Pastor Tim Patoka
God’s Zoo: Birds of the Air
August 15, 2021
Free Like the Bird Matthew 6:25-34 1) God’s Promise to Provide Frees Us from Worry 2) We Freely Seek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness Birds have a way of getting our attention, even when we’re only talking about the kinds that live in the Sonoran Desert. One way they do this is with the diverse variety that God has given them within the orchard of creation. Think of the cactus wren that makes its home in the saguaro or the roadrunner that you’re more likely to see running across the desert floor than flapping its wings and flying. When people see a mama bird and all her babies following in a line behind her, heartstrings are pulled and “oohs” and “ahs” are heard, like when a mama quail and her line of furry babies quickly cross a quiet street or scenic bike path. There’s also those displays of grace and power when you see a bird of prey leave its perch in a wash’s tree to swoop down on its next meal. We cannot help but pay attention to birds. And it’s no different today as we hear how Jesus directs our eyes to the birds of the air in this portion of his Sermon on the Mount. It’s in Jesus’ comparison of us to the birds of the air that he teaches us how we, as Christians, are free like the bird. Because of God’s promise to provide for our every bodily need, we are free from worrying about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear in the days to come. And because of that same promise, we are free to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness with the assurance that God will continue to provide for us as we set our sights on him and all that is his. 1) God’s Promise to Provide Frees Us from Worry In our opening verse, Jesus plainly tells us to not worry about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear. One of the things I typically mention about this command is to distinguish between worry and concern. While closely related, there are some key differences. One way to define worrying is to be extremely anxious about something. You can usually tell when sensible concern becomes sinful worry when you can’t get your mind off it and it intrudes on other areas of your life. When Jesus tells us to not worry, he’s not commanding us to live reckless lives without a thought for tomorrow. No, he’s telling us to not lose sleep about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear because of extreme anxiety. And that’s because God has promised to provide for all our bodily needs.
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Pastor Tim Patoka
God’s Zoo: Birds of the Air
August 15, 2021
To drive this point home, Jesus compares us to nature. He first compares us to the birds saying, “Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26 EHV) Although most birds do not store up for the future, God continues to ensure their survival by providing their food and drink. If God does this for the lowly bird, won’t he do the same for us who are worth far more and who wisely store up for future rainy days? Of course, God will! When it comes to what we’ll wear, Jesus compares us to the lilies of the field. “Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin, 29but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not clothe you even more, you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30 EHV) Although lilies do not work for a living or make their own clothing, God still clothes them with nature’s breath-taking beauty. If this is how God clothes plants that are blossoming today and tomorrow burning in the furnace, won’t he also clothe us who are worth far more, work for a living, and make their own clothing? Of course! It’s from these 2 comparisons that Jesus assures us that God will provide our food, drink, and clothing in the years to come. As such, there is no need to worry. In fact, we are freed from worry! While we have God’s promise that he will provide for us, he hasn’t told us the exact details about how he will do that. Maybe he’ll use the natural means of a person earning a paycheck with their God-given time and abilities and how they spend that money. Maybe he’ll work through a random act of kindness or a handme-down. Maybe he’ll go through others like an assistance program that helps those who cannot completely help themselves. There are any number of ways that God can fulfill his promise to us. But because the details are unknown and eating, drinking, and wearing clothes is a necessity, the door to worry remains wide open. We often fall for its temptation. And that’s true, even in a prosperous country like ours. While we may not worry about what there is to eat, drink, and wear for today, we certainly can worry if such things will be there in the future. Worrying is a problem. Besides being unable to add a single hour to our lifespan, worrying can easily exhaust us physically, emotionally, and mentally. But more than that, worrying betrays a weak faith in God and his promises to us. Our Lord has promised to provide for our every bodily need. Yet what are we saying to God when we worry about these very things and act as if it depended on us to 2
Pastor Tim Patoka
God’s Zoo: Birds of the Air
August 15, 2021
secure these things for the future? What we’re saying to God is that we don’t trust in him, that we doubt him, that we don’t think he’ll do what he has said – at least not completely. When it comes to Jesus’ command to not worry, we find our strength to follow it from what God tells us. God tells us that we are important. Not just over the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, but rather over all of nature’s flora and fauna. It was for us, not nature’s plants and animals, that God sent his Son to this world. Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem? Why did he live a perfect life? Why did he endure unjust suffering and an innocent death on the cross? Why did he rise from the grave on Easter Day? For sinful humans like you and me who sadly fall into worry and show a weak faith in his promises to us. To forgive us of all our wrongs and to wipe our slate clean before the Lord so that we may be declared not guilty and lavished with love. If God was willing to sacrifice his own Son for us, then he will certainly provide for us too. But don’t take my word for it. Consider the birds of the air. As God gives them their food and drink, so he will for you. Consider the lilies of the field. As God clothes them with nature’s beauty, so he will clothe you with fabrics and skins. Consider your past. As God has provided for you before, so he will for the days to come. And because of that promise, you can live your life free from worry. 2) We Freely Seek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness This same promise also frees us to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. As Jesus tells us, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’….33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31,33 EHV) To refresh your memory, God’s kingdom is found wherever God is reigning as king. One place where we find that is in the hearts of believers when they come to and remain in faith. Another place is up in heaven where God is visibly reigning as king over all who now call heaven their home. To seek God’s kingdom and righteousness is to have in mind the things of God so that you share in his will and priorities. One aspect of this is the creating and strengthening of faith through God’s Word so that many more may live in God’s kingdom while still here on Earth. Another is living a righteous life in accord with God’s Word with everyone you meet and everything you think, say, and do. 3
Pastor Tim Patoka
God’s Zoo: Birds of the Air
August 15, 2021
Jesus doesn’t simply tell us to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness, but to do it first above all else. And we struggle in that. We let the things of this world crowd out the things of God. We ask the very questions the unbelievers ask saying, “‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’” (Matthew 6:31 EHV) as we busy ourselves with all the distracting options. We let our kingdom seeking and righteous living become tomorrow’s task, when we have more time, or something that ends up never happening. So how can we seek God’s kingdom and righteousness and do it first, above all else? We go back to God’s promise to provide for our every bodily need. Not only does that promise free us from worry, it frees us to focus first on the things of God. God will take care of what we need today, tomorrow, and every day after. Knowing that, we are freed up to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. The time and resources we would have spent to secure our physical future can now be spent on securing our eternal future in God’s kingdom. The attention and energy we would have given to ourselves can now be given to others as we let our light shine with righteous living and sharing Christ with those who do not know him as they should. While tomorrow will have its own share of troubles, they need not distract us. And that’s because we have the assurance that God will continue to provide for us as we keep our sights set on his kingdom and righteousness. Conclusion When Jesus tells us to consider the birds, he’s teaching us how God’s promise to provide our every bodily need makes us free like the bird. We are free from worry because we know that God will take care of our physical lives in a far greater way than he has with the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. This same promise then frees us to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness as we set our sights on him above, assured that he will provide for us throughout it all. May we keep God’s promise to us close to heart now and forever. Amen.
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