ARE NOT YOU MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEY?
“Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord” (Ps 34:13).
Yesterday, we read the words
of Jesus as He questioned us as to what our treasure really is; what earns our
strongest devotion? Today’s beautiful passage continues the emphasis on putting
all our trust in our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ names everyday concerns:
finding a meal, having something to drink, securing basic provisions. Rather
than listing guidelines to simplify our lives or giving us strategies to get
what we want, He opens our hearts and minds to God’s care. He invites us to take
stock of our lives and imagine ourselves surrounded by the same care that God
gives to birds and flowers. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life” (Mt 6:25a).
This chapter in Matthew’s
Gospel clarifies the fact that seeking God’s ways and putting God first does
not mean that we must forget about or despise the concerns and needs of
everyday life. The issue is one of priorities! As is clear in Jesus’ teaching
throughout the Gospels about material things and about wealth, He does not
consider that these are bad. What would be bad is to put them before everything
else or before God Himself. In our Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, “Taste and
see the goodness of the Lord” (Ps 34:13). Who among us desires life and takes
delight in prosperous days? Our Father is utterly reliable because it is in His
nature to love, heal, forgive, and make whole again. Jesus taught us to pray
with confidence to our heavenly Father: “Give us this day our daily bread…”
“Are not you more important than they” (Mt
6:26b)?