“Do not be anxious” sounds like a pretty bold and demanding statement doesn’t it? It sounds like perhaps it was uttered by someone who doesn’t really understand the difficulties of the life we lead in this broken world. Seems like a simple answer to the problems of the complex human heart. Maybe these words were spoken by someone who just doesn’t understand the culture we live in.

Well may I suggest to you that these words were spoken, not once, not twice, but three times in nine verses by someone who is much more culturally relevant than any of us are, and more culturally relevant than anyone else on earth is or ever has been.

You might have guessed by now that these are the words of Jesus spoken to his followers in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34. Let’s look briefly at the words themselves and the very logically laid out argument our Savior Jesus Christ uses to back them up.

Jesus prepares us for this discussion of worry and anxiety in Matthew 6:19-24 where he says,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also . . . No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

While Jesus is specifically referring to money and earthly treasures here his more important point and principle is you must choose between serving God or serving earthly things. You will either be devoted to worldly things in this life or to God. You cannot treasure both in your heart and serving both is impossible. That is the context for following statements of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 on the subject of worry.

Now Jesus will tell his audience three times, “Therefore, do not be anxious.” This statement divides this passage into three parts starting in verses 25, 31, and 34.  I believe Jesus is talking to believers in him here because he uses the phrase, “your heavenly Father,” in verses 26 and 32 to address them.

In Matthew 6:25-30, Jesus gives these believers logical reasons taken from the natural world for not being anxious or worried about the physical needs of their lives. He begins by saying, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

He then uses the examples of the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field, with the point being that you are move valuable than these birds so you can count on God to feed you. In contrast to the grass of the field, which will be thrown in the oven tomorrow, you are of enduring significance, so you can count on God to clothe you.

Jesus says the sovereign, almighty God will take care of his own. So you do not need to be anxious. And then Jesus identifies their problem; he tells them why they worry. It is because they have “little faith.” He does not say they have no faith. But their faith in God must grow in order to overcome their anxiety and worry.

Now in Matthew 6:31-33, that once again starts with, “Therefore, do not be anxious.” Jesus will positively teach them how to grow in faith, or to use a fancy theological term, how to progressively grow in sanctification. Jesus is going to tell them how to grow to maturity as a believer as they strive to become more Christlike.

In verses 31 and 32 he reaches back to the context he set up for us in Matthew 6:19-24 and compares again those who are living for the things of this world as opposed to those who are living for the Lord. He uses the term “Gentiles” in verse 32, and for his audience on this day, who were surely almost all Israelites, this is a synonym for unbelievers - those who are pagans who reject God. And Jesus is saying it is the unbelievers who worry about “all these things” and that should not characterize you for “your heavenly Father knows you need them all.”

Once again Jesus is pointing his audience to the sovereign, almighty God who will take care of his children. So now in verse 33, Jesus teaches them what to pursue in order to overcome worry and anxiety in this life, “But, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” It is in seeking the things of God first in your life; it is making your relationship with him the center of your being; it is in being devoted to him as the sovereign, almighty God who is big enough to care and provide for you no matter the difficulties or trials that come into your life that peace and rest can be yours. You can trust him to deal with the most daunting monsters in your life. He can handle it.

Now Jesus tells us how to make this happen in the real world. Matthew 6:34 begins for the third time with the familiar refrain, “Therefore, do not be anxious” and he will tell us how to approach overcoming anxiety and worry, and that is to take each day on its own, “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Keeping your eyes on the Lord each and every day, and I might add hour by hour of each day, is the way to overcome anxiety. I do not want to minimize in any way the difficulty of the struggle you might encounter in overcoming persistent worry and anxiety in your life. After all, our Lord did not promise us a life without trouble or struggle, but He did promise to be with us always in the midst of trouble.

I believe the apostle Paul gave very similar advice in Philippians 4:6-7, “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”