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Tag: Book of Matthew

Tomorrow will worry about itself

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Matthew, What’s new?.

What does it mean that tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34)?

Matthew 6:34 forms part of the Sermon on the Mount, a profound collection of teachings where Jesus addresses a variety of topics including prayer, forgiveness, blessings in the kingdom, and worry. The verse itself states, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” The statement tomorrow will worry about itself demonstrates the futility of losing sleep over the problems of tomorrow, especially as we have challenges for today.

Many of us have a natural tendency to fixate on the future, conjuring up imaginary horrors that provoke anxiety about things beyond our control. But tomorrow is not within our grasp; the only time we truly possess is the present. Instead of dwelling on how we’ll manage tomorrow, we should adopt a “one day at a time” approach. Excessive worry about the future reveals a lack of trust in the One who holds tomorrow in His hands. Even if an unexpected tragedy occurs tomorrow, worrying won’t mitigate it; such things are in God’s hands.

As Eugene Peterson aptly conveys in his Message paraphrase of Matthew 6:34, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Note that Jesus’ teaching doesn’t discourage planning and prudent resource management; neither does He endorse a hedonistic, YOLO lifestyle devoid of consideration for the future. Wisdom dictates that we handle our resources as responsible stewards (Proverbs 21:7), and righteous living contradicts hedonism. A distinction exists between planning and worrying. While we recognize that our actions carry eternal significance, disciples of Christ are called to live for God today. If God hasn’t called us home tomorrow, we embark on another day dedicated to Him.

Furthermore, Jesus’ broader teachings on worry emphasize the matter of priority. Using God’s care for birds and flowers as an example, Jesus reassures His followers that the Father knows their needs. Therefore, our primary concern should be “God’s kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). We achieve this by first accepting God’s offer of forgiveness and His gift of righteousness (Romans 3:22–24). Subsequently, we live each day according to the King’s principles, empowered by the Holy Spirit. As we do, God promises to meet our needs, understanding our needs better than we do.

In addition to being futile, worry has many detrimental physical effects, including dizziness, breathing difficulties, panic attacks, and increase in blood pressure. All of God’s commands are for our benefit, including the directive not to worry (see Deuteronomy 10:12–13; Psalm 19:7–8).

So, how do we allow tomorrow to worry about itself? We accomplish this by relying on God to meet our needs, by prioritizing His values and needs, and by living lives characterized by thanksgiving and contentment.

God gives good gifts

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What does it mean that God gives good gifts in (Matthew 7:11)?

Some people carry childhood emotional baggage that skews their perceptions about the goodness of God. One pastor observes, “I have come across several people who have a deeply rooted impression of God as a trickster. They view him as a kind of cosmic killjoy with a warped sense of humor. These individuals often come from an abusive background, so their ability to trust a father figure has been severely damaged. To them, God lives only to bring them some kind of grief. . . . As a result, they withhold intimate trust from him” (Weber, S. K., Matthew, vol. 1, Holman New Testament Commentary, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000, p. 99).

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus indirectly addressed these injured souls, stressing that God is an exceedingly loving Father who gives good gifts to His children: “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:9–11, NLT).

The heavenly Father desires every child of His to know that He can be trusted (Numbers 23:19; Romans 8:28). He is a good and loving “Abba Father” (see Mark 14:36; Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15) who gives good gifts to His children. No matter how badly one has suffered at the hands of earthly parents, the Bible offers hope and comfort to broken adults who still carry the scars of childhood abuse and abandonment.

Jesus said, “God gives good gifts” within the context of His teaching about prayer (see Matthew 6:5–18; 7:7–11). He taught the disciples to seek the Father in prayer because this is the path to knowing His heart and trusting Him fully. Scripture promises that, if we ask God, He will give us what we need. If we seek Him, we will find what we need. If we knock, He will open the door for us. Instead of fretting over the cares of this life, God’s children can take everything to Him in prayer (Matthew 6:25–34). Since the Father already knows what we need (verse 32), we can entrust our lives to Him and seek His kingdom above everything else (verse 33).

The apostle Paul echoed Jesus’ message: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

In Luke’s account of Christ’s teaching, one of God’s good gifts is the Holy Spirit: “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:11–13, CSB). The Holy Spirit is God’s built-in gift to every believer to comfort, help, counsel, empower, guide, and so much more (John 7:37–39; 14:16; Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10–11; 1 Peter 4:10; Titus 3:5). According to James, wisdom is another good gift of God: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

God wants His children to open their hearts in total dependence upon Him, trusting that they are safe and secure in His embrace. The Lord won’t trick us by giving us a stone instead of bread. Nor will He mock our prayers by presenting us with something harmful, like a snake instead of a fish. If we need food, He won’t abandon us or leave us begging for bread (Psalm 37:25). James writes, “So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession” (James 1:16–18, NLT).

God takes good care of His treasured children because He loves them perfectly. Human parents fall short (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3: 9–18, 23), but God’s love is perfect and eternal (1 John 4:7–21; Romans 8:31–39). The heavenly Father knows what’s best for His kids. He gives them what they need and not what harms them. Believers can trust God completely; because He is truly good, He cannot give anything but what is good.

Truly you are the Son of God

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in The Ministry of Jesus, What’s new?.

Why did the disciples say, “Truly you are the Son of God” after He calmed the storm in (Matthew 14:33)?

Throughout His ministry, Jesus revealed His deity by His actions. He healed many people with diseases (Matthew 8:14–17), He calmed a raging storm (Matthew 8:23–27), and He expelled demons (Matthew 8:28–34). After feeding the 5,000, Jesus calms another storm. In response, the disciples exclaim, “Truly you are the Son of God” and worship Him (Matthew 14:33). Jesus’ actions reveal He is truly the Son of God, and the disciples respond accordingly. Recognizing Jesus for who He is leads to a life of faith and worship.

After the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Jesus sends the disciples away by boat while He goes to pray (Matthew 14:22–33). Throughout the night, the wind and waves rage, and the boat was “buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it” (verse 24). Shortly before dawn, Jesus walks to the disciples on the water. Mistaking Him for a ghost, the disciples are terrified. Even though the disciples had been with Jesus throughout His ministry, they do not recognize Him. There are times when we, too, fail to recognize the Lord’s presence in the midst of our storms, though He is right there with us. Fear clouds our vision, whereas trusting in Him leads to peace. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that He “will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!” (NLT).

Fear also heightens our attention to our circumstances rather than increasing our trust in the God who is in control. After Jesus assures the disciples it is He and not a ghost, Peter walks to Jesus on the water and is able to do so until he becomes fearful of the wind and starts sinking (Matthew 14:30). When we focus on our circumstances instead of trusting in God, we, too, become overwhelmed by what we see. Jesus is the One who calms the storm. Jesus takes Peter by the hand, and they climb into the boat. Seeing the storm calm when Jesus enters the boat, the disciples respond by worshiping Him and saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (verse 33). When we recognize Jesus for who He is, the proper response is worship—acknowledging God in all His power and glory—and praise—joyfully recounting what He has done.

On a previous occasion, the disciples had seen Jesus calm a storm (Matthew 8:23–27). At that time, they were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:27). This time, the disciples know that Jesus is not a mere man, and they exclaim, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). This declaration reveals that the disciples had grown in their faith to realize that Jesus is truly God. His actions revealed His identity. Only God could walk on water, and only God could make the wind and waves obey Him. This is the first time of many that the disciples address Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16; 26:63; 27:40, 43, 54). In calling Jesus the “Son of God,” the disciples were acknowledging His deity; the designation Son of God was a way of saying Jesus possessed the same nature as God.

Jesus is truly the Son of God. He is God Almighty over the wind and waves and over the storms of our lives. Our response to Jesus should match that of the disciples: trusting in Him, praising Him for who He is, and worshiping Him with our lives. When our focus is on Jesus and not on our circumstances, we can say, “Truly you are the Son of God,” just as the disciples did after He calmed the storm.