Stepping into Freedom: Waiting for God’s Purposes
On Sunday, we looked at a passage from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus tells his followers not to worry about food, clothing and other basics of life — and instead, seek first the kingdom of God. But rather than jumping to easy answers, we sat honestly with how hard this can actually be. Because if we're being truthful, most of us find ourselves more naturally drawn to chasing more, accumulating more and measuring our worth by what we have or what we don't have. It turns out, this is nothing new. Metallica saw it in the '90s with their song, "King Nothing," Shakespeare saw it in the 1600s with The Tragedy of King Lear and Jesus saw it long before either of them.
We also wanted to make sure we said clearly that if you are someone who worries about food or shelter, that worry is not a lack of faith. Often times, these are not abstract worries, they are genuinely real concerns. Jesus was speaking to a community who had these real needs. What he was challenging was not the need itself, but the moment those needs become who we are and how we value ourselves.
The hope he offers us isn't just good advice, it's grounded in the truth of Easter. Because if death itself has been overcome, then the anxious scramble to secure ourselves through what we own or achieve looks very different. We don''t have to be King Nothing. We don't have to end up like King Lear. And we don't have to do this alone. Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount were spoken to a community and they belong to us today, together.
Metallica, "King Nothing" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz9DX_VMXdI
Shakespeare, King Lear - https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/king-lear/read/
Cliff Notes for King Lear - https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/k/king-lear/play-summary