Little Faith…Little Flock
TRANSLATION
(22) And he said to his disciples, “Therefore, I tell you not to worry about your life what you will eat nor 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, nor do they reap, nor do they have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. You are far more valuable than birds! (25) And which of you by worrying can add an hour to your lifespan? (26) If you (by worrying) cannot change the smallest thing, why do you worry about anything at all?
(27) “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor nor do they spin (cloth), yet, I say to you that even Solomon in all his splendor was not clothed like one of these. (28) If God clothes the grass in the field which is here today and thrown tomorrow into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? (29) And do not be concerned with what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not worry, (30) for all the nations of the world seek after these things, but your Father knows what you need. (31) Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be provided for you.
(32) “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. (33) Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, a treasure in heaven that never fails, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. (34) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
OBSERVATIONS
These verses contain some of Jesus’ most memorable admonitions to his disciples. Several words were repeated in this segment: “life” (three times in vss. 22, 23, & 25), “eat” (vss. 22 & 29), “body” (vss. 22 & 23), “worry/worrying” (vss. 25, 26, & 29), “clothes/clothe” (vs. 28), “little” (vss. 28 & 32), “seek” (vss. 30 & 31), “kingdom” (vss. 31 & 32), and “treasure” (vss. 33 & 34). Here Jesus taught his disciples to value what is most important in life. Rather than striving after earthly goods (food, clothing, possessions), his disciples were to pursue the loftier things of God’s kingdom called “treasure in heaven” (vs. 33). When we adopt God’s priorities, he promises to supply all we need for life here on earth so that we do not need to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear or how we will have enough to live on.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus’ disciples were not to devote themselves to earthly concerns or worldly treasure. (22-30)
II. Jesus’ disciples were rather to pursue God’s kingdom and his righteousness. (31-34)
IDEA STATEMENT
If we seek after the things God values, we can trust him to meet our earthly needs and give us heavenly riches.
APPLICATION
Two important spiritual truths undergirded Jesus’ teaching in this segment. First, if we honor God by seeking heavenly treasures rather than the things of earth, God will supply us with everything we need both here and in the future. Second, if we seek the things of God, our hearts will be enriched as we lay up treasures in heaven that will last forever. While these are both wonderful life principles, too few of us who follow Christ actually live this way.
We are the “little flock” (vs. 32) with “little faith” (vs. 28), and, by failing to depend on God, we miss out on the wondrous things the Father has in store for us both here on earth as well as in our heavenly home. We typically spend the bulk of our time and effort in seeking after food, clothing, and all the other material things we think we need rather than in trusting our heavenly Father to supply what he has promised to provide for us. We tend to neglect or forget the spiritual values to which he has called us, loving God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. In this way, we fail to lay up treasures in heaven and shortchange ourselves eternally. We must learn to adopt God’s values in our lives, trusting him to supply all our needs and glorifying him with lives that honor him both here and in the heavenly realms.