Focus: As we live our daily lives, Jesus calls us to seek first the kingdom of God, without worrying about daily essential provisions such as food and drink and clothes.
Function: To encourage the people to focus first and foremost on the reign of God in our lives, in particular by embracing Christian education as a way to spread God’s reign.
Text: Matthew 6:24-34; Psalm 131
Like any other parent or single individual, I find myself
at times worrying. There are ”zillion” of things that you can worry about. So,
you take your pick, and I’ll tell you my particular worry from years ago. When
our four children—born within a five year range—turned five and older, Rosanne
and I wanted to send them to a Christian school. But I worried that we could
not afford such education.
Like so many today, we lived on a
budget with limited income. And since you can’t pick feathers from a bald
chicken, (and that’s how I looked at our budget—a bald chicken), I worried
about how to meet the cost of our children’s education. So I shared my worry
with Rosanne’s father. Now Rosanne’s parents raised 8 children and paid for
Christian education all the way through high school. Her father was a farmer
who, like many others in his days, had to scrape a living off the land. I told
my father-in-law about our “bald chicken,” and about our desire to shape our
children’s hearts and minds with an education that would support the faith
nurture and teaching we give them at home and in church. He said something like
this: Send them. Look up to God for provision of your needs; and don’t look
back on how much money you could have saved or spend on other things. And count
your blessings!
Now why is it that we
worry about things? Statistics seem to suggest that 90% of the things we worry
about never happen. Why this tendency to worry about things? When I worry, I
find myself looking for something. And the impulse behind my search is—and that
may seem strange—a form of love that Jesus tells us NOT to practice.
For example, when I worry about our
son going to Iraq for a third tour of duty as a U.S. Marine, I am in reality
looking for safety and security for him. And my desire for his safety is fueled
by my love for our son. Here’s another example: When you worry about your job
in this unstable economy, you are looking for financial stability and security.
And the impulse behind your worry about your job is most likely because you
love your family and you want to provide for them and pay your bills.
Now Jesus commands us to love. But
from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount we learn that we must not worry. If you think
of love as a long line or range with markers on it, then you will notice that
love includes care and concern and worry, going all the way to being anxious
and afraid. Now Jesus tells us that we are to love and care, but we should not
cross the line and fret or worry or be anxious or afraid.
In other words,
seeking safety and security by worry or anxious fear is a No-No. Rather, with
the psalmist; I must learn to “put my hope in the Lord both now and
forevermore.” Or listen to Jesus: (Matthew 6:31-33)
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’
or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
It’s true: we are all prone to
worry. Today, however, I encourage us all to focus first and foremost on the
reign of God in our lives, in particular by embracing Christian education as a
way to spread God’s reign. I do so, because Jesus calls us to seek first the
rule of God, without worrying about daily, essential provisions such as food
and drink and clothes.
Do
not worry. Seek first the influence and spread of God’s rule.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus underscores his call to seek
first the kingdom of God by pointing out that “No one can serve two
masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
In other words, who will master or rule your life? Whose bidding will we do:
God? Or Money? Whose interest will we seek and spread? Will we serve God in
Christ by spreading his influence or kingdom, or will we serve our self by
accumulating wealth and money to spread our own influence?
Jesus then goes on and points out
what hinders us in our service of God. It’s worry about daily necessities such
as food and drink and clothes. We must not worry about these essential items of
life. Does that mean that we should not care about jobs, about daily
provisions? Of course not: Jesus has taught us to pray for our daily bread. And
that means that we participate in our economy and work to make a living. But
Jesus has also taught us to pray for the coming and spread of God’s Kingdom: “May
your kingdom come.” And Jesus points out that seeking God’s rule or kingdom
in our lives comes first. Don’t let worry about essentials such as food and
clothes keep you from seeking first the rule of God in our lives and world.
So how do we overcome our tendency
to worry? Jesus tells us to look around and then to look up: “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? Who of
you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.” In other words,
look around you. God cares for his creatures and creation such as birds in the
air and lilies in the fields. How much more will God care for us and provide us
with what we need! Seek, then, first the kingdom or rule of God.
Our country is a republic. We do not
have kings and queens. Our country is based on self-rule. The will of the
people (rather than that of a king or queen) is what we are used to. Yet, God
reveals himself in Christ as King over all. And anyone who comes to faith in
Christ must learn to submit to God’s rule or influence. God governs us with his
Word and Spirit; God calls us to do his will and to shape our hearts and minds
with the mind of Christ, the king. God spreads his kingdom or influence in our
lives, our homes, our workplace, and in all our spheres of influence, including
the sphere of schools and learning.
In fact,
education—learning about this world, and universe and life in all its
aspects—such education is part of living a joyful, abundant, and vibrant
Christian life. Most of us will agree that all of life belongs to God. And most
of us will recognize the positive changes that happen in life when God’s
influence is felt.
That’s why God raises
up Godly men and women to make a difference in the homes and workplaces of
America and beyond. That’s why we pray for Godly men and women to become
teachers, judges, lawyers, doctors, truck drivers, computer analysts and
politicians—so that God’s rule may spread and so that God’s influence may be
felt and enjoyed more and more. In order for that to happen we need homes where
the rule of Christ is taught; we need churches where the reign of God is celebrated
and emphasized; and we need teachers and schools where minds and hearts are
shaped with the Word and mind of Christ. And that’s why I want to say a few
things in particular about seeking God’s kingdom first—also in the realm of
education.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I speak to you as an American
citizen, who pays taxes and in that way supports education for the public. I
thank God for the educational opportunities we have in the U.S.—also for
Christian teachers and students at public schools. For our public schools can
benefit from Christian impulses and from influences exerted by you who attend
and work at public schools.
I also speak to you
as a pastor who seeks to proclaim the gospel and advance the rule of Jesus in
our lives. And thus I thank God also for Christian education and for Christian
schools, for they are means by which we can advance and spread the influence of
Christ in our world. I believe strongly that our society needs Christian
schools that shape the next generation with the mind of Christ.
Thus I believe with
all my heart that there is a place for Christian education. I know. Because of
our political system and dualistic way of thinking, part of the American public
may not benefit from our taxes. For our taxes go only to government supported
education. That’s why Christian education comes with a high price. And that
often leads to worry, as I told you earlier in my case with our children. In
light of the Scriptures and as a pastor, I like to encourage us all, however,
to focus first and foremost on the reign of God in our lives, in particular by
embracing Christian education.
Here’s why:
Ø Christian education is a wonderful way to spread God’s
rule. In a secular society like ours, where people serve many gods and masters,
Christian schools and education are sign-posts that declare to the world: Every
square inch of life and knowledge and creation belongs to God. He is King over
all.
For more than 125
years the CRC has led the way in America to put a stake into our culture—a
stake that says: Christ is King. He must have dominion in everything we do and
say in our culture and world. Putting that stake into our culture has come with
a high cost—but also with awesome benefits in our society. I say it again:
Christian education is a God-given tool for declaring the good news of Christ’s
lordship. And it’s a tool we should embrace and use as much as we can.
Here’s another reason why we should
consider embracing Christian schools and education:
Ø
Christian schools anchor
education in the real world. The real world is where God reigns, where God sits
on the throne, where God is acknowledged, where God’s Word is obeyed and taken
seriously. Christian education is keen on telling the story of sin and God’s
salvation. It is keen on pointing out the power of sin, and the need for
justice in our world.
Christian education
is eager to integrate knowledge with the Giver of knowledge. Christian
education opens up the windows of knowledge in our world and helps us to see
the glory of God shine into every sphere of life.
Some say that
Christian education isolates or keeps people separate from the real world.
Wrong! Christian education does NOT isolate students from the real world.
Rather, it introduces and confronts students with the real world. The real
world is this world with all its problems and beauty, with all its pains and
misery. And Christian education seeks to restore the focus of our world to seek
the glory and majesty of Christ, our King. Christian education anchors its hope
and its vision on the glory of God who is Creator and Redeemer of all.
Think about it!
Anyone who lives and works in a world where God is not given his due, where God
is pushed out of the picture, where worship and acknowledgement of God’s reign
is not allowed, is not living in the real world, but in a cocoon of illusion.
Christian education works with the real world and sets us free to spread God’s
influence with the Truth that sets us free indeed!
So, let me encourage
you all to embrace Christian education and schools as a way to advance God’s
influence in our world. Let me encourage you to take to heart Jesus’ words NOT
to worry about our daily needs such as the essentials of food and drink and
clothes. And though it may come with a high price, let me assure you that looking
up and seeking first the kingdom of God in all of life are worth it. For Jesus
says so. And many people who have walked this path before us can testify to
that truth.
Glory be to the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Both now and forevermore! Amen.