Jesus taught, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Therefore people should not worry about food and clothes. God makes sure that sparrows are fed and wild flowers look beautiful. God also makes sure His people have what they need. Jesus said, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well”.
Understanding the text
One of the dangers of having a lot of wealth and possessions is that you can become too fond of them. Nothing should come before God. Jesus emphasised this when he said, “You cannot serve both God and money.”
Jesus then explained to his followers why they did not need to get too worried about material things. God has given them life, so He will give the things that are necessary for them to live. Jesus then makes the following points to help people understand this:
The birds do not worry, but God provides for them. People are much more valuable than birds.
Excessive worrying is no use – it is not going to change anything.
A wild flower may soon die, yet God gives it great beauty. God does this for flowers, so He will look after people even more and provide for them.
Worrying too much about material things can be a sign of not putting enough trust in God. Jesus told people to get their priorities right – live for God and have faith that He will look after you.
Each day produces problems and difficulties, so try to cope with these by concentrating on one day at a time.