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Thanksgiving Day Lesson: Joel 2:21-27
November 26, 2009 Psalm 126
The Rev. Karen Evans Epistle: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
St. James’ Church, Marietta Holy Gospel: Matthew 6:25-33
I speak to you in the Name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
I do not know about you, but our Scripture passage from the Gospel of Matthew is a hard one for me on several levels. First off, the admonition, “Do not be anxious,” is easier said that done. And my husband will tell you that not being concerned about what I am going to wear is one virtue I have not yet accomplished. But when he says that, I remind him of a letter he sent me shortly after we were married.
Bill was serving with the Army in Vietnam. He was living in a small compound on the edge of the mountain region. As he read his Bible, he would send me letters about his thoughts on the various passages. When he got to the passage we have today, he sent me a letter that struck me as rather “preachy,” about how I worried too much about clothing, food, etc. I am afraid I responded with some anger, that it was fine for him to talk about not being anxious about what he would eat or drink or wear; after all, the Army was providing all his clothing and food. It was not so easy for me.
I did not know it then, but that touches on one of the problems in understanding today’s lesson. There are millions of people in the world who do have to be anxious about what they will eat or drink. There are plenty of people who do not know where they will find something to keep them warm in winter. There are even hungry birds and lilies that do not flower. At the same time, there are those who do not have to worry, except maybe about how they will choose among all the options they have at hand. What is Jesus saying? What does he want us to take from this?
I think the first way to get a better understanding of the passage is to think of it as poetry. It sounds poetic, does it not, when it is read aloud? When I think of it as poetry, what I hear is the emphasis on the wonder of God’s creation. The birds, the flowers, and human beings have their existence because of the creative love of God. All things come from God, and you and I are part of the wonderful workings of God’s creative order. For those who believe, the witness of creation is to God’s continuing care for all that God has made.
Another clue to Jesus’ meaning comes from the placement of the passage in the Sermon on the Mount. Before we get to this, Jesus had been telling the gathered people about what is appropriate behavior for those who would be part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The advice he gives today follows his sayings about treasures, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…For where your treasure is there will your heart be also,” and about serving two masters, “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.”
Both of those have to do with priorities. Jesus is not against treasure or wealth. He wants us to be sure, though, that they are not the most important things in our lives. Disciples are to put God and God’s Kingdom ahead of everything else. They are to be the most important things in our lives; then everything else will fall in place. As the veteran of many diets in my time, I can tell you that if worry about what I am eating takes over, it can be all consuming. I also know that I am never truly happy if my faith and my relationship with God are not at the center of my life.
What does it look like, then, if we are not anxious about our lives? Bill and I had the privilege to visit the region around Dodoma in Tanzania. We were guests in several villages. Most of them were very poor. But what impressed me was how hard they were working to improve their lives and how generous they were with what little they had. And, they were happy to share their lives with us and, in fact, said that they were not looking for us to do things for them; what they wanted was to be friends.
If we put into practice in our situation what Jesus said in this lesson, I think there are three things we will do. First, we will put our trust in God. That means to me that I seek God’s will for my life in all that I do, and I give as generously as I can to those who do not have all that I have.
Second, we will try to keep a humility about us and to keep our wants and needs in perspective. That means also that we respect God’s creation as made for everyone, and not as something to be exploited.
And, third, we will live our lives in an attitude of thanksgiving. With our priorities straight, we have much to be thankful for – the creation, the love of God, the gifts God has given us, and especially Jesus Christ. That, after all, is why we keep the feast.
May God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving and always. Amen.
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