Stop And Smell The Roses

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES (MATTHEW 6:25-34)

While cruising at 40,000 feet, the airplane shuddered and Mr. Benson looked out the window. “Good lord!” he screamed, “one of the engines just blew up!” Other passengers left their seats and came running over; suddenly the aircraft was rocked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side.

The passengers were in a panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn’t maintain order. Just then, standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about. His words and his demeanor seemed to make most of the passengers feel better, and they sat down as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft. There, he grabbed several packages from under the seats and began handing them to the flight attendants.

Each crew member attached the package to their backs. “Say,” spoke up an alert passenger, “aren’t those parachutes?” The pilot said they were. The passenger went on, “But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?” “There isn’t,” replied the pilot as a third engine exploded. “We’re going to get help.”

All of us worry at one time or another, whether it is about family, work, school, health, money, safety, looks and aging. Dictionary.com says the verb means “to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts” and the noun means “

a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.” Worry affects young and old, men and women, believers and unbelievers. “Worry” occurs five times in the passage (vv 25, 27, 28, 31, 34, 34).

What is the alternative to worry “don’t worry, be happy,” as popularized by a song?

Why do people worry? What does the Bible teach about worry? How does one overcome worry?

See God Work

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matt 6:28-31)

One morning I was at the Yuen Long MTR station bus terminal waiting behind a Pakistani man for a ride to the office when two pigeons flew to the concrete ground looking for food. Even as they pecked in vain at everything in sight on the ground, one of them walked nonchalantly passed a cigarette butt. I thought the pigeon did not see it, but another pigeon, too, passed it without fanfare.

Seeing the sight, I could not contain myself and blurted out to the man besides me: “The birds are truly clever. They do not eat the cigarette butt.” Then the man opened his bag and took out some bird seeds as I marveled, “Wow, how come you have seeds in your bag?” He answered, “Because I have birds at home, too.” Then he scattered them on the ground to the birds’ delight. I asked, “How much do the seeds cost?” “HK$10 for a big bag.”

After the birds had gobbled up hundreds of the seeds, I teased the man, “Any more?” Sure enough, he opened his left hand to more seeds, although half the previous measure. Then our bus came and I sat behind him, asking questions. “What do birds eat besides seeds?” He was quiet, taken back by my question. So I offered, “Do they eat meat?” He said no. Do they eat fruits? No either. Do they eat plants? Ditto. Finally, I had to ask some intelligent questions. Do they eat bread? He said yes. Worms? Yes, too. I learned a lesson from the birds that day. Birds do not buy stocks, real estate, or foreign currency. They do not eat or require much. Their diet includes seeds, bread and worms.

Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (v 26)

The structure of the passage is best divided by the three “DON’T worry” admonitions, of which the first is an imperative in form and the other two imperative in function (vv 25, 31, 34), the passionate, powerful and persuasive “no” (me + subjunctive) in each instance, which occurs less than half the regular “no (ouk)” in the New Testament – 734 to 1,545 times. Jesus commands his disciple not to “worry” (v 25), which is in the imperative mood. Instead of worrying, a participle (v 27), believers are to “look at” (v 26) the birds of the air and “see/consider” (v 28) the flowers of the field –both imposing and insistent imperatives as well.