Gifts
Matthew 6:25-35[1]
Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays. That may be
due in large part to the fact that I don’t usually have to work very hard for
it! For me, Thanksgiving has all the benefits of being together with those I
love without the stress of gift-giving associated with Christmas. More than
that, Thanksgiving doesn’t really require much from us in a spiritual sense. We
don’t have to engage in the self-reflection of Advent leading up to Christmas
or the discipline of sacrifice for Lent leading up to Easter. Thanksgiving is
more of a time to simply enjoy the blessings we have received.
As good as that may sound, there may be a twist here. Being “thankful”
for blessings we have “received” means we have to acknowledge that our lives
are not entirely in our own hands. We have to recognize, perhaps to an extent
that makes us feel a bit uneasy, that we really don’t have that much control
over our lives. We have to take the risk of trusting that we are in God’s
hands, and that all that we are and all that we have comes from him as a gift.
In a culture that prizes self-reliance, independence, and “pulling yourself up
by your own bootstraps,” this can be somewhat unsettling.
In our Gospel lesson, contrary to our faith in our own efforts
to build a life for ourselves, we find Jesus saying not to worry about the
necessities of life. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re not to pay attention to
them. But there’s a difference between being responsible and worrying. Worrying
comes from that notion that we can control our own lives if we try hard enough.
And when our lives don’t go the way we want, we worry. We worry because we’re
afraid we won’t get what we want out of life.
Instead, Jesus points us to the birds and the lilies as prime witnesses
to a different approach to life. He says that God provides them with all they
need. In fact, he says that “even Solomon in all his glory” didn’t look as
beautiful as a field of lilies. Now, birds and lilies don’t typically rank very
high on our list of the most important things in life. And yet Jesus says that
the God who created the heavens and the earth cares enough for them to provide
for their needs. Of course the implication is clear: how much more does God
care for us and how much more can we rely on him to provide for our needs!
Jesus was fully aware that there were people in his day who had
a very different outlook on life. He says that “the Gentiles” were those who
“strive” for the things they believed they needed. There may have been many
then, as there are now, who would have been quick to point out that the promise
of a God who cares for us and provides for us has been around for a long time. And
yet, there have been many people of faith who have been left wanting. From that
point of view, it would seem foolish to go on believing in a God who provides
for all our needs. The only appropriate action would be to go out there and
“strive” for what we want.
I can just imagine Jesus, perhaps gently shaking his head,
asking, “Who’s the fool?” Is it more foolish to believe that we belong to a God
of grace and mercy and love, even though sometimes those who believe in God may
suffer? Or is it more foolish to believe that we can somehow take our lives
into our own hands mold them to suit our desires? Jesus would say you might as
well try to add a foot to your height (Matt. 6:27)—it makes about as much sense
as trying to control your life! Jesus makes it clear all our efforts to control
our lives are the real folly!
Instead, Jesus calls us to a different path. He calls us to
“seek first the Kingdom of God.” At the most basic level, “seeking first the
Kingdom of God” means aligning our lives with what God is doing in this world.
It means promoting God’s justice by sharing with those in need, putting into
practice God’s unconditional love for all persons, and extending God’s grace
and mercy freely to those around us. It’s a way of life that stems from the
faith that all of life is ultimately in God’s hands.
Jesus says that when we cease striving for the things that we
think make our lives secure and instead “seek first the Kingdom of God,” we
find that “all these things will be given to you as well.” The truth of our
lives is that all we need comes to us as a gift from God’s hand. For some of
us, that might not sound so good. It can be unnerving. We much prefer to think
that our lives are in our own hands. We much prefer to believe that we deserve
what we have because we worked hard to get it. But Jesus says that makes about
as much sense as believing we can make ourselves taller just by wanting it to
be so.
We have the choice: we
can choose to approach life based on the creed that says you’re on your own and
your life depends entirely on you. It is a creed that ultimately rests on the
fear and worry that Jesus warns against. It is a creed that is defined by
striving—striving to control our lives. Or we can choose to approach our lives
based on the faith that entrusts all of life into God’s hands, regardless of our
specific circumstances. It is a faith that leads us to be thankful for the
blessings we have received. It is a faith that humbly recognizes that all that
we are and all that we have come to us as gifts from God’s generous grace. As
hard as it may be for us, I think that may be the true basis for the
celebration of Thanksgiving.
[1] ©2018
Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 11/18/2018 at Shepherd
of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman NE.
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