In 1988, Bobby McFerrin released a song entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It was inspired by the teachings of an Indian Guru who used to tell his followers “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”
McFerrin’s song was quickly written and recorded. It was released as an Adult Contemporary song where it made it to #1 for 7 weeks and even displaced Guns n Roses hit song “Sweet Child of Mine” for a week on the Hot 100 charts.
The song’s singable tune and memorable whistling has a way of worming it’s way into our minds and staying there. In fact, if you know the song, even mentioning it has probably started a soundtrack in your brain.
But is the song’s message a worthwhile solution for worry? Is that all we have to do - choose to be happy? What is worry after all?
According to Walter Elwell, worry or anxiety “anticipates possible dangers in the future and helplessly dwells on how to reduce them.” It’s possible for us to be anxious or worry about a great many things - some things are good and others may not be so good.
Maybe we’re anxious about finances - whether
short term like figuring out how to pay a bill or make sure there is enough to cover our needs, or
long term - anxious about retirement and the volatility of the market.
Maybe we’re anxious about our families - whether our kids will be able to grow in to godly, productive, adults or for our parents - how will we care for them and their changing needs in their later years.
Maybe we’re anxious about things beyond our control - the state of our nation, conflicts around the world, the price of food, the stock market, how tarrifs will affect prices…
We could go on and on - there is a lot in this world about which we can worry. I guess the question is - is simply being happy the solution?
I think to this, Jesus would answer - “no”
Fear and anxiety to hand in hand. As we discussed briefly last week, there are some very real fears that we face. Jesus urged to have a healthy perspective on fear. Rather than fearing other people - who can only do things to us in this life, we should fear God, who will ultimately judge us for eternity. And yet, even in this, we should not fear because of the depth of His love for us.
So, we should not fear others.
This week, as we look at the next section of scripture, we basically get to learn that we should not fear scarcity - or the loss of material things. Essentially, we should not worry about those things.
Look in your Bibles at Luke 12. While Jesus was in the midst of a crowd teaching them to not fear others, a man in the crowd speaks up with an unusual request:
Luke 12:13–34 ESV
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Big Idea: Finding our security in Christ liberates us from the anxieties and burdens of life.
Rather than simply being happy, Jesus helps us to see in this passage that we can gain freedom from the burden of anxiety by:
diverting from distraction
trusting in God’s tender care
pursuing Kingdom priorities.
Let’s begin by learning from Jesus how we gain freedom from the burden of anxiety by…
Diverting from Distraction (13-21)
Material things in this world have a strange place in our lives. They are necessary - we need food, clothing, shelter and the resources to acquire those things. However, the consumeristic mentality of our culture blurs the line between need and want, just enough and too much. Pursuing those things can be distracting.
So here, in this passage, a man in the crowd seems to heed Jesus’ warning not to fear others and simply speaks up publicly on what should have been a very personal and private matter. Discussions of inheritance should not take place in the public square. Whether it was greed or genuine injustice that this man was facing - this was the wrong place.
Mike McKinley notes that…
Luke 1–12 for You A Frightening Story
He might have a legal case, but the greater concern is for the hold that money might have on his heart.
Had he taking any time to mourn, to remember, to heal? Was this money his primary focus? Was money where his heart was located?
Not only is the question odd, but Jesus’ response is odd as well. Here is the one who will ultimately judge everything asking “who made me judge or arbiter?”
Jesus goes on to tell a parable about the rich fool who looked forward to a life of ease, living in the comforts of his wealth - not realizing that his life would end that very day.
It’s as though Jesus is urging us to keep in mind that when we worry or focus too much on temporal things, we get distracted from the eternal realities.
Jesus’ concluding argument to the crowd is that those to seek to lay up for themselves treasure without being rich toward God will suffer the same fate of this rich fool. They will get to eternal retirement without anything laid aside.
Jesus knows that we need things. He knows that we fight worry, and so as an aside to His disciples, Jesus urges them not to be anxious about this life - the physical things that we need. His primary point here is that we can be free from the burden of anxiety by…
Trusting God’s Tender Care (22-28)
When Jesus was teaching His disciples not to fear others - he pointed out the awareness that God has for things as small as sparrows and as insignificant as the hairs of our head as a means of helping us to see that if God cares for those things - he cares so much more for you and me.
Again, here, Jesus uses analogies from nature as source of comparison. His argument is simple. Ravens don’t work for their food lilies don’t work for their beauty - and yet God provides beautifully and bountifully for both. Jesus then notes:
Luke 12:24 “…Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
Luke 12:28 “But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!”
There is a part of this argument that is a common thread between what we learned from Jesus last week and what He is teaching us this week. We are valuable God. He cares for us tremendously. He knows what you need and will make sure you have what you need - whether through work that he provides, or the generosity of the church in which you live. This is not to say that we won’t have times of struggle and need. Some of our struggles are of our own making. Spending too much on frivolous or excessive things. Poor boundaries.
His whole point is that we should not be anxious about these things.
Luke 12:25–26 “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”
Mike McKinley notes in his commentary:
Luke 1–12 for You Why We Needn’t Fear
It turns out that anxiety is incredibly inefficient; it consumes a lot of resources but accomplishes nothing of importance. The next time you begin to obsess over the things you fear, simply heed Jesus’ warning that it does not help; it is a dead-end street.
Again - this is not to say that there won’t be times of need in front of us. God hasn’t promised a peace-filled, easy life. He has promised to be with us. He has promised to provide.
Jesus’ argument is essentially three-fold: (McKinley)
Worry or anxiety won’t get us anywhere
God has promised to provide, because…
You and I are valuable to God - God loves us!
When we are tempted to worry about that diagnosis or the pain or the cost of the treatment, keep these in mind - worry won’t get us anywhere, God has promised to provide, because He loves us!
When we are anxious about our finances - we need to keep in mind that…worry won’t get us anywhere, God has promised to provide, because He loves us! There may be some work for us to do and some budgeting adjustments to make, but we are not alone.
When we are anxious about food or clothings - remember - worry won’t get us anywhere, God has promised to provide, because He loves us!
When we begin to worry about hints far off in the future - whatever they may be - test outcomes, college entrance, elections, careers, who you’ll marry, family - remember - worry won’t get us anywhere, God has promised to provide, because He loves us!
The Apostle Paul knew great suffering and challenges; persecution, times of hunger, peril and more, and yet in his letter to the Philippians, he did not talk about anxiety - he talked about contentment.
Philippians 4:11–13 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
When we work ourselves up to an anxious frenzy, we are truly not getting anywhere.
Beloved let us rest in the confidence of knowing that we are in God’s tender care.
So Jesus helps us to gain freedom from the burden of worry by helping us to divert from distractions and reminding us to trust in God’s tender care. Finally, Jesus grants us freedom from worry by…
Pursuing Kingdom Priorities (29-34)
Luke 12:29–34 “And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Jesus urges us not to be distracted by seeking after these material things. He knows we need them. He urges us to seek the Kingdom - and all of these things will be added to us. It may not be all that we want, but he will provide what we need.
What’s more, and I find this so encouraging, is that it is our Father’s “good pleasure” to give the kingdom! It is his delight and desire to give this to us.
But even as I think about this, I wonder, what does it mean to seek the Kingdom and what does it meet to receive the Kingdom?
Is seeking the Kingdom just our time in God’s word and in prayer? I do think seeking the Kingdom involves that, after all, that’s how we both learn how we should live and that’s how we communicate with God.
Is it just our time in church gatherings and community groups? Again, I think it involves that, after all - that’s how we learn Kingdom principles from each other. That’s how we sharpen each other and live out the unique gifting He’s given to each of us.
but I think it’s more than both of those.
In the context here, Jesus seems to indicate that seeking the Kingdom involves a place where the love, grace, and mercy that we receive from God are lived out in how we interact with others. He urges us to sell what we have and give to those in need. He urges us to focus on those things that cannot be stolen or destroyed through corrosion or critters. Does that mean that we should all be homeless? No, I don’t think that’s what he’s getting at. I think He is urging a balance. A life where we live openhandedly with the material possessions that we have and generously with our money.
Where do we have an excess of things that is cluttering up our houses? Where are we living with so little margin that we can’t be generous? Where are we being stingy with our time rather than investing our time into the lives of others?
Ultimately it comes down to what we treasure. Jesus said “where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also.” Do we treasure wealth or possessions or title or status or prestige? Do we treasure Jesus, His Word, His people, His Creation, His mission in the world?
If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus, know that it’s not simply a matter of changing how much you give or where you give your charitable contributions. It’s a matter of your soul. Jesus came to give you new life and a new purpose. Jesus came to show that life is more than what we eat or wear or how much we have. Life is about living in a right relationship with our loving heavenly Father. Life is a about living according to His plan. Life is about loving God, loving people and using things - rather than loving things, using people and seeing ourselves as god. Repent of your sin, receive Jesus as your savior, respond with baptism, and rejoice in your new life!
Closing thoughts
We began by reflecting on Bobby McFerin’s song. While we might find distraction from worry by being happy, Jesus urges that we should not work, but seek Him. Learning to live by His principle and His ways. Learning to love the way that He loves. Learning to treasure Kingdom things. As we’ve already sung:
How rich a treasure we possess in Jesus Christ
Our God is all we need.
His all-sufficient merit has finished the work needed for us to be made right with God.
Let’s pray.
Lord’s Supper.
Benediction:
Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Questions for reflection and discussion:
Over what did you and your siblings fight when you were growing up?
Against what did Jesus warn the crowd? Why? (12:13–15)
From what did Jesus distinguish a person’s life? (12:15)
What was the rich man’s dilemma in the parable? (12:16–17) What was his solution?
What would become of the man’s abundance? (12:20)
Why did Jesus start talking about worry? (12:22)
On what basis are we not to worry? (12:30)
What does God want us to seek? (12:31) How do we do that?
What lesson is Jesus teaching about possessions in Luke 12:32–34? Is it bad to have possessions? Why or why not?
In Luke 12:34, try and explain the connection between the treasure and the heart? In what ways does our heart follow/depend on what we treasure?
What do you most worry about? Are those worries sapping you of joy?
How has this passage given you reason not to worry in those ways? How will you go about putting this into practice in your thinking, praying and living?
Sources:
Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 9:51-24:53. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
McKinley, Mike. Luke 1–12 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.
The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2005. Print.
Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
