Chapter 15

A Cure for Care

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:19-34)

Many years ago, I heard Pastor Henry Mahan make several statements in a message he preached. As I sat in the congregation, listening to the message, I could easily have been convinced that he was preaching to no one but me. Like barbed arrows, these five statements pierced my heart. I wrote them down because I hope never to forget them.

1. “We have entirely too many fears for a people to whom the Lord has said, ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’”

Why can’t we believe God? Has he not proven himself faithful to us? David heard God’s promise and believed him. His faith in Christ quietened his fears. He said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”

2. “We have far too many doubts and fears concerning God’s mercy, love, and grace for a people to whom the Lord has said, ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.’”

I know that some who read these lines have trouble in this area. And I acknowledge my own shameful, baseless, sinful doubts. But I will not excuse them! On what grounds dare we call into question the mercy, love, and grace of our God? We have absolutely no reason to entertain the slightest shade of doubt! Did he not promise? Will he not perform it? “God is not a man that he should lie” (Num. 23:19). Mr. Spurgeon reasoned like this, “The Scripture says, ‘He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life!’ I believe the Son of God. I have life!” Why should we ever question that? Paul didn’t (2 Tim. 1:12; 4:6-8). Believing God, he raised these four challenges confidently: “If God be for us, who can be against us?…Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?…Who is he that condemneth?…Who shall separate us from the love of God?” (Rom. 8:31-39)

I refuse to doubt God’s love because of something I have thought, or said, or done. His love is free and unconditional! I refuse to question his grace because of my sin. While I acknowledge the abundance of my sin, I will rejoice in the superabundance of God’s free grace in Christ. I am not going to be suspicious of his mercy because I do not deserve his mercy. Mercy is for the undeserving!

3. “We spend entirely too much time grumbling and complaining about our trials and troubles for a people to whom the Lord has said, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’”

We should not be surprised when troubles come. We ought to expect them. Every ounce of gold that has been perfected and made valuable has been refined by fire. Every diamond that sparkles with beauty has been broken out of the earth, cut by sharp blows, and polished by rough rubbing. God has chosen us in the furnace of affliction (Isa. 48:10). He will break, and cut, and polish his jewels. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Pet. 4:12). Trouble is not strange. For the believer, the absence of trouble is strange!

4. “We have entirely too much attachment to this world and to this present life for a people who are looking for a city whose Builder and Maker is God (Heb. 11:8-10).”

“We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). The sooner, the better! We know that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” We have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Believers are people who long to be with Christ. Yet, it is so difficult for us to turn loose of this world and this present existence. I cannot explain that. I just know it’s so. And I know that the only way for us to be delivered from these carnal principles, the only way we will ever be saved from our fears, concerns, doubts, grumblings, and attachment to this world is to find something better. Our religious works will be dropped like a hot potato if we ever see and get hold of Christ’s finished work. Our boasted “good deeds” will be of no value if we are ever allowed and made to see what Christ has done for sinners by his incarnation (2 Cor. 8:9), his obedience to God as our Representative (Phil. 2:5-7), and his accomplished redemption in his death as our Substitute (2 Cor. 5:21).

Our “righteousnesses” will appear to us as they really are, “filthy rags,” when we behold the righteousness of God in Christ. Our “goodness” will wither and die when God shows us his goodness, grace, and glory in Christ (Isa. 6:16). Find me a sinner who has seen Christ, and I will show you a sinner who has quit arguing about his goodness, debating over his worthiness, and fussing about the power of his will! Our fears, doubts, grumblings, and complaints against our little trials, against God purpose and his providence will disappear in proportion to the faith we have in his promises (Isa. 43:1-5; 46:4). The more I believe God, the less I will live in fear. The less I believe God, the more I will live in fear.

5. “We have far too much anxiety, care, and fear, far too much concern for earthly, material things for a people to whom the Lord has said, ‘Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things’” (Matt. 6:32).

It is written, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Why should I fret when my God has promised to provide? Why should I concern myself about that which God has promised to do?

Those five, heart-piercing statements are the very matters addressed in our Redeemer’s message to us in Matthew 6:19-34. If we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, if we truly seek the will of God, the glory of God, and the kingdom of God in Christ, we have no reason to concern ourselves with earthly things.

Worldliness

The passage before us begins with a warning against worldliness. One of the greatest dangers we face is worldliness. It is one of Satan’s most cleverly disguised snares. It seems an innocent thing to pay close attention to business and seek happiness and prosperity in this world, so long as we avoid open sins of immorality. Yet, our Lord warns us that worldliness is the rock on which many a man has made shipwreck of his soul.

Worldliness is the love of this world (1 John 2:15). Worldliness is conformity to the principles, aspirations, and behavior of unregenerate men. “Worldliness is a spirit, an atmosphere, an influence permeating the whole of life and human society, and it needs to be guarded against constantly and strenuously.” Griffith Thomas

The only way to lay up treasure in heaven is to trust Christ. He is our Treasure! Where your treasure is, there will your heart be (Col. 3:1-3). Learn, ask God to teach you, to look upon everything constantly in the light of eternity. Value nothing here more than you will value it when you have to leave it. Beware of worldliness (Matt. 13:21-22). J.C. Ryle wrote, “Open transgression of God’s law slays its thousands, but worldliness its tens of thousands.” “There is no surer evidence of an unconverted state,” wrote Joseph Alleine, “than to have the things of the world uppermost in our aim, love, and estimation.”

Light or Darkness

Next, our Savior warns us against light that is darkness and the folly of a divided heart.

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (vv. 22-24)

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” — There are multitudes who have light that is nothing but darkness. The light they have is nothing but an acquired head-knowledge of sacred things, without the experience of grace. It is knowledge that puffs up, having no influence upon the heart. Like the devils, they have a clear apprehension of some of the great truths of Holy Scripture, but no love for them. That is the kind of knowledge Balaam possessed. Few men have understood the things Balaam stated in Numbers 23 so clearly as he did (Num. 23:8-10, 19-24). His eyes were opened (Num. 24:3-4), but not his heart. He knew who the Lord God is, but did not know him. He knew many great things about him, but not him. He knew much about God’s grace, but had no experience of grace. There was no love created in his heart for the God he professed to serve. Though he possessed great knowledge about God, he hired himself out to curse the people of God.

While our Savior walked upon the earth, the devils gave the same testimony concerning him as Balaam gave. — “We know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God (Luke 4:33-34). Yet, they are devils still, devils with the full knowledge and conviction that our Lord Jesus Christ is himself the eternal God! That is just the condition our Lord is describing. What a terrible condition it is! That knowledge men may acquire, be it ever so great, that is nothing but factual knowledge, never reaching the heart, knowledge without grace, void of life, is great darkness, indeed! In this world it is blinding. In the world to come it will be utter darkness and everlasting torment.

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” — Where such darkness rules, the heart is always divided. It is impossible to serve Christ and the world at the same time. The ark of God and Dagon cannot stand in the same house. Christ must be King in our hearts, ruling over us, so that his will, his glory, his kingdom receives the devotion and commitment of our hearts. Unless our lives are so ordered, everything is confusion. — “Thy whole body shall be full of darkness!”

Let us be people of one thing, having our eyes fixed on one thing; and let that one thing be the one thing needful, the Lord Jesus Christ! Decisive consecration to Christ is the secret of happiness for any believer. God help us to be a people of one thing (Ps. 27:4; Luke 10:42; John 9:25; Phil. 3:13; Col. 3:1-3).

Jesus is the one thing needful,

O our precious Lord and Savior!

Ever true and ever faithful,

We’ll sing His praise forever.

In Him a boundless fulness dwells

Of grace to all His chosen,

And like a flooding river swells

To weary sinners broken.

What mercy from His bosom flows

To every true believer!

He put away the countless woes

Of us poor, needy sinners.

Oh, blessed are His saints, indeed,

Christ Jesus is our Savior!

And everything that we can need

Is ours in Him forever!

“Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Cure for Care

Our Lord knows our hearts. He knows how quickly we turn off warnings against worldliness and how easily we excuse our pursuit of earthly things. Knowing our hearts, our Lord here nips in the bud every excuse we might offer for these things in verses 25-34. Here is a cure for our earthly cares.

First, our Savior tells us in verse 25 that we ought never be possessed of an overly anxious spirit. — "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Four times in these verses he says, “Take no thought.” Prudent provision and care about earthly responsibilities is right. We are to work and provide for our families. But greed, worry, and tormenting care over earthly things is wrong.

To cure us of care and teach us to trust him, the Lord Jesus here reminds us of God’s providential care of everything he has created. He sends us to the birds of the air for instruction. — "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” In verse 27 he reminds us of the utter uselessness of worry, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Then, in verses 28-30 he sends us to the fields to observe the flowers to rebuke our unbelief. — “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” In verses 31-32 our blessed Savior tells us that any failure to implicitly trust our heavenly Father is utterly shameful. — “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” In verse 33 he gives us a great, precious promise. — “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11). — "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

In verse 34 our Savior seals up his instruction on this subject with a universally known and acknowledged fact, saying, “Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.” Why carry trouble before it comes? Attend to today’s business and leave tomorrow’s worries to tomorrow’s troubles. If tomorrow comes, the Lord will be with you. If he sends trouble, he will give you grace sufficient. "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Any attempt to explain the wondrous things here declared by our Lord would be, at least on my part, utter folly. They are too sweet and delightful to need comment. Rather, let them be rolled over in our hearts, praying that God the Holy Spirit will effectually seal them to our hearts. Contemplate with joy the eternal love of God in Christ to our souls. All that is contained in creation, providence, redemption, grace, and glory to come are countless tokens of that love and goodness! Loved in Christ with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3), chosen in Christ by immutable grace, blessed in Christ with all blessings of grace and salvation from eternity, accepted in Christ from everlasting (Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Tim. 1:9), preserved in Christ and called (Jude 1:1). Surely, his goodness to us in time, in every work of providence, cannot be doubted. His compassions never fail. His faithfulness is indescribably great. His mercies are new every morning. Yes, “the Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him” (Lam. 3:22-25). He who redeemed us with his precious blood will never forget to take care of us. May he give us grace to leave all our concerns with him and be anxious only to be found in his kingdom, robed in his righteousness, and accepted as one with him. Let us take no thought for tomorrow, knowing that “whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's” (Rom. 14:8).