The text for this lesson is Matthew 6:25–34
Key Point
- As we seek God’s kingdom through Christ, we are freed from worry, knowing we have all we need.
- Law: I worry about my life because I depend on myself instead of on God.
- Gospel: Jesus, who provided for my greatest need by paying for my sins on the cross, describes the Father’s care for creation to show me His love and take away my worry.
Discussion Points
- “Money can’t buy happiness,” the saying goes, but it sure seems to make it easier to achieve! Yet some psychologists say that there is a basic level of income that lifts people out of the anxiety of poverty and that we don’t get much happier even when we have higher incomes. What are some of the anxieties we face in poverty? On the other hand, what are the anxieties we face with having a lot of money or material things?
- Jesus says “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.” What is the reason He gives for this statement? What else does He say with respect to the illustration of the birds and the lilies?
- What does Jesus say about the effect of our anxiety (v. 27)? Does being anxious help us? Why or why not?
- The language has shifted from being anxious to seeking. The Gentiles seek after the material goods of this world. What are Jesus’ disciples to seek after? What is promised to them in addition, if they seek after this?
- Today’s society and economy seem so much more complicated than in Jesus’ day. How do we deal with things like retirement accounts and long-term health care—the complexities of the modern economy—if we’re not supposed to worry or think about the future?
- God provides for our basic physical needs from day to day. Yet, in a fallen world, some people still starve to death; some people still go without enough food or clothing or shelter. There really are truly destitute people who are Christians. How can we say that God is providing for their needs?
