MATTHEW 6:24-34
ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMICS
IS BABY BLUES, WHICH APPEARS IN THE REPUBLICAN EVERY DAY. IT'S
ABOUT A FAMILY WITH THREE CHILDREN, AND I THINK I LIKE IT BECAUSE THE
OLDEST CHILD, A VERY PRECOCIOUS LITTLE GIRL, AND THE MIDDLE CHILD, A
BOY WHO IS ALWAYS GETTING IN TROUBLE AND BEING MANIPULATED BY HIS
SISTER, REMIND ME OF MY TWO YOUNGEST CHILDREN WHEN THEY WERE THAT
AGE. LAST WEEK THERE WAS A CARTOON FOCUSED ON THE PARENTS, THOUGH.
THE HUSBAND IS WAKING UP AND NOTICES HIS WIFE SITTING UPRIGHT IN BED
WITH A FROWN ON HER FACE. “HOW COME YOU'RE STILL AWAKE?” HE
ASKS. SHE REPLIES, “I'M PAYING MY WORRY DUES. IF I WORRY ENOUGH
ABOUT SOMETHING BAD, THEN IT TENDS NOT TO HAPPEN. BUT IF I DON'T,
THEN IT DOES.” THE HUSBAND SUGGESTS THAT SHE WORRY MORE ABOUT
GOING OFF HER ROCKER.
WE'VE ALL KNOWN PEOPLE
WHO WORRY TOO MUCH. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WORRY SO MUCH THAT THEY GET
SICK – PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO MENTALLY. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN MENTAL
HOSPITALS THAT JUST GO OVER THE SAME OBSESSIVE THOUGHTS ALL DAY LONG.
AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR WORRYING, PROZAC WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS. I
THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT TOO MUCH WORRYING IS NOT A GOOD THING.
BUT WE'D PROBABLY DECIDE THAT NOT WORRYING AT ALL, AS JESUS TELLS US,
IS IMPOSSIBLE AS WELL AS IMPRACTICAL, AND JESUS WAS JUST BEING HIS
USUAL SELF, EXAGGERATING SOMETHING TO MAKE A POINT. AFTER ALL, WHO
HAS EVER TAKEN HIM UP ON HIS SUGGESTION THAT IF YOUR EYE CAUSES YOU
TO SIN, PLUCK IT OUT?
DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY
OF THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER? WHEN WE FIRST MEET THEM, THE
GRASSHOPPER ISN'T WORRYING. HE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME. THE ANT IS
BUSY, PACKING AWAY FOOD FOR THE WINTER. WHEN WINTER COMES, THE
GRASSHOPPER TRIES TO TALK THE ANT INTO FEEDING AND SHELTERING HIM FOR
THE WINTER, AND OF COURSE, THE ANT DOESN'T. IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT
THE GRASSHOPPER OR THE ANT? BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT AFTER THE ANT HAS
CLOSED THE DOOR ON THE GRASSHOPPER, ONE OF THEM IS NOW REALLY
WORRYING.
JESUS IS A GOOD
PSYCHOLOGIST; HE KNOWS THAT WORRYING ISN'T GOOD FOR YOU AND I. BUT
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT POINT TO OTHER PARABLES THAT SEEM TO MAKE A POINT
JUST THE OPPOSITE OF THE POINT IN THIS SERMON OF HIS. REMEMBER THE
FIVE WISE AND FIVE FOOLISH YOUNG LADIES WHO WERE WAITING FOR THE
BRIDEGROOM? THE SMART ONES HAD PACKED ENOUGH OIL TO GET THROUGH THE
EVENT, AND THEY WERE THE ONES WHO GOT TO GO IN TO THE WEDDING FEAST.
I THINK, THOUGH, THAT THIS TELLS US THAT WORRYING IS NOT THE SAME
THING AS BEING PREPARED.
I THINK JESUS DOESN'T
WANT HIS FOLLOWERS TO WORRY BECAUSE IT TAKES THEM AWAY FROM GOD.
AFTER ALL, IF YOU WORRY, YOU ARE IN A SENSE LIVING IN THE FUTURE,
HOPING TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY BY THINKING THROUGH ALL THE POSSIBLE BAD
THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN; OR MAYBE LIVING IN THE PAST, GOING OVER ALL
THE THINGS YOU COULD HAVE SAID OR COULD HAVE DONE, THAT WOULD HAVE
CHANGED THAT MOMENT THAT YOU WISH HAD NEVER HAPPENED. BUT GOD IS
ONLY IN THE PRESENT, WHICH IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE AS WELL. SO
WORRYING TAKES US AWAY FROM GOD. AND WORRYING ALSO GOES AGAINST THE
WORDS THAT GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US ALL THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES; HE WANTS
US TO PUT OUR FAITH IN HIM; HE WANTS US TO FULLY TRUST HIM.
WORRYING, EVEN A LITTLE WORRYING, IS A BETRAYAL OF THIS TRUST. WE
HEAR THE PSALMIST SAY: “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING
I SHALL WANT.” WE HEAR JESUS TELLING HIS APOSTLES, “PEACE BE
WITH YOU.” AND “FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK, FOR IT IS THE FATHER'S
GOOD PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU THE KINGDOM.” WE SEE MARY'S EXAMPLE OF
JOY AND TRUST WHEN SHE TELLS THE ANGEL, “LET IT BE DONE TO ME
ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” WORRYING, EVEN A LITTLE WORRYING, IS WHAT
THE PAGANS DO; IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CHILDREN OF GOD SHOULD DO.
JESUS IS NOT TELLING US
NOT TO PREPARE, NOT TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE AND BE PROACTIVE. IN
FACT, THAT'S THE QUESTION WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE IN OUR MINDS. IS
THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE?
AND IF THERE IS, THEN WE SHOULD PREPARE. BUT AFTER WE'VE DONE WHAT
IS REASONABLE, WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CAN DO, THEN WE PUT THAT ASIDE AND
GO ON TO WHAT IS NEXT. AS JESUS ADVISES US, “SUFFICIENT FOR TODAY
IS ITS OWN EVIL”. IF WE ARE LOSING SLEEP BECAUSE OF WORRY, WE KNOW
WE NEED TO CHANGE.
GOD ASSURES US, IN THE
FIRST READING, THAT EVEN IF A MOTHER FORGETS HER CHILD, HE WILL NOT
FORGET US. EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT READING, MY MIND GOES BACK ABOUT
30 YEARS. WE LIVED IN BUFFALO, HALF A BLOCK FROM OUR PARISH CHURCH.
ON SUNDAYS WE WOULD RUSH AROUND TRYING TO GET FIVE DAUGHTERS AND OUR
YOUNGEST, OUR SON, READY FOR MASS. ON GOOD DAYS WE WOULD WALK TO
CHURCH. ONE SUNDAY WHEN OUR SON WAS ABOUT FOUR, AS WE FILED INTO THE
PEW, WE NOTICED THAT HE WAS NOT WITH US. I QUICKLY WENT BACK TO THE
HOUSE, AND THERE ON THE LIVING ROOM CARPET HE SAT, UNCONCERNED,
PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS. I PICKED HIM UP AND GOT BACK TO MASS JUST IN
TIME TO HEAR THE READING, “CAN A MOTHER FORGET HER CHILD?” I'M
SURE EVERYONE WONDERED WHY ALL THE HIGBY FAMILY STARTED SNICKERING.
BUT WE LEARN A WONDERFUL
LESSON FROM LITTLE CHILDREN. MY SON TRUSTED. HE FIGURED THAT
SOMEONE WOULD NOTICE HE WASN'T AROUND AND WOULD COME TO GET HIM. HE
DID WHAT HE COULD, SAT DOWN AND BEGAN PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS, A TASK
FOUR YEAR OLD BOYS CAN DO QUITE WELL. HE LIVED IN THE PRESENT, WHERE
GOD IS. AND WHEN I PICKED HIM UP AND BROUGHT HIM TO CHURCH, HE
DIDN'T BOTTLE UP A LOT OF RESENTMENT AT HAVING BEEN FORGOTTEN; HE
FORGAVE US, AND FORGOT ABOUT IT.
TRUST GOD, LIVE IN THE
PRESENT, FORGIVE AND FORGET. THEN THERE'S ROOM IN YOUR LIFE FOR GOD.
WHEN YOU WORRY, EVEN A LITTLE BIT, YOU MAKE LESS ROOM FOR GOD.
