Matthew 6:33–34

1st Sunday after Trinity

Full English Translation of the German Sermon by Pastor Emeritus Werner Harms

Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tell me: Do you have worries? Is there something that troubles you, burdens you, something that makes life difficult for you day and night? Do you have something that makes you sad? Something before which you stand powerless and do not know what to do? Something that makes you ask: How will things go on? How can I change this? Who can help me? Dear seniors, how are you? What about dying? Do you have peace in your family, with the people around you, with your heavenly Father? Or do you worry about eternity?

This morning I would like to share with you a word from our Lord from Matthew 6:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Seek! What does that mean? Direct your life toward it. Let it be important to you. Make it your life’s goal. This is what I most want to do. This should be the most important thing in my life. And what are we to seek? The Kingdom of God. But what exactly is the Kingdom of God? I will try to explain how I understand it: In the Kingdom of God, God is in charge. His rules and His good laws for life apply here. Our Lord Jesus Christ sets the direction. Here it is not man who decides what is good and evil, but Christ. Here Agape reigns—the unconditional love of God. A love that does not depend on how lovable a person happens to be. Agape is a decision: I choose to love. Here forgiveness is given even before the guilty person asks for forgiveness.

Paul writes: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in this: while we were still enemies, Christ died for us.” God does not wait for you to ask for forgiveness first. He forgives because He has decided to do so.

Now do the same!

In the Kingdom of God there is no lying, cheating, or slander. Honesty is required here. Peace is sought here— not merely a ceasefire, but genuine peace, a peace that grows out of reconciliation.

Therefore Scripture says: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Love reigns here. Believe in love! It is stronger than power, violence, and harsh words. It is so easy to criticize and hurt others, and yet that destroys so much.

Believe in joy! Bring joy wherever you go.

And believe: I have a Father in heaven. A Father who cares for me. A Father who knows me. A Father who carries me. We sing almost every Sunday: “All feuding has now come to an end.” A feud was once a bitter conflict between families, relatives, and friends.

Between Him and me there is peace. Not because I am so good, but because God decided it from eternity.

Therefore worry has no place in the Kingdom of God.

But what worries us? Worry is grief, bitterness, unrest, fear, a tormenting thought. Worry is the attempt to fend off a threat that appears much bigger than I am. Worry keeps turning over the same thoughts again and again: What if? What if I lose my job? What if something happens to my child? What if I or someone I love becomes seriously ill? What if cancer comes? Worry constantly occupies itself with what might happen. The danger appears larger and larger, and in the process we often forget the help that is available. I think of Peter on the water. As long as he looked at Jesus, he walked on the waves. He walked above the chaos. He walked above the danger. But when he looked at the waves and took his eyes off his Lord, when he focused on the chaos, he began to sink. Isn't that often true for us as well, especially with world politics today?

Do we not often lose ourselves in the chaos of confusing and fear-inducing news instead of keeping our eyes fixed on our heavenly Father? He says very clearly: “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart; I have overcome the world!” That is what we should focus on.And so it is with us. When we look only at our problems and lose sight of our heavenly Father, we begin to sink. Then we become afraid. Then we become weak. Then we become sick.

Jesus says: That is how the pagans behave. In times of trouble they have no firm foundation. They know no Father in whom they can trust. That is why our Lord calls it little faith.

What is missing is trust that the One who created me and gave His life for me is still watching over me today.

Worry wears us down. Worry makes us sick. Worry makes us weak. Therefore trust is needed here. Let go. Let go of your own control. Let go of your own abilities.

And then pray the difficult prayer: “Your will be done.”

Whatever happens now, I receive it from Your hand. Even if I do not understand Your way. Even if it is different from what I would wish. Even then I will trust You. Now we must make a distinction: Preparation is not the same thing as worry.

Preparation is good and right. I do today what is possible for me so that tomorrow does not bring unnecessary hardship. When I drive through Namibia today, I never pass a filling station without stopping, because I do not know when the next one will come. Once we were driving toward Seeheim. The map showed there was a filling station there. We drove and drove. Sandy roads. Dust. The fuel gauge kept dropping lower and lower, and Seeheim remained nowhere in sight. We became quiet. Nobody wanted to think about what would happen if we were stranded in the wilderness. Finally, a sign appeared: “Seeheim – left.” We drove down the hill and indeed there stood a fuel pump. But not a single person was to be seen. Eventually someone explained that the owner was on holiday—for three weeks. In the end an elderly lady helped us, and we were able to continue our journey. We had not prepared adequately. Then we had worry.

Preparation also includes saving for old age, not living recklessly, and not falling for promises of quick riches.

As the saying goes: “If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.” Preparation also includes living healthily and refraining from things that are not good for me and that make my body and soul sick.

Our Lord is not speaking against such preparation. He is speaking against the kind of worry that takes our hearts captive. Therefore He says: “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” Make it your life’s goal to live in the presence of Jesus, to listen to Him, to do what He says, to believe Him, and to trust Him.The psalmist says:

“Seek peace and pursue it.” Forgive. Release those who have sinned against you. Let love triumph in your life, for it is stronger than threats and harsh words.

You may win an argument through force, but often you lose the person. You lose trust. You lose the relationship.

The Bible calls this sin. Sin destroys trust. Something invisible comes between people. Perhaps they still smile politely, but in their hearts separation has already taken place.

Therefore seek to live with your Lord Jesus Christ. Seek Him. Trust Him. And all these other things will be given to you. Perhaps not in advance, but at the right time.

We have experienced this ourselves. Married, with two school-age children, I began a seven-year course of theological study. Apart from the small income of a faithful and hardworking wife who worked as a nurse, we had nothing. And yet we never went to bed hungry, and our children received a good education.

“Every time we thought we could go no further, an angel appeared from somewhere.” In this way we experienced God’s provision on a grand scale.

Not everything was available beforehand. But again and again God helped at exactly the right moment.

Think of Moses. Behind him was Pharaoh’s army. Before him was the sea. The people were full of fear. No way forward. No way back. And yet God acted—in His time and in His way. And the sea opened.

Holding on to that is what the Bible calls faith. Trusting this Lord takes away our worry, even when He leads differently than we would like.

May His peace come upon you and accompany you.

Amen.