Proper 14C, 2025
Text: Luke 12:22-34
Title: Consider and Seek
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Anxiety is on the rise. I’m not going to throw all the numbers and statistics at you, but here in the US, in recent years, more and more people are dealing with anxiety.
The younger you are, the worse the problem is.
Young women have it worst of all, with their anxiety level skyrocketing in recent years.
Often experts attribute this rise in anxiety to a rise in smartphone usage and social media exposure, with young people in particular beginning and ending their days on their phones and spending almost every waking hour in front of a screen.
How about you? Are you anxious? Are you worried? How long can you go without looking at your phone? Are you afraid that you’re missing out on important messages and updates, even for an hour in church?
Before smartphones, cell phones, or phones of any kind, before electricity or even the printing press, Jesus says these words:
“Do not be anxious about your life.”
How do you hear those words? Are they words of hope and comfort to you? Or do you feel even more anxious because now you’re afraid that you’re worrying too much?
These words of Jesus come right on the heels of last week’s Holy Gospel.
A man came to Jesus, demanding Him to divide His inheritance with His brother. In response, Jesus told a parable about a rich man with a bumper crop. He was rich in the things of this world, but not in the things of God.
That’s why Jesus says, “Therefore.”
If you’re still stuck arguing with friends and family about money, if you’re still stuck building bigger and bigger barns to hold all your stuff, if you’re still stuck trying to stockpile your wealth so that you can “eat, drink, and be merry,” you need to go back and hear Jesus’ story again.
But, let’s say you take Jesus at His word. Let’s say that you are willing to get by with less, to value and treasure the things of God rather than the things of man. Let’s say you’re okay with all that.
How are you going to pay the bills? How are you going to put food on the table? How are you going to keep clothes on your back?
Sometimes it doesn’t seem like Jesus is living in the real world.
Sometimes it seems like Jesus is living in some fantasy world.
You live in this real world. You need to make money so you can pay the mortgage or the rent and the taxes and insurance and utilities and HOA fees. You need to pay off the car. You need to save up for college or a wedding or a nice vacation. You need to pay for the music lessons and the uniform fees. You need a phone and a data package and a streaming service or two or three or twelve so you can watch all your shows and your movies and your sports teams.
Doesn’t Jesus understand that you’ve got bills to pay?
Doesn’t Jesus live in the real world?
To you who are anxious, to you who stay up at night worrying, to you who are fearful of the future, Jesus says two things: Consider, and seek.
First, consider. This is an intense word in Greek. This doesn’t mean to take a quick glance as you scroll through your phone. This doesn’t mean to think about it for a few seconds because it’s immediately obvious.
This word means to study. To ponder for a time. To meditate on over and over again. To allow this to occupy your mind.
What are you to consider? Birds and flowers.
You see, Jesus does live in the real world. And He calls you back into this real, physical world that He has made.
This is particularly important for you when you are stuck in a virtual, artificial, synthetic world of your own creation.
Put down your phone. Shut your laptop. Turn off your TV that has your favorite news channel running constantly in the background of your life.
Step outside of that world, and step into the world that God has made, that He called into being from nothing. Yes, God’s creation has been tainted by sin. But He still loves all that He has made and takes care of it. And you can learn about God by studying it.
“Go, watch some birds,” says Jesus.
What kind of birds? The ravens. Ravens were considered unclean birds (so don’t try to eat one). They’re not bright and colorful. They’re plain and drab and dark. They don’t have a beautiful voice. Their song is more of a croak.
Jesus doesn’t say to consider the majestic eagle or the beautiful peacock. He doesn’t say to look at the pretty parrot or the wise owl.
Consider the plain, the ordinary, the unclean birds. Look at the crows and the sparrows, the mourning doves and the seagulls, the turkey vultures and the Canada geese.
If God takes care of even these plain, ordinary, often annoying birds, how much more will He care for you.
You were made in His image. You were given dominion over all creation. God became a human being like you. Jesus died on the cross as a man for you. Think about how valuable you are to Him, moreso than any other creature He has made.
And especially when you don’t feel valuable to other people, when you don’t have a spouse or kids, when you don’t have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, when you don’t have many followers or invitations, know that you are valuable, you are loved by God.
And after you’ve stared at the birds for bit, check out the flowers, too.
The “lily” here is not the big bright white lilies of Easter, or the colorful tiger lilies. These are smaller, more common wildflowers. Certainly beautiful in their own right, but nothing that will win a prize at the county fair.
They only last a short time, but they are still beautiful.
And so are you. Not because of the clothes that you wear, or your jewelry or your makeup or how you’ve done your hair. Don’t compare yourself to an Instagram model or a YouTube influencer or anyone else you see promoting themselves on your feed.
You are beautiful because you are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. His holiness covers all your sin, all your guilt, all your ugliness. You are beautiful in God’s eyes.
So, first consider. Ponder. Meditate on the birds and the flowers and the rest of God’s creation and understand your place in this world that God has made and know that you are valuable and beautiful.
And then, after you’ve considered.
Seek. Seek the Kingdom of God.
Don’t seek food and clothes and all those things that don’t last.
Seek the Kingdom that lasts forever.
There are two ways that you can give a command in biblical Greek. You can either tell someone to do something once. Or you can tell them to do something continually, constantly, over and over again.
This command to “seek” is this second way. Don’t just seek once. Don’t think that once you’ve found it, it’s all over. Continue to seek. Don’t stop. Don’t give up. Make this your mission in life.
Don’t stop seeking God’s kingdom once you’re confirmed.
Don’t stop seeking God’s kingdom once you’ve retired.
Don’t ever say to yourself, “I know everything I need to know, I don’t need to grow any more. I’m saved. I’m going to heaven. I can just coast now.”
To be sure, you don’t make it into God’s Kingdom through your seeking. It’s not an award or achievement you can get credit for.
What does Jesus say? “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
“Give you the Kingdom!” The Kingdom is a gift. But it’s a gift you continue to receive and explore and experience over and over again.
Imagine a little child coming downstairs on Christmas morning and seeing a Christmas tree with a ton of brightly wrapped presents beneath it, every single one with their name on it.
Is she going to just open one and be done? Is he going to stop after just one or two?
Of course not. That child is going to open present after present after present, continually seek and looking for more and more and more, finding joy in each new and unexpected treasure.
And that’s how it is with the Kingdom of God. More and more and more gifts each day. And not the kind of gifts that break or get stolen, but gifts, treasures that will last forever.
So, when you are anxious, remember Jesus’ words and His gracious invitation.
Consider the wonderful creation that He has made. Remember that you are precious and valuable and beautiful to Him. He will continue to provide for you as long as you are in this world. Don’t worry about it.
And seek His kingdom. Receive His gifts with joy. Look forward to the new life that will be full of treasures that will last forever when this life is over. Don’t worry about it.
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