jesus’ teaching about money and dependence on God

Today's Reflections

 

jesus’ teaching about money and dependence on God 

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Mt 6:24-34

[Jesus said to his disciples:] ²⁴“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

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 than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? ²⁷Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? ²⁸Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. ²⁹But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. ³⁰If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ ³²All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. ³⁴Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

HAVE TRUST IN GOD

At Mass, after the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father), the priest prays that we may be always free from sin and safe from all pertubatio (distress). This echoes Jesus’ command not to be overly anxious about our needs and have more trust in God. Indeed, worldly anxiety chokes the word of God sown in our hearts, preventing it from growing and bearing fruit (cf Mt 13:22).

To illustrate this, Jesus points to Solomon, son and successor of King David, who was widely recognized for his fabulous wealth. When Solomon asked for an understanding heart to govern his people wisely, God was so pleased with his request that God gave him not only a wisdom no one could surpass but also a lot more (1 Kgs 3:13).

Jesus mentions the proverbial glory of Solomon (his wealth and royal garments) to underline the beauty with which God clothes the wild flowers. However transitory these are, God cares for them. If God shows so much concern for the flowers, how much more will God care for human beings, the crown of God’s creation!

The very weakness of the flowers emphasizes their “faith”: they grow to beauty despite their inborn evanescence and their being subject to the weather and to animals. Yet the human being who lives longer and is able to care for himself rattles out his life worrying over survival. The disciples’ anxiety over what they are to eat, drink, and wear shows that they are of “little faith,” that is, they are lacking in confidence in God. Jesus tells them not to be anxious. Life in the coming kingdom is more important than any life that nature supports.