Psalms 89:1-18 * 89:19-52; 2 Kings 17:24-41; 1 Corinthians 7:25-31; Matthew 6:25-34I spent a part of this weekend cleaning out my closets, re-organizing, making piles of things to donate and things to toss. I found some clothes that all I could say to myself was What was I thinking? I couldn't, in all good conscience, put some of this stuff in the donation pile. I mean, who, who would wear that?
I wonder if the folks who put together our lectionary for the Daily Office purposefully placed today's reading from Matthew at a turn of the seasons. Do not worry about what your wear, Jesus says. And as usual, I am brought up short. There is so much more to life than clothing, than eating at the fashionable restaurants, worrying about truly inconsequential things.
Jesus, as always, is pointing us in a different direction than our human desires tend to send us; toward the kingdom of God he is announcing, he is proclaiming. Jesus is saying we need to strive first for the kingdom of God, toward something where our priorities are different. Where it won't matter what we eat, drink or wear because those things are truly inconsequential. A place where we won't have to worry about tomorrow. Granted, Jesus admits that Today's trouble is enough for today, meaning not everything is going to be perfect, nothing ever is. But that has never been the focus of what Jesus has been saying, this idea of no worries or perfection.
Centering ourselves around the concepts Jesus continually stresses is the focus: love, community, forgiveness, love. Having a different focus that centers us in God's close presence in our lives allows for a letting go of the inconsequential, allows for a real closet cleaning.
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Copyright 2009, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
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