The Message, November 24, 2024: "Thankful in All Things," Matthew 6:25-33

Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
November 26, 2024

 

“Thankful in All Things”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Matthew 6:25-33

            Every teacher and every student is familiar with the term syllabus. Most upper-level courses begin with the syllabus which lays out the summary of the course work and the objectives of the class. Then it lays out the path that the class will follow to achieve those objectives; the reading assignments, projects and exams are the steps that the students will take along the way.

            Jesus employed that same method … sort of. We can consider the Sermon on the Mount to be the “syllabus” for the Way. It is the foundation upon which all of his teaching will be built.

            Jesus did not burst forth onto the earth like a superhero … he did not spring up from the manger proclaiming, “Here I come to save the day!” (That was Mighty Mouse.) Yes, he is our Savior, but he came as our teacher … our rabbi. Jesus has a clear and unobstructed view of the goodness and greatness of God. He sees God’s goodness and greatness all around him … and all around us. He came that we might see as well. But he knows that we need to learn it in a manner and at a speed that we can handle.

            At this point in the “lesson,” Jesus has already shared the Beatitudes:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12)

            He has already introduced the lesson about Salt and Light.
            He has introduced the lesson about anger.
            He has introduced the lesson about love for enemies.
            He has introduced the lesson about prayer and taught us the words to use when we pray.

            And here he begins a lesson about the divided heart. In the verse prior to the passage that Linda just read, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” The word for ‘wealth’ … mammon … can also be translated as ‘property.’

            Jesus framed the lesson teaching about worry. Do not worry about these things. Do not worry about what you will eat and what you will drink. Do not worry about what you will wear. Do not worry.

            Now, as we sit here today, we are likely thinking, “Easier said than done, Jesus. We have a LOT to worry about!” And the reality is that there were likely the same thoughts in the heads of those first-century listeners sitting by the Sea of Galilee. “Sounds good, Jesus … but … the Romans, the taxes, the corrupt Temple officials and the Temple fees. I have to work from dawn to dusk just to put a scrap of bread on the table. Worry is my daily bread!”

            Jesus knows this. He knew the worries of his first listeners, and he knows ours. And he was not saying that we should take this lesson literally. He was speaking poetically; he was speaking figuratively. He was not saying that we should just drop everything and move out into the desert like the ascetics did. He was not saying that we should be thoughtless, reckless and careless, and just lay about waiting for loaves of bread to drop from heaven onto our tables.

            Jesus was speaking about “merimna” … the practice of worrying anxiously or excessively. He was talking about worry that consumes our focus, and our time, and our energies. The ancient rabbis taught that people should approach life with a balance between prudence (proper planning) and serenity (peace). And Jesus was teaching the same.

            Jesus knows that we need to eat and drink. Jesus knows that we cannot run around town without clothing, shivering in the dead of winter. Jesus knows that we need to work to support ourselves and our families and our community. He knows all of that. He knows that we cannot live as carefree as the birds. He knows that we are not like the flowers of the field. And he knows about a divided heart. He knows about merimna.

            He also knows about oligopistos. Welcome to Greek 101.

            “Oligopistos” is the word that Jesus used to refer to the place where doubt and fear meet faith. In Greek, the translation is “little faith.” Jesus uses the word five times in the course of the Gospel message. Each time it refers to those occasions when the disciples hear his voice but do not listen, or do not follow.

            Jesus knows that worry is normal. Jesus knows that fear and doubt are normal parts of the human experience. But he also knows better than anyone else that God’s goodness is also part of the human experience. And he knows that worry, and fear, and doubt can blind us to God’s goodness.

            Yes, we worry. And we are right to worry. We are right to worry about the state of our world and our country.
            We are right to worry about divisive political rhetoric that tears at the very fabric of our communities.
            We are right to worry about family members, friends and neighbors that find themselves the targets of ugliness and oppression.
            We are right to worry about the environment and the economy.
            We right to worry about the escalation of wars around the world and the tens of thousands of innocent people killed.

            Yes, we worry about all of that. And we should worry about those things. We should care about those things. Those concerns should mobilize us to act. Those concerns should motivate us to respond with all of those things that Jesus teaches us to do.

            I acknowledge that it is not easy. You know that as well as I do. You know it as well as the disciples knew. They walked with Jesus, and they knew worry. They knew worry when their boat was being tossed in the storm. When the boat was filling with water, the disciples did NOT say, “Do not worry. Jesus is sleeping in the stern.” No, they said, “Jesus! Wake up! We are perishing!” (Matthew 8:23-27)

            We know worry. There are plenty of times when we want to scream at Jesus, “Jesus! Wake up! Look around! We are perishing!!”

            And Jesus replies, “Seek ye first the Kin-dom of God.”

            Jesus knows that there will be pain, and struggle, and suffering, and sadness. He was nailed to a cross. He knows the goodness of God. He knows about the power of God. He knows that there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from that love. Nothing. Not even all of the trauma, and tragedy, and craziness, and suffering in the world around us. In the midst of all of it, God is with us.

            Even with all of the ugliness, there is still beauty.
            Even with all of the hate, there is still love.
            Even with all of the anger, there is still kindness.
            Even with all of the war and violence, there is still peace.
            Even with all of the bitterness and divisiveness, there is still community.

            That is our comfort and confidence in the storm. God is with us.
            God holds us when our hearts are shattered.
            God holds us when we tremble and quake with fear.
            God holds us when everything seems to be uncertain.
            God holds us and heals us in our pain.

            And our faith in the steadfast Presence of God allows us to continue.
            Our faith in the steadfast Presence of God allows us to get up … and move.
            Our faith in a loving God reminds us that we are precious no matter what the world may say or try to do to us.
            And our faith in that love allows us to love as well.

            Jesus tells us to place God at the center of our lives. Seek God first. Serve God first. See God even when everything around us seems dark.
            God is with us.
            Thanks be to God. Amen.

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