Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. For me this day has involved eating lots of good food, spending some time with family members, and enjoying a time of leisure as I have often been off work or school for four or five straight days. It is a time that for me has generally been free from stress and worry. For many years I was pretty oblivious to how privileged that I am to enjoy a Thanksgiving holiday that is free from worry. My wife was the first person who challenged my belief that Thanksgiving is an easy day and she caused me to be more aware of what other people are experiencing. Thanksgiving is actually a very difficult day for many people. Preparing the big meal can be quite stressful because it is a lot of work and requires a lot of planning. Many people also feel anxiety over being around large groups of people and the very real possibility that you will be seated next to another guest or family member who is not your first choice for a conversation partner. Of course, for some people a large Thanksgiving feast is not possible. Many in our community are food insecure and are struggling just to put a simple meal on the table. Others are alone and do not have friends and family with whom they can celebrate. Others are working two or three jobs just to make ends meet and would love to have just one day off work much less a four-day holiday weekend. I am ashamed to admit that I have often failed to see the worry and anxiety that many people experience during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The worries present in modern America are much different than those of first century Palestine. The majority of the people in our society live at a level of affluence which would have been unimaginable to a first century Palestinian peasant. However, many who live comfortable lives today still feel inadequate as we are constantly being bombarded with images and messages from advertisers, media, and sometimes even friends and family, that encourage us to consume and to accumulate more possessions. These messages often make us feel unhappy with what we have and lead us to worry that we do not have enough which leads us to buy and consume even more. We also know that despite our society’s affluence there are many who deal daily with the harsh consequences of economic failure and that a traumatic event such as a job loss or a large medical bill would be a financial catastrophe for almost all of us. Poverty and homelessness are realities that impact many in our society. We live in a world where our fears seem to be ever present at all economic levels so this encouragement from Jesus not to worry seems to be contrary to the reality of our modern life.
Jesus also seems to be a bit disconnected from his first century audience as many of those hearing his message would have had real concerns over their material needs. However, I argue that Jesus is very well aware of the hardships faced by his followers. Earlier in this same teaching discourse known as the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught the crowd to pray the petition “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus knew that meeting physical needs is an important part of life. The point that Jesus is making in today’s text is not that we ignore our material needs but that we avoid excessive worry over them. Yes, our material needs must be met but this call to avoid excessive worry reflects the promise of God that we are all unique individuals created in God’s image. Each and every one of our lives has meaning and purpose and we are not simply beings who are focused on simply satisfying our material needs.
As Christians we are called to live according to values that often contradict the values lifted up in our society. As Jesus tells us in verse thirty-three, we are to strive first for the kingdom of God. Striving for the kingdom of God means that Jesus expects his followers to put forth energy and effort into things that give meaning to life. Life will continue to be difficult and at times it will be a struggle to make ends meet but as Christians we live in hope that our lives do have meaning and purpose. If we are able to avoid being paralyzed by excessive fears and worries, we see that God provides abundantly for all of God’s creatures. The God who sustains the lilies of the field and the birds of the air has also given us the opportunity to live beautiful and amazing lives and accompanies each of us on our journey through life.
On this Thanksgiving holiday whether your celebration resembles the famous Norman Rockwell painting Freedom from Want or whether you are eating a sandwich by yourself in front of the television I invite you to avoid excessive worry and to remember that you are created in the image of God, that your life has meaning and purpose, and that you are not alone because God is always with you. Thanks be to God.
- Vicar Kyle Anderson