Was Jesus serious about not worrying?

Reader, it seems to me that sometimes we must become fools in order to be wise. A fool asks simple questions that a wise man would not humor. And like a fool, he goes straight ahead with the answer he is given, and lets it change his perception, whereas the wise man adds his own observations and mixes it together, to avoid being simpleminded. But when we are told the truth by the Word of God, the Creator, then who are we to mix anything with it, or presume to improve upon it? If we are supposed to be “born again” and become “like children” in order to enter the Kingdom, does this not mean shifting to a radical acceptance of what our Father tells us, even if it seems impossible? When we were children, we trusted our fathers. A child’s faith is often greater than a man who has survived by his own careful thinking and hard work. Who is more foolish, then: the child who simply trusts his father, or the old man who schemes and works for everything?

Recently I was reading this passage and was struck by how far I am from listening to the words of our Lord Jesus. It’s as if I don’t take him seriously. Have I become too wise to listen to God? If so, let me become a fool and heed the words closely! The passage in question is Luke 12:22-34.

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. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

How can I not worry about what I will eat? Is food going to fall from the ceiling and materialize out of nowhere? Food prices in Canada are going up exponentially and food banks are overwhelmed by the needy who can’t afford to support their families. It seems very foolish to not think about how to sustain ourselves! But what does it mean: “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes”? Is there an entirely different way of thinking about my daily existence than survival and responsible decision making? If I don’t supply myself with what I need, who will?

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

Again, is Jesus being serious? How can I be like a raven? Should I wander around and eat scraps I find, like a homeless vagrant? This sounds more like a curse from God than a blessing, because having a storehouse full of food is much more convenient than a life of uncertainty and scavenging.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!

God does provide for animals and plants, but it seems obvious that I can add hours to my life by worrying, if worrying means taking practical steps to make sure I have food and clothing. The ravens have to fly around and look for insects and seeds or whatever if they want to eat, they don’t sit and do nothing. The lilies, although they seem to spring out of the ground randomly, are secretly growing a root system into the soil and sucking moisture out of the ground, and closing and opening their petals to let in sunlight. There is effort and activity involved. So is the difference that they don’t “worry” in the sense of being anxious or doubtful? They simply follow their natural instincts and take advantage of whatever is at hand? In that case, wouldn’t a human need to do the equivalent for human efforts? We would need to work, build, earn, cooperate, and store up, which is how humans have always survived.

“And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.

Over and over, the instruction is about not “worrying” or “striving,” which speaks to an attitude more than an action. The Christian and the unbeliever both take the necessary steps to survive, but the unbeliever does so with a sense of desperation and worry, striving towards safety, whereas the Christian trusts that, somehow, the situation will work itself out. His priority is the Kingdom, and the material concerns of life are secondary. God does not miraculously provide the supplies, but He arranges the circumstances of life so that, without worrying about it, an opportunity exists to survive without undue stress. It is man’s nature to cultivate and tend things, just as Adam was a gardener before anything else; but the success of a garden is largely in God’s hands, not ours.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And here we have the most radical advice of all. Selling our possessions and giving it away is truly a command to throw your fate into the wind, and let God take you wherever He wants by providing opportunities. I don’t know of a single person who has listened to this instruction. Even if they sold their stuff and moved, they kept the money and used it to provide for themselves. Is Jesus being serious?

Conclusion

I do not have a neat and handy answer for this challenge given by our Lord. I can only pray that he does not need us to take it literally, because although it would be an act of faith to abandon our livelihood and become a penniless vagrant, it feels more like tempting God than serving Him.

Have I become too wise to listen? I believe I am ready to lose everything for the Kingdom, but isn’t God the one who provided me with this life in the first place? I have been seeking the Kingdom since I was saved many years ago, and I haven’t worried much about food or clothing compared to anyone else I know. Haven’t I already received my portion from God, because He gave me the opportunities and protection I needed this whole time? Shouldn’t I just be content with it, and use it for good?

Jesus was preaching to the unsaved, not the saved. So perhaps the lesson is for those who want to join his Kingdom, not for those who have already dedicated themselves to it and opened themselves up to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Either way, I think that struggling with these sayings is profitable. It can be easy to forget just how directly Jesus told us to simplify our lives and refocus our energy to spiritual service, rather than material security.