Matthew 6:26, “26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air.” Look at the Grackle. The boring looking, loud and annoying Grackle, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they?

Were you not created in the image of God in Genesis 1? In Psalm 139 were you not knit together in the womb of your mother? Did Jesus not take on flesh and become your sin so that you might know the righteousness of God? If God cares for the birds of the air, how much more will your Heavenly Father care for you?

Back in verse 25 Jesus isn’t saying, “Stop worrying, or I am gonna give you a knuckle sandwich, see.” No! Jesus is saying, “Do not worry, because the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is utterly, eternally and completely committed to you!”

In verse 26 when you see the phrase, “Look at the birds” Jesus is teaching you to move your thoughts off of your worries, and on to His truth revealed in His Word.  In fact, the word “Look” in the original language means “look intently” or “consider” so as to “ponder” and stop thinking about your worries, but more so, start thinking about His Word. So, lets talk about it practically:

Specifically, I am responsible for my mom right now as a court appointed guardian because my mom has Alzheimer / Schizophrenia, and has been determined mentally incapacitated.  Last week I was talking to an accountant who said to me, “As your mom’s guardian you are responsible to get your mom’s 2016 taxes filed, but you can’t because she hasn’t filed taxes since 2010.”

So first we need to get her caught up to 2016, and if you don’t get the documents turned in on time to the IRS there will be penalties and you will be personally financially responsible for those penalties.

Immediately I start to worry. I was already worried about my mom, and now I am worrying about the IRS. Inside I am yelling at my attorney. I am yelling at my accountant. I am yelling at God, and then I open up to Matthew 6 and Jesus says, “Do not be worried about your life!”

Which is true, but in that moment my worries seem bigger than Jesus’ Words. Immediately, my soul starts to push back on Jesus Words in Matthew 6 and I think to myself, “Some birds don’t make it! There are a lot of birds that get eaten by cats. What about those birds? What if I am one of those birds?

I think to myself, “Life is harder today then 2,000 years ago. Jesus is talking about clothes and food, but I am responsible for my family, our church, my life, and this accountant, and this lawyer is messing everything up, which is anxiety, anxiety, worry, worry!

This how our worries play out. You might have a different worry, but all of our worries start out in one area of our life, and within seconds we are domino those worries to the worse case scenario. In my head I start thinking about the IRS calling me, taking my house, my marriage is falling apart, my kids hate me, and I am living under a bridge.

But, in verse 26 turns to those who belong to Jesus, those who are heirs to the throne, those who are sons and daughters of God, Jesus says, “Michael, stop looking at the worries and look at My Word, and, “Consider the birds of the air.”

Your Heavenly Father feeds those birds. Your Heavenly Father provides for those birds. They don’t sow seeds, harvest fields, or store up food, but still there is provision. Are you not worth much more than the birds of the air?

Do you see what Jesus is doing? Jesus is teaching us to turn our thoughts from worry to the faithfulness of His Word. Theologically Jesus is teaching us your Heavenly Father is Sovereign, all powerful, and in control, therefore, take your eyes off your worries and place your eyes on His Word.