Worry is sometimes seen as opposing faith. Truly, it has its rightful place, but the question is what we worry about. Scriptures point us in a direction that we typically don't regard as a priority concern.
Worry has the benefit of making us think things, through and that's a good thing. We should have concern or anxiety about certain things. Worry makes us think about the situation and the options.
Continuing in Luke from last week's topic of worthy wealth, Jesus has a teaching about what's worth worry. Birds and flowers are taken care of by the Creator. 'Why are you worried about the things that you're worried about?' Jesus asks.
Jesus continues to focus on Kingdom wealth where true wealth consists of giving, not receiving. The hard saying, Sell your possessions and give to the poor, is hard for us to hear, just as it was for his original audience.
Faithfulness means participating in the healing work of the Kingdom, in investing in others where there is need or lack - poverty. The context is not individual - and most everything in our society and in its religion is individualized; think salvation and sinfulness. Jesus points beyond self to others for that is where God's attention is, on the whole of creation and its human community, particularly 'the least of these.'
In Isaiah, we hear God's denunciation through the prophet of God's people and their useless worship. Their offerings, their devotion, and their prayers are rejected because they ignore the sinfulness of the society in which they live, and they've accepted it as a given. For this, the prophet announces, Your hands are full of blood. Ouch!
Their worry about God continuing as their protector and defender appears to God as mocking when they care not at all about the suffering and exploitation of their brothers and sisters. What should they really be worried about?
Check out the sermon video below and the downloads below the video panel.
Worry has the benefit of making us think things, through and that's a good thing. We should have concern or anxiety about certain things. Worry makes us think about the situation and the options.
Continuing in Luke from last week's topic of worthy wealth, Jesus has a teaching about what's worth worry. Birds and flowers are taken care of by the Creator. 'Why are you worried about the things that you're worried about?' Jesus asks.
Jesus continues to focus on Kingdom wealth where true wealth consists of giving, not receiving. The hard saying, Sell your possessions and give to the poor, is hard for us to hear, just as it was for his original audience.
Faithfulness means participating in the healing work of the Kingdom, in investing in others where there is need or lack - poverty. The context is not individual - and most everything in our society and in its religion is individualized; think salvation and sinfulness. Jesus points beyond self to others for that is where God's attention is, on the whole of creation and its human community, particularly 'the least of these.'
In Isaiah, we hear God's denunciation through the prophet of God's people and their useless worship. Their offerings, their devotion, and their prayers are rejected because they ignore the sinfulness of the society in which they live, and they've accepted it as a given. For this, the prophet announces, Your hands are full of blood. Ouch!
Their worry about God continuing as their protector and defender appears to God as mocking when they care not at all about the suffering and exploitation of their brothers and sisters. What should they really be worried about?
Check out the sermon video below and the downloads below the video panel.
| 08-07-16-ff-answers.pdf |
| 08-07-16-whats_worth_worry.pdf |