Jesus says.
To worry is a sin. It’s doubting the love of God. It’s questioning God’s wisdom and power.
How good it is that we have a God who forgives us for all the times that we worry. God doesn’t stop taking care of us, even when we doubt him. He takes our sins of doubt and washes them away in the waters of baptism. You are not a doubter, in the eyes of God, because you have been cleansed in the waters of baptism. You have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for you, and rose from the dead, and you are loved by God.
Have you ever thought about how rich you really are? Spiritually, you are incredibly wealthy. You have a God who has given you hundreds of promises in the Bible to take care of you. Every one of those promises is worth more than a million dollars each – and you have each one of those promises. You have a God who has taken your sins away – you don’t have to have guilt in your life, because you know that God forgives you. You have peace with God. How much is that worth? It’s priceless – a billion dollars can’t buy peace with God – and you have that. You have faith inside of you – a living, breathing faith in this powerful and loving God – what an awesome thing you have – this gift of faith. You can’t buy that anywhere. And you have an inheritance waiting for you that is incredible. Someday you will inherit heaven. Inherit the resurrection from the dead. Inherit a new body on Judgment Day. Inherit a place with God in a new heaven and a new earth. You’re going to inherit all of these things someday. You are rich. You have things that all the money in the world couldn’t buy. All these things are gifts from God.
And this same God also knows what you need financially right now. Look at this wonderful promise God gives to you: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Put God first in your life. Take all of your sins and put them on Jesus. Take all of God’s love and put it on yourself. Read the Bible. Go to church – and hear about how much God loves and all the he promises you for today and for the future. Seek God’s kingdom first – and all those physical things will be given to you as well. All that stuff that you need – a home, food, health care, clothes, transportation – trust me – God says. Yes, God wants us to work hard, to plan, to save, to be careful with the material things he has gives us. But don’t let the pursuit of things rule your life. Pursue God instead – and he’ll give you those things.
Jesus says: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” There’s always something in the future you can worry about. Stop worrying. Trust in the promises of God. Be at peace, knowing that God is in control of everything in your life. He is the chief financial officer of this world. Not you. The pressure is on him, and not you, to be God – to run the world – to take care of you and all the people you love.
I will never worry about money again if… what? Do you know the answer? I will never worry about money again – if – what God says is true. If God really is as powerful and wise and loving and caring as he says he is. What God says is true. Say goodbye to all of your worrying, and believe these promises of God. Amen.
