Message: Gratitude in God's Care / Matthew 6:25-33

Rev. Min Hwang

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NRSV)

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday, a meaningful time to reflect on gratitude and the blessings in our lives. There is always something to be thankful for because God has abundantly created the things that are really essential for our lives. One of those is air. The atmosphere around us has just the right mix of gases for us to live. In particular, Oxygen, which we need to breathe, makes up about 21% of the air. Scientists say that around three billion years ago, a tiny bacterium called cyanobacteria appeared in the oceans, and it caused a big rise in oxygen levels on Earth. This allowed all kinds of life to develop, and today, thanks to photosynthesis by plants, the oxygen levels remain just right for us to breathe. In other words, air is a precious gift from God, formed over billions of years through the works of countless living things.

Even without today’s scientific knowledge, our ancestors in faith gave thanks and praised God for creating the world in harmony, allowing us to breathe. The longest book in the Bible, Psalms, ends with these words: “Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” (Ps 150:6).

As they experienced God’s grace as both Creator and Saviour, our ancestors in faith were thankful not only for God but also for all the creatures that kept the world in balance. So, they sought to care for all living beings. This is reflected in the Hebrew Scriptures, which include laws about harvest. When they harvested, they didn’t take all the grains and fruits from the fields, and every seventh year, they let the land rest and didn’t harvest anything. Whatever was left in the fields during that time was meant for the poor and the wild animals.

A similar respect for the Creator is reflected in the way Indigenous Peoples of North America have lived. In Braiding Sweetgrass, a book written by scientist and Native American Robin Kimmerer, there’s a story about this. She once met a European engineering student who joined an Ojibwe family for a wild rice harvest. He noticed that much of the rice fell back into the water and thought it was wasteful.  He offered to design a tool to help them collect much more. The family listened politely and replied, “Yes, we could get more that way. But it’s got to seed itself for next year. And what we leave behind is not wasted. You know, we’re not the only ones who like rice. Do you think the ducks would stop here if we took it all?”

In today’s reading, Jesus emphasizes to his followers not to worry about what to eat, what to drink, or what to wear. He offered this teaching because he noticed that the people of his time, oppressed by political and religious powers, had lost the sense of gratitude their ancestors had for God and creation. However, what he says does not mean we should not care about choosing what to eat, drink, or wear. Not worrying about what to eat doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about whether to prepare turkey, ham, or chicken for Thanksgiving dinner. Not worrying about what to drink doesn’t mean we shouldn’t decide whether to have white wine, red wine, icewine, or non-alcoholic beer at a special meal. Not worrying about what to wear doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan whether to dress up as Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, or Deadpool for Halloween.

It's important to make choices about what to eat, drink, and wear in our lives. It's also crucial to work hard to ensure we have enough food, drink, and clothes. However, what Jesus is really saying in today’s passage is that we should not let anxiety and worry control our choices, our work, or our lives. The verse just before today’s reading makes this clear: “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (6:24)

The term “wealth” here comes from the Greek word “mammon”, which represents a kind of idol that stirs up people’s anxieties, making material possessions their top priority. Mammon drives people to keep climbing the ladder without resting, whispering that their worth depends on how much they have. In this regard, gratitude and contentment are the enemies of Mammon.

Today, advertisements are the most faithful servants of Mammon. They used to simply introduce products, but now, through TV, magazines, and social media, they make us feel anxious as if we're not good enough without certain things. Those who give in to this temptation worry about keeping up with others and end up buying things they don’t really need. As a result, they often sigh when checking their bank account balances, doubting their abilities and feeling defeated. Even though it is one of the wealthiest times in history, many people today feel a deep thirst for possessions and live under the shadow of anxiety.

Jesus teaches us to resist the temptation of Mammon by observing the natural world that God has created. He says, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them,” and “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” By pointing to the birds and flowers, Jesus shows us how much God loves and cares for the world. God is not like a clockmaker who steps back after creating the universe. Instead, God continues to care for all living beings, providing for their needs.

Just as God cares for all creatures, God cares for us. When we reflect on our lives, we can remember the ways God has helped us. And when we look around, we see all that God has given us. Therefore, we don’t need to worry about what hasn’t happened yet. 

Relying on God and being relaxed without worry is at the heart of our faith. Marcus Borg, the American biblical scholar and theologian, writes in his book The Heart of Christianity: “Faith is like floating in seventy thousand fathoms of water. If you struggle, if you tense up and thrash about, you will eventually sink. But if you relax and trust, you will float. [..] To help an adult class see this meaning of faith, my wife asked them, “How many of you have taught a small child to swim?” Many had. When asked to describe the experience, all said that the biggest hurdle was getting the child to relax in the water. Their consistent refrain was, “It’s okay, just relax. You’ll float, it’s okay.” Faith as trust is trusting in the buoyancy of God. Faith is trusting in the sea of being in which we live and move and have our being.”

Don’t let yourself be controlled by Mammon, which creates anxiety and worry. The more you struggle to climb higher on the endless ladder of greed, the more you’ll find yourself sinking beneath the surface. Christians are those who place their trust in God’s buoyancy and seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first. 

Next Sunday, we will celebrate World Food Sunday, a wonderful opportunity to share our gratitude with our neighbours. Just as our ancestors in faith shared their fruits for those in need, may our Thanksgiving be more than just a feast for ourselves, but a celebration of God’s love and care extended to those around us.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang

South Stormont Pastoral Charge

(Ingleside-Newington United Church & St. Andrew's-St. Mark's United Church)

Thanksgiving Sunday, 2024