THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

25Jesus is not saying that the birds do not work. They do not just nestle on some twig and wait forfood to drop into their mouths. In fact it has been said that no one works harder than the average sparrow.She gathers insects and worms, prepares her nest, lays and incubates her eggs, cares for her young andteaches them how to fly, etc. Many birds show instinctive forethought by migrating to warmer or coolerregions as the seasons may dictate. Here is no encouragement to idleness or lack of forethought. The pointJesus is making is not that birds do not work, but that they do not worry.I have never quite understood why God always provided me with more work when there has beena financial need. I suppose what makes this so confusing is that I had a good friend in seminary whowould always receive just the amount of money needed in his mail box. Whenever there was a need, hewould pray (and he was an unusual person of prayer) and God would provide money through some friend,relative or total stranger. I also would pray, but sure enough, God would provide another job.God has different ways of providing for His children. It’s not for us to question why He usescertain ways and means in providing for us; rather, the point is that He provides.it:Isn’t it strange that Jesus needs to use mere animals to teach man His lessons? Martin Luther put“You see, he is making the birds our schoolmasters and teachers. It is a great and abidingdisgrace to us that in the Gospel a helpless sparrow should become a theologian and apreacher to the wisest of men . . . Whenever you listen to a nightingale, therefore, youare listening to an excellent preacher.”Worry happens when we assume responsibility God never intended us to have. Meeting ournecessities is not our responsibility. It is our responsibility to work hard; it is God’s responsibility to seethat our needs are met. After we do our part, we must trust God to do His.Each time that we hear a bird singing, we are witnessing living proof that God is good, that Hecares about all of His creatures.ESSENTIAL (12:30)Some people interpret Jesus’ teaching to mean that mundane, everyday things like food, drink andclothing are unimportant and that we should be spiritually-minded by ignoring such things and concentrateon other-worldly concerns. But this is not what Jesus meant. His point is that we do not need to giveundue concern about life’s necessities, not because they are not important, but because they are essential.Jesus realistically observed: “. . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (v. 30; Mt 6:32).