Matthew 6:24-34
March 1, 2026
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, Oakland, CA.
Some years ago, singer Bobby McFerrin encouraged us to adopt the simple philosophy: “Don’t worry, be happy.” It made it to the top of the charts because it gave us permission to not worry about anything but only do whatever made us feel good.
What happens is that we as a nation continue to seek instant-gratification. Advertisers feed our hunger for shiny things that we do not need. Lifestyles of the rich and famous beam into our living rooms, and credit cards make it possible for us to enjoy the finer things in life. We are told that more is better and biggest is the best.
Remember the Best Buy TV commercial when this guy who goes out to buy a new flat-screen TV and brings it home and realizes that it could be bigger! So, his spouse gives him permission to go back to get a bigger one!
We tell ourselves that we deserve the best and we buy now and pay later in order to pamper ourselves.
In our minds, we know that money cannot buy us love or happiness, but many have a good time trying. We have seen this “keeping up with the Joneses” and massive government bailouts of financial institutions that ultimately affected our own wallets. Lives have been crushed, destroyed, and forever altered because we did not worry, but we were happy.
Two Bosses
In our Scripture text for today, Jesus is telling us that we cannot serve two bosses, especially bosses who require 100% of our allegiance and obedience.
When we desire for control and comfort, we end up overwhelmed and frustrated. These pursuits lead to behaviors that are unhealthy and destructive—manipulated by consumerism, stupor on self-medication, unsatiated greed, overwhelming possessiveness, heart-retching depression, among others. Do I need to say anymore?
Jesus offers an alternative. If we are committed solely to getting wealth, we will worry. Will I ever get enough? How can I keep up with what I have?
But the questions facing us is: Does choosing God, guarantees abundance and prosperity? It might. Does Jesus mean for all of us to be rich? Who really knows? Does Jesus think there is greater virtue in being poor? Not likely.
Jesus offers a choice: wealth or God. If we choose wealth as our priority, we can expect great highs and devastating lows. If we choose God, in good times and in bad times, we have no reason to worry. The point is that God will provide for our needs. Jesus is not preaching a prosperity gospel here; nor is he preaching a life of poverty, just quietly waiting for God’s blessings to shower down on us?
Remember the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones picks the plain wooden goblet as fitting of Jesus instead of the bejeweled golden ones? We all have a choice to make.
Matthew 6
Our text for this morning is Jesus telling us to not worry about life. We read images of the birds and the flowers, and the grass not worrying about what tomorrow might bring. God takes care of them.
But this is a difficult passage to apply to our daily living when we see and encounter people in our community who can’t fly like the birds because they have no car or can’t look as nice as a flower because they have no nice clothes or can’t turn freshly green and healthy like the grass because they have no food or drink or medical health plan.
In this world, God is inviting us to remind people to not worry because the merciful people of Lakeshore are ready and able to act with love and mercy.
Last Sunday, Dr. Joseph Evans preached on Matthew 25:35-36 when Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…I was naked and you gave me clothing.” Jesus cares so passionately about the poor he identifies himself more closely with them than he ever does with the church, the rituals, the Bible, or whatever else we Christians tend to equate with Jesus.
So, when the poor in our community or around the world cry out to God for mercy, the answer to their prayers ought to be us. This is why we are involved in the Hunger Task Force at this church.
But we know it’s not as simple as I say. Some people have interpreted this passage to not worry about daily needs because God will provide, have not been convinced. Anyone can look around the world and see that many people who pursued God’s ways do not receive “all these things.” If Jesus means that people who follow his ways will have all their needs met, history has proven him wrong.
What then, does this text mean to us?
New Day
In parts of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus means exactly what he says when he tells people how to act or what to believe. In other cases, such as the Beatitudes (5:3-12), Jesus encourages them to imagine the world differently, to see it from God’s perspective, and to value the things Jesus values.
For the potential disciples in his audience who are vulnerable to exploitation by others, Jesus casts a world in which God’s care is different. Jesus is calling for a loyalty to God, not to wealth, because God cares for them. Jesus is asking his hearers, “Will you perceive God and the world the way he does?”
Will we at Lakeshore perceive the world as Jesus perceives God and the world? Jesus said, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (6:33)
Striving for the kingdom of God or the Realm of God means that we have faith that a new day is still to come. On our US currencies, we have the slogan, “In God We Trust,” which means that as long as our striving is oriented toward the marketplace, wealth is the true god we worship. We can’t have it both ways.
We cannot at the same time: Trust wealth as our bedrock for our well-being and trust in God as our bedrock foundation of our well-being. There can be only one ultimate foundation, only one ultimate trust. So, we must continually, mindfully choose which of these we take as our true bedrock of our lives, our own economic self-care or God’s care for us. Our choice will determine the ground on which we stand. Jesus puts it this way: “No one can serve two masters.” (v. 24)
This is today’s tough lesson.
New Day at Lakeshore
Yesterday, we participated in a day-long envisioning event to imagine what our future might be, based on our history, resources, and trust in God’s plan. This does not mean that we should cease from our planning efforts. But when we trust in God to not only care for our needs but to also lead us into the future, we will be blessed.
If we are truly under God’s providence and God will lead and guide us, then though we may and should continue to strive as a congregation in Oakland, our efforts are still not the only source of our wellbeing. In truth, God is taking care of that, providing a future for us, no matter what circumstances may come and go. Look at the birds. Consider the lilies. They do not worry, and neither should you.
One of the reasons why we keep on doing what we have been doing for some time is fear. We are afraid of change and what the future is like. When the angels appear to announce the incarnation, they tell Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, “Fear not!” When the disciples behold the divine grandeur in Jesus in the Transfiguration, Jesus consoled the disciples to not be afraid. When Jesus is taken from them, whether in his death or his ascension, he comforts the little flock against fear. Jesus says, “Do not worry.”
In our personal lives, we often choose wealth to reduce our fear of the unexpected as well as to live comfortably. In our church life, are we ready to envision a new day as Lakeshore Avenue church when we trust God to lead us into faithful ministry?
The point is that when we are about God’s business and operating out of God’s vision for us, we have no room or need for worry. Our bedrock is in God’s hands, and we are assured that we can handled whatever happens, because God is in control and God’s faithful people belong to each other.
Few of us are ever exempt from worry and anxiety. We are scared of losing our homes, losing our jobs, not having enough for retirement; losing our health care plan, not having enough to carefor our children and grandchildren until they are adults; fearing the danger of crossing the street;the fear of a terror attacks when we are on a plane.
Those who have little, fret over having adequate shelter, food and water; finding a decent paying job to live; taking care of their families; having enough money to survive. All of us—rich and poor, privileged and exploited—have legitimate reasons to fret and worry, even though we know such behaviors do not easily change the realities we face.
The root of the English word, worry means “to strangle” or to “choke.” Worry cuts off the air that allows us to seize the moment of doing God’s work. This is something that we can remember—worrying will only strangle and choke us from living and trusting in God.
God With Us
Jesus understands our world and our situations. His call for a worry-free living is not based on an unrealistic view of the world. Jesus’ words are for us who understand that God will not leave us without resources or support. We, all in our lives can face life with all of its uncertainties with the assurance that we are not alone—that God hears, sees, and cares about us, our particular situations, and our church.
During this transitional and interim time at Lakeshore, God is not leaving us without resources and support. We as the beloved community on the corner of Lakeshore and Mandana Avenues can face the future boldly and confidently because God cares for you.
If we choose God, in good times and in bad times, we have no reason to worry. “Don’t worry, be faithful,” because God is with us now and is always with us.
Let us pray.
O God, we confess that we have not fulfilled the trust you have given us as servants of Christ and stewards of your mysteries. Our possessions have become more important to us than your approval. We worry a lot rather than trusting you and seeking to be good citizens of your realm on earth. We ask you to forgive us and draw us back to yourself. Feed us here, and clothe us with your truth so we, in turn, may be a blessing to others. Amen.