Why Worry?
Reflections: Today we see two judgments that are in some ways related. Sticking to a chronological order, we first see the sin of Achan. Joshua and the Israelites had just defeated Jericho in striking fashion, and it was unmistakably clear the victory came by the Lord’s hand. Then, they were instructed clearly not to take any of the spoils for themselves. Yet, Achan gave in to covetousness and took some of the booty for himself. As the Israelites went up a much lesser foe with a smaller army, there were defeated soundly. Joshua was confused about this so he went to the Lord. This is a good model for us when we see something that is not quite right.
As he interceded, the Lord intervened and made it abundantly clear why they had such poor success and even defeat. The Lord made it known that they had already broken the covenant. So Joshua summons the whole people, and by lot Achan’s family is singled out. Achan confesses his sin, and he and his whole family and possessions are stoned and then burned. This seems very harsh, and especially toward the women and children. It is interesting that only one family committed this sin, as I am sure all were tempted. Secondly, we how important it was for God to purify this people as they went into the Promised Land. It served as an example to the others of disobedience, especially in things devoted to the Lord. So where is the Good News in this story?
For one, Achan confessed and repented. Joshua asked him to honor and give glory to God by telling the truth and he did. Also note the sin, confession and then judgment of one person helped reconcile the whole community back to God, as God’s anger was taken away. Sound familiar? It is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of one sinless man, who would come would restore all of us Jew and Gentile alike back to God! Although Achan and his family came to a sad ending today, he at least ended his life confessing his sin and giving glory to God. With that in mind we have to trust that he was counted as righteous, because of the one man who took away the sin of the world by what he did on a cross hundreds of years later!
Then, we see the people of Israel, whose sin was now full blown to the point where the whole nation would be exiled. As much as God loved His anointed servant David, soon thereafter his son Solomon would intermarry with foreigners and break the covenant God had made with his father David. But God would be faithful to the royal covenant he made with his David and his descendants, and one day the Anointed one would come to usher in God’s kingdom.
This leads us to our gospel lesson where we see Jesus instructing his disciples about the nature of the kingdom. As they seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, they will not have to worry about what they will eat or wear. In fact Jesus makes the bold statement, “the Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” Jesus is ushering in God’s kingdom in a new and fuller way. He is teaching the disciples kingdom principles while He is with them, and then when He leaves He will send them the Spirit through whom they will live out God’s kingdom coming here on earth until He returns.
As disciples of Jesus today, we can be tempted to worry about all kinds of things especially in this economic climate, and some of the global unrest we see. Some worry about America as a nation that we have lost our favor with God. While some of that may be true, it is through the Church the bible teaches that God’s kingdom will come as we proclaim the Gospel and administer the Sacraments as a means of God’s grace and power. The bible never talks about God’s kingdom coming through the government, but through the Church, of which Jesus is the head. That is why we should never place our hope in ours or any government, but in Jesus and His bride the Church, of which we are part and get to help build up using our spiritual gifts.
What are you worried about today? How can putting your focus on God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven help change your mindset? Worry is always related to the future. If the future is in God’s hand, why worry? All we can control is today by giving ourselves to God. We cannot control the future only God can.
Psalm 89:38-45
New International Version (NIV)
38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant
and have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have broken through all his walls
and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
41 All who pass by have plundered him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not supported him in battle.
44 You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame.
Joshua 7
Achan’s Sin
7 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things[a]; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” 4 So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, 5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8 Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? 9 The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name? ”10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. 13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them. 14 “‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man. 15 Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’”16 Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen. 17 The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen. 18 Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Luke 12:22-34
Do Not Worry
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)
Paul said, “To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great.” Acts 26:22
Make our faith complete, Lord, when we consider salvation. Make us aware of the small and the great that we have in our special relationship with God. Amen.
As he interceded, the Lord intervened and made it abundantly clear why they had such poor success and even defeat. The Lord made it known that they had already broken the covenant. So Joshua summons the whole people, and by lot Achan’s family is singled out. Achan confesses his sin, and he and his whole family and possessions are stoned and then burned. This seems very harsh, and especially toward the women and children. It is interesting that only one family committed this sin, as I am sure all were tempted. Secondly, we how important it was for God to purify this people as they went into the Promised Land. It served as an example to the others of disobedience, especially in things devoted to the Lord. So where is the Good News in this story?
For one, Achan confessed and repented. Joshua asked him to honor and give glory to God by telling the truth and he did. Also note the sin, confession and then judgment of one person helped reconcile the whole community back to God, as God’s anger was taken away. Sound familiar? It is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of one sinless man, who would come would restore all of us Jew and Gentile alike back to God! Although Achan and his family came to a sad ending today, he at least ended his life confessing his sin and giving glory to God. With that in mind we have to trust that he was counted as righteous, because of the one man who took away the sin of the world by what he did on a cross hundreds of years later!
Then, we see the people of Israel, whose sin was now full blown to the point where the whole nation would be exiled. As much as God loved His anointed servant David, soon thereafter his son Solomon would intermarry with foreigners and break the covenant God had made with his father David. But God would be faithful to the royal covenant he made with his David and his descendants, and one day the Anointed one would come to usher in God’s kingdom.
This leads us to our gospel lesson where we see Jesus instructing his disciples about the nature of the kingdom. As they seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, they will not have to worry about what they will eat or wear. In fact Jesus makes the bold statement, “the Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” Jesus is ushering in God’s kingdom in a new and fuller way. He is teaching the disciples kingdom principles while He is with them, and then when He leaves He will send them the Spirit through whom they will live out God’s kingdom coming here on earth until He returns.
As disciples of Jesus today, we can be tempted to worry about all kinds of things especially in this economic climate, and some of the global unrest we see. Some worry about America as a nation that we have lost our favor with God. While some of that may be true, it is through the Church the bible teaches that God’s kingdom will come as we proclaim the Gospel and administer the Sacraments as a means of God’s grace and power. The bible never talks about God’s kingdom coming through the government, but through the Church, of which Jesus is the head. That is why we should never place our hope in ours or any government, but in Jesus and His bride the Church, of which we are part and get to help build up using our spiritual gifts.
What are you worried about today? How can putting your focus on God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven help change your mindset? Worry is always related to the future. If the future is in God’s hand, why worry? All we can control is today by giving ourselves to God. We cannot control the future only God can.
Psalm 89:38-45
New International Version (NIV)
38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant
and have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have broken through all his walls
and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
41 All who pass by have plundered him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not supported him in battle.
44 You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame.
Joshua 7
Achan’s Sin
7 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things[a]; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” 4 So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, 5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8 Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? 9 The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name? ”10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. 13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them. 14 “‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man. 15 Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’”16 Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen. 17 The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen. 18 Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Luke 12:22-34
Do Not Worry
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)
Paul said, “To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great.” Acts 26:22
Make our faith complete, Lord, when we consider salvation. Make us aware of the small and the great that we have in our special relationship with God. Amen.
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