Do Not Be Anxious about Money
Matthew 6:24-36
September 12, 2021 anno Domini
The Good News is I’m not mentioning COVID, masks, or vaccines in my sermon today. The bad news is I’m preaching about money. Two weeks from today we will have our annual commitment Sunday in which we will ask you to consider how much money you will give for the Lord’s work at Redeemer in 2022. We have been doing this for a few years for two reasons. One is an entirely practical, common-sense reason. We make a yearly budget, and we should know our expected offerings before we plan our spending. The other reason is much more important – it is the matter of your faith.
(Read vs. 24c) Let’s make some clear Biblical points about money. Money is good. It is a gift from God. Through your work God provides you with money which is His way of providing you with food and clothing. Jesus does not say here that money is evil, that rich people are bad, or that people shouldn’t work. Jesus doesn’t say that God gives everyone the same amount of wealth. He gives more to one and less to another according to His wisdom for their good. What Jesus does say is that our faith should be looking up to the love and care of our heavenly Father and not looking down in anxiety that we don’t have enough.
In Saint Luke 13 there is a rarely mentioned miracle of Jesus. (Read Luke 13:11-13). That woman, with her disabling spirit, is a good picture of humanity after the fall into sin. Our spines are bent over. We are always looking down and just a few steps in front of us and that is why we are so anxious. (Gerhardt illustration)
One common excuse among people who have quit attending church is “the church is always asking for money.” I have so many smart aleck answers I would love to give. Coborn’s asks for money too. Do you ask for money at the end of your pay period? When you remodel your house does Home Depot ask for money? But that is much too simple an argument. The reason talk of money upsets us is because money is our lord and master. Money is what we fear, love, and trust above all things. That’s why people falsely believe if every person had same amount of money all the world’s problems would be solved. They are putting money where only God could stand. Consider all the taxpayer dollars that have been distributed to alleviate the problems of COVID (oops I wasn’t supposed to talk about that today). Have all those dollars help businesses find workers? Helped us get along with each other? Returned us to normal? A hundred dollar reward was enough to get some people to abandon their conscience and get a vaccine they were opposed to. Don’t tell me we don’t worship and serve money.
My father-in-law was a frugal man who saved a lot of money over his lifetime. Do you know how much money was in his coffin with him? None. His money didn’t give us joy. Jesus gave us joy that Henry lives even though he died. We need our eyes lifted up from food and clothing and money to our heavenly Father so we can put our wealth in its proper place. That happens in Christ alone. He straightened that bent over lady. He touched her, healed her, and cast out her disabling spirit so she could stand upright, look up, and believe.
So today Jesus comes to us with this wonderful sermon of the birds (Read vs. 26 a&b) Jesus is preaching to His disciples and since they are of “little faith” He gives them a little kid’s sermon. “Little ones, look at the birds. You don’t see them worrying about T-bones on sale at Coborn’s and they don’t have pantries full of food. They begin every day singing a song to the Lord and then off to work they go – gathering here, eating there, resting at home and they lack not a single thing. (another Gerhardt illustration). Little ones learn from them because (read vs. 26c)
You are not a wren or sparrow. You’re a human being – the only creature made in the image of God. You are more than a bald eagle, a cuddly cat, or the best breed of dog ever – the Labrador. God put you at the head and top of His creation and when you fell (because you are sons of Adam and daughters of Eve) He did not stop loving you. He sent His Son, who became a man, born of a woman just as you were. Jesus didn’t come to establish a 401k. He didn’t own a home. He died without a penny and the last article of clothing He had was stolen by the soldiers who killed Him. He did however come for earthly things – the one earthly thing that matters to His Father – you, created in the image of God. The Son of God stooped down and all He saw was you. All He wanted was you. He wanted to lift your soul by forgiveness and your eyes with faith so that you could forever look up to your Father, look ahead to the resurrection, and look around to your neighbor.
Jesus died naked, but He was covered with our sin. He died thirsty, but He was drowned in our iniquity. He suffocated to death, because He inhaled the poison air of all our sin. Behold your value – God created you and His Son died for you, and not just you, but every human. Thanks be to God the Supreme Court upheld the Texas law that protects the lives of more and more unborn humans. It is ironic though that the same political party who gives women the choice to destroy human life is giving no choice to those who don’t want to be vaccinated. (Oops, I did it again).
God purchased your life back with the holy and precious blood of His Son. You’re not going to fall to the ground and die like the birds. You’re going to rise from the grave to live as a true human for all eternity. Lift up your eyes. See the cross where you were forgiven. See the font and the altar where that forgiveness is given to you. Life and salvation are yours. Stop gazing at your belly or your bank account. Look up to God. Look ahead to the resurrection and then look around for your needy neighbor. You’re more than a sparrow. You are a human made in the image of God and redeemed from your sin to be human once again by the blood of Christ.
You might have noticed I haven’t really talked a lot about money. I haven’t recommended budgeting, engaging a trusted financial advisor, or reading a Dave Ramsey book. I don’t think I’ve asked for money – yet. I’ve given you Jesus. Loving money demeans you and demeans God. There is nothing more valuable than a human and that’s why your Father in heaven paid what He paid for you – not silver, not gold, but blood, His own blood. Redeemer Lutheran Church exists for one purpose – to preach this Gospel, this Good News for humanity. No one else is giving this good news. CNN and FOX don’t talk about Jesus. The Saint Cloud Times prefers Allah, Atheists, and Fauci (ooops I did it again). Yes, your offerings pay for my salary, and you pay me well for an LCMS pastor in Minnesota. Yes, your offerings pay the mortgage we took to remodel our sanctuary. Over $30,000 of your offerings support our school and about the same goes to mission work. But all of your offerings serve one purpose (and if they don’t serve that purpose, you have my permission not to give a single dime) — Redeemer Lutheran Church exists to preach Jesus, His becoming flesh to save your flesh, His sacrifice for your life, His blood for your forgiveness. Once your heart believes that your whole life will confess it, including your checking account. Your eyes will be lifted to see your Father’s love, to look forward to the resurrection, and to look around your neighbors in need. In the name of Jesus. Amen.