THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST: BIRDS OF PARADISE or FLOWERS OF THE FIELD

Matthew 6:24–33 (King James Version "KJV")

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Name worry as sin. We must discipline ourselves to turn from any anxiety, and choose to trust the Lord.

Compare Matthew 6:24 to the first two lines of verse 47 from the Gospel of Thomas: 47. Jesus said, "A person cannot mount two horses or bend two bows. And a slave cannot serve two masters, otherwise that slave will honor the one and offend the other.

Be loyal to God. Forsake any ambition that compromises your commitment to God.

So, what have we learned thus far? NOT TO WORRY! TRUST GOD! Oh, how I thank God with ‘all’ my heart for the ‘gift’ of clarity and understanding of His Word. Once upon a time, it took work not to worry, didn’t it? Praise God that that old man is gone!

Here, in this Parable of The Birds of Paradise, we pick up where you left off with Jesus’ theme of single-hearted devotion to God and deals with the interconnected attitude of freedom from anxiety over daily needs. He illustrates the worthlessness of worry by showing that it is unnecessary, unfruitful, and ″unbecoming″ to a Christian. There is not quite any one sin against which our Lord Jesus more largely and earnestly warns his disciples, or against which he arms them with more variety of arguments, than the sin of disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of life, which are a bad sign that both the treasure and the heart are on the earth; and therefore he thus largely insists upon it. Here is,

I. The elimination laid down. It is the counsel and command of the Lord Jesus, that we take no thought about the things of this world; I say unto you. He says it as our Lawgiver, and the Sovereign of our hearts; he says it as our Comforter, and the Helper of our joy. Hallelujah! What is it that he says? It is this …and he that hath ears to hear, let him hear it. Take no thought for your life, nor yet for your body (Matt. 6:25). Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? (Matt. 6:31) and again (Matt. 6:34),

II. Meditation: What does "serving two masters" and "anxiety" have in common? They both have the same root problem -- being divided within oneself. The root word for "anxiety" literally means "being of two minds". An anxious person is often "tossed to and fro" and paralyzed by indecision. Fear of some bad outcome usually cripples those afflicted with anxiety. It's also the case with someone who wants to submit to God but also live according to the world's standards of success and fulfillment. Who is the master in charge of our lives? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things -- the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the glamour of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires". There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from the slavery of sin and fear. That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus uses the illustration of nature — the birds and the flowers — to show how God provides for them in the natural order of his creation. How much more can we, as his children, rely upon God's providential care?

God is utterly reliable. In the Lord's Prayer we are reminded that God is our provider when we pray: Give us this day our daily bread. What is bread, but the very staple of life and symbol of all that we need to live and grow. Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary. It robs us of faith and confidence in God's help and it saps our energy for doing good. Jesus admonishes his followers to put away anxiety and preoccupation with material things and instead to seek first the things of God — his kingdom and righteousness. Anxiety robs the heart of trust in the mercy and goodness of God and in his loving care for us. God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him. Who is our master -- God or mammon?

III. "Lord, free me from needless worries and help me to put my trust in you. Make my first concern your kingdom and your righteousness. Help me to live each day with trust and gratitude for your providential care for me".

IV. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus addresses double-mindedness, particularly in the way people focus their thoughts and concerns on what to eat and what to wear, then spare some consideration for God. The people made food and clothing main concerns - instead, God should be their primary concern. Jesus was trying to tell the people: all they need to do is "seek first" the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness of God. If they do so, God will provide food and clothes for them as well. Consider this a promise from Him: if we love the Lord with all of our spirit and all of our mind, He will take care of us.