Pastor Tim Patoka
God’s Zoo: Birds of the Air
August 15, 2021
Free Like the Bird Matthew 6:25-34 1) God’s Promise to Provide Frees Us from Worry 2) We Freely Seek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness Birds have a way of getting our attention, even when we’re only talking about the kinds that live in the Sonoran Desert. One way they do this is with the diverse variety that God has given them within the orchard of creation. Think of the cactus wren that makes its home in the saguaro or the roadrunner that you’re more likely to see running across the desert floor than flapping its wings and flying. When people see a mama bird and all her babies following in a line behind her, heartstrings are pulled and “oohs” and “ahs” are heard, like when a mama quail and her line of furry babies quickly cross a quiet street or scenic bike path. There’s also those displays of grace and power when you see a bird of prey leave its perch in a wash’s tree to swoop down on its next meal. We cannot help but pay attention to birds. And it’s no different today as we hear how Jesus directs our eyes to the birds of the air in this portion of his Sermon on the Mount. It’s in Jesus’ comparison of us to the birds of the air that he teaches us how we, as Christians, are free like the bird. Because of God’s promise to provide for our every bodily need, we are free from worrying about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear in the days to come. And because of that same promise, we are free to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness with the assurance that God will continue to provide for us as we set our sights on him and all that is his. 1) God’s Promise to Provide Frees Us from Worry In our opening verse, Jesus plainly tells us to not worry about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear. One of the things I typically mention about this command is to distinguish between worry and concern. While closely related, there are some key differences. One way to define worrying is to be extremely anxious about something. You can usually tell when sensible concern becomes sinful worry when you can’t get your mind off it and it intrudes on other areas of your life. When Jesus tells us to not worry, he’s not commanding us to live reckless lives without a thought for tomorrow. No, he’s telling us to not lose sleep about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear because of extreme anxiety. And that’s because God has promised to provide for all our bodily needs.
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