§163. Jesus Warns Against Anxiety (Luke 12:22–34)

Introduction

  1. §161. Warns Against Hypocrisy (Luke 12:1–12)

  2. §162. Warns Against Materialism (Luke 12:13–21)

  3. §163. Warns Against Anxiety (Luke 12:22–34)

  4. §164. Warns Against Indifference (Luke 12:35–40)

  5. §165. Warns Against Abuse of Authority (Luke 12:41–48)

Exposition

 

22. Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.

  1. Basic needs - food, clothing, and shelter. Not to be worried, but trust.

  2. Lord know that these are needed. Paul also share this. 1 Tim 6:7-10. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

  3. Lord exhort us not to be worried of these things.

    Phil 4:6–7. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

23. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

  1. What is more important than these? It is relationships. Relation with the creator and the rest of the people.

  2. Committing our basic needs to God is part of our relation with Him. Give us this daily bread means, to have a daily dependence on Him. What we desire is to have riches accumulated so that we do not need any relation with him.

24. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

  1. Three illustrations from nature: ravens (24), lilies (27), grass (28).

  2. Ravens: very common creature, not any value, least appreciated, and considered as unclean in OT.

  3. Psalm 147:9. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. If He care for raven, then he will surely care for you.

25. And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

  1. Cubit means length or span. Increasing the height or increasing the life span. Either of the case, worrying can add nothing. Instead, it can only shorten.

26. If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

  1. What is Worry or Anxiety? Bock defined: Worry is wasted energy, an emotional investment that yields nothing. Worry actually reflects the tension we have when we feel that life is out of our control; it is the product of feeling isolated in the creation.

  2. Spiritually speaking - opposite of worry is trust.

27. Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

  1. Second illustration: Lilies. How God arrayed them with care! Even the most wise Solomon's dress was not arranged like this.

28. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

  1. Third illustration - Grass. It is invaluable and transitory, but God's care is on them. It also shows His great wisdom and power.

29. “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

  1. What the Lord is not telling here is not to work for them, but not to be anxious of them. It is very difficult for us, especially to the modern world.

30. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

  1. Lord wants his disciple to be distinct from the people of the world who are ignorant of the care of God and devoid of relation with him.

  2. We are different from them - they are under the curse of sin and we are redeemed from it.

    Gen 3:17. To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

31. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

  1. How do I know I am not worrying? Or, If you want to worry, then worry about His Kingdom.

  2. Our priority is different - Lord promises to meet our need.

  3. Worry is double failure

  4. Seeking KoG is double blessing: if we are concerned about His Kingdom, we are blessed both here and there!

  5. Why do we pray for material needs? So that we can turn to matters related to His Kingdom.

32. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

  1. Little flock - The words shows the care of God.

33. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

  1. A sign of our trust in the care of God is generosity to other.

  2. Selling - how unattached the disciple should be to the possessions of this world.

  3. Two type of treasure: one that corrodes and the other that stays.

34. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

  1. What is your achievement? That will tell where your heart is.

Application

  1. Trust: Deal with Anxiety

  2. Seek: Concerned about His church

  3. Generous: In spending our resources for others