The Cure for Anxiety (Lk. 12:22-34)

Introduction

· Please take your Bible and turn with me to Luke 12.

· In Greek mythology there is a story about King Midas, the king of Phrygia. He was a happy and successful king, and after performing a special favor for the god Dionysius, he was given one wish. He thought carefully about it, and then said, “I wish that whatever I touch would turn to gold.” “Think very carefully. Are you sure?” Dionysius asks. But Midas insisted. And he was thrilled at his newfound power. He reached down to pick up a stick and immediately it turned to pure gold. Then he walked a bit further and touched a rock, and it too turned to gold. When he returned to his palace, he began to run to and for, touching this item, then that. The bed, the chair, the door. All of them instantly transformed into pure gold. But then he realized his powers may not be all good. He became hungry and reached for a grape, but it immediately turned to gold. Even if he used a utensil, the food instantly turned to gold the moment it touched his mouth. Dejected, he walked away from the table still hungry. His daughter entered the palace and ran toward him, and as he had done many times before, he opened his arms wide to embrace her, but the moment he touched her, she too turned to gold. In the story, Midas regrets his decision, and petitions the god to take them away, but only after learning a very hard lesson.

· Here in Luke chapter 12, Jesus tells his own kind of “King Midas” story. There once was a rich man who was very successful. It seemed, like King Midas, that everything he touched turned a profit. V. 16 simply says “the land of a rich man produced plentifully.” He probably had vineyards, and orchards, and cattle, all of them produced admirably. It would be like he bought a farm in Nebraska, and became multi-million dollar grain trader. Then he bought some acreage in Texas and struck oil. Then he build some Air BnBs in Joshua Tree and rented them out at huge profits every weekend. He ended up with so much money, so much stuff, so many toys that he had nowhere to put it all. He was filthy rich, and he was perfectly happy. “I’ve got enough for many years. It’s time to relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” But then God says to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you.” And suddenly, he falls over and dies. Jesus gives the moral in v. 15. “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

· Jesus says all this to the crowds to warn them of the dangers of money, but now he turns to his disciples. These are the men who had already been following him. They had already forsaken family, and career. Soon they would be sent out on dangerous missions. They would not know where they would be staying or where their next meal would be coming from. They will be facing plenty of danger and uncertainty, and Jesus says to them, Don’t be afraid.

· This is a truth we need today. Maybe you’re worried how you’re going to pay all your bills. Maybe your worried over some growing health concerns. Maybe you are afraid of the security of your investments. Maybe you’re afraid over the safety of your children. In all of these situations, and a thousand other things that concern us, Jesus says, Don’t be afraid. Let’s listen, starting in v. 22….

· Read the passage.

· Would you pray with me? Father, thank you for the promises we find in these verses. Comfort our hearts today with your divine truth. As we explore the subject of anxiety, I expect that many of us have pockets of fear we need to surrender to you. Search us, O God, and know our hearts. Try us and know our thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting. Where doubts exists, burn it away, and give us a deeper trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Command

· The command: “do not be anxious” about your life. The command not to fear, or to be anxious, is one of the most frequent in all the Bible, and it is spoken to some of the godliest saints.

· Genesis 15:1 …“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.” Joshua 1:9 …Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” It’s almost as if God knew we would struggle with fear, and that walking by faith is hard!

· Here in Luke 12:22, Jesus says, “Do not be anxious.” This word “anxious” is the Greek word merimnao. It comes form a root meaning to be divided up, drawn in different directions, easily distracted. Just as the land of Canaan was divided into the twelve tribes of Israel, so if we are not careful, our hearts can become divided with deep pockets of doubt. Jesus is speaking here of being anxious, apprehensive, unreasonably concerned about the future. It is to build up stress and apprehension over possible danger. Not even actual danger, but potential danger. It is to live in a constant nightmare of both real and perceived dangers lurking around every corner. It’s the same word used in Phil. 4:6 Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God And he is talking about the most basic things of life – what you will eat, and what you will put on. This verb is in the present imperative tense, which could better be translated, “Stop being anxious.” He says to you and me, I’ve seen your thoughts. I know your concerns. Your mind is going places it shouldn’t. You are worried about things I have not revealed to you. So take those thoughts captive, and stop being anxious. Trust me.

· Later in the passage, Jesus makes a similar statement. “Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried” (v. 29). The word “worried” is used only here in the NT. I like this one. It’s the Greek word meteorizo. Does that sound like any word you know in English? Meteor. The word means to rise up high into the sky. One dictionary describes it as a state of “hovering between hope and fear, in suspense, restlessness” (BDAG). Does that describe your soul right now? And again, Jesus uses the present imperative voice. Stop worrying. It’s not just a generic warning of some danger down the road. It’s a command to stop worrying, right here, right now. And next time those thoughts creep back into your mind, to put on the full armor of God and stop them again, then again, then again.

· And why shouldn’t we be anxious or worry? Because our life consists of more than food or clothing (23; cf. 15 “one’s life does not consists in the abundance of his possessions”. Our life is an eternal soul created by a loving Father who knows his children and promises to provide our every need.

Two Examples

· Now, Jesus gives two illustrations to help us understand this point.

· First, the Ravens (vv. 24-26). This one focuses on God’s provision of food. Ravens were a scavenger. They are cunning and opportunistic. They look for what is immediately around them. They don’t plan far ahead in the future, and you’ll never see a raven sitting around moping and worrying. They soar through the air, with seemingly not a care in the world, and they always seem to have their needs met. But if God would care for them, how much more he will care for us.

· We have a boxer dog named Duke, but last year, two dogs became to much for us. They began to growl at each other and got into some pretty bad dog fights. We had to keep them constantly separated from each other, and it became too much. So we finally agreed to give one of them into a home where they could be adopted and loved. Just before Thanksgiving, Heidi and I took Duke down to the West Coast Boxer Rescue center. Then we prayed, and we waited. This week we learned that Duke now has a new hope, and has been adopted into a family. They had another dog named Duke, and they almost looked identical. He had died six months ago, and the family was able to adopt another dog named Duke. What a praise! Just as we cared for our puppy Duke, how much more God loves and cares for us.

· There is a second illustration. This one focuses on God’s provision of clothing. The lilies (27). It probably refers not only to white daylilies we see at Easter time, but more broadly to the assortment of wildflowers that appear every spring in Israel. When I traveled in Israel years ago, I was there more several months in the springtime, and was able to watch the change in seasons from short, cold days to warmer days, when the countryside was painted green and bursting with flowers that were yellow and red and blue. We were up by the Sea of Galilee in April, and I have one picture I took of a hillside covered with yellow and red flowers right there along the Sea of Galilee. It probably wasn’t far from the very place where Jesus preached this sermon. A single flower is exquisite. Join them together by the thousands and they can be downright breathtaking. Even Solomon’s royal wardrobe couldn’t compare. If God would go to such great lengths to had beauty to ephemeral flowers, how much more will he care for you.

· Worrying will never help, but it can do a great deal of harm (25). Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If we are honest, none of us. The expression “add a single hour” speaks of a cubit, a small unit of measurement about 18” long. We can’t even add a foot to the length of our lives. So why do we spend so much time worrying? All our days are already numbered, before we took one of them. Worry is like running on a treadmill to the point of exhaustion, and yet not moving forward a single foot.

· Worry is pointless. But worse yet, it reveals a lack of faith. In fact, it is behaving like a pagan (30). Luke 12:30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Most of you today claim to be believers in God. Yet how many of you have been fretting over the future and life circumstances? When we do so, we are acting as though God does not exist. Worry is practical atheism. And we should repent when we show signs of such little faith.

· Instead, we should spend our time thinking on what is true, making spiritual investments, and concerning ourselves with eternal matters (31).

Conclusion

· What then is the cure for anxiety? Simply put, trust in God. The one who told you not to be anxious. The one who feeds the ravens, the one who clothes the lilies, and the one who cares for you infinitely more. The one who is building a kingdom and has invited you to be part of it, and tells you to seek it. Trust in Him, and all the things that you need in this life will be added to you.