Sometimes, when we rely on the titles of Bible passages to help us summarize what’s in a set of verses, our reading of the passage can be influenced, causing us to miss something important. Matthew 6:25-34 suffers from this dilemma.

No doubt, it’s a passage that many have looked to over the past number of weeks for its calming reminder of God’s care for us as Jesus argues from the lesser to the greater that God cares for the birds and the grass, so how much more does He care for us, His image-bearers?

And no less than three times in those 11 verses does Jesus overtly command us not to worry (vss. 25, 31, and 34). It’s something we see frequently in Scripture, where God or His angels deal with people’s fears first, before getting to the actual point. Think of Mary in Luke 1, or the shepherds in the very next chapter - the first thing they are told (after the initial greeting), is some variation of ‘fear not’.

Similarly, in the Matthew 6 case, Jesus is breaking through our anxiety, but here he presses the point home through repetition. For that reason, a number of versions of the Bible entitle this section, Do Not Be Anxious, and certainly, the bulk of the passage is saying just that. But reading this passage in that light alone is kind of like telling someone not to think about elephants - the first thing they do is think about elephants.

And that’s the point. Jesus isn’t just wading into the lives of people who are anxious with worry and saying the ancient equivalent of, ‘just relax’. His repetition is breaking through our anxieties and grabbing our attention as he makes two other points: 

First, he beautifully points us to specific aspects of the character and faithfulness of God as the basis of our hope:

He Knows

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (vss. 30-32) 

He Provides

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (vs. 26)

And that sets us up for the other takeaway, which is the really, really practical means by which we combat our anxiety. As we acknowledge that He knows and He provides, we’re called to take our attention off our anxiety and “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (vs. 33)

I love that.

I love it because we don’t just walk away from Matthew 6:25-34 simply being calmed. Jesus didn’t only say ‘don’t worry’, giving us the equivalent of a pain killer to reduce the symptoms of our anxiety. No, it’s better than that. He gave us the out-and-out cure that (through the Spirit) gives us a way to move from anxiety, past calm, all the way on to rejoicing.

It's for that reason that other versions of the Bible entitle this section, The Cure for Anxiety. 

That’s my hope and prayer for our church family these days: that we are seeking first his kingdom and righteousness, abounding in hope, full of confidence, moving on from anxiety to joy-filled praise and thankfulness.

In that spirit of praise and thankfulness, this song called, Seek First, has been an anthem for me over the past few weeks. I love its simple, joyful expression of the kinds of Scriptural truths that cure my anxious thoughts. And in the midst of a respiratory disease pandemic, the lyric “Father every breath I’ve got, you have given it to me” takes on a special weight and beauty.

It’s a song that I suspect I’d be sharing with you all on a Sunday morning if we were able to gather (I miss you all very much, by the way!), but for now, it does my heart some good to think of us singing this together as we’re apart - striving to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.