Do Not Worry, Little Flock! (Luke 12:23-34)

Can we not be free from worry? Why do we worry constantly? How many times does the Scripture say not to worry? Our Lord Jesus answers why we shall not worry about our life, what we will eat; about our body, what we will wear. Our Father in heaven knows what we need for our life and body and provides them abundantly. Here is what our Lord Jesus is saying for us.

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. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 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! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:23-26)

Jesus says, “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” Food is essential and significant to sustain life, so is the desire of eating. It is obviously part of life, but not everything, says our Lord Jesus. The kingdom of God has been prepared for us beyond food. Life without the kingdom is barren and dreary, physically sustaining life but spiritually dead. Our Father God knows how physical we are and provides sunshine and rain to produce food.

Our Lord Jesus illustrates how much the Father cares for the ravens who do not sow or reap. They have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them without fail days after days and years after years since its creation. How much more valuable we are, says Jesus. God cares all of His creation, not only the animal’s life but the man’s. As is God the Designer and Maker of life, so does He feed it in perfection. Have you ever seen the ravens worrying what to eat? Thanks to the brilliant technological advancements that we are able to see how the birds instinctively find food and feed themselves.

But how much do we worry what to eat so often and constantly until we come to conclusion that we are made like this, thinking that there is no escape? Our Lord Jesus again speaks a rhetorical question for us to think through who we really are. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26)

What about the body? The body is more than clothes. Splendor is in the language of body with clothes. The human body is the most beautiful and perfectly balanced structure on earth. Clothes are designed to present the splendor of the body.

“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. 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! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:27-31)

King Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man ever lived in the earth. His splendor was so brilliant and magnificent that the Queen of the South made a visitation to see. Yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these wild flowers although they do not labor or spin. How is nature beautifully and colorfully being dressed in spring by tulips, daffodils, magnolia, cherry blossom, and many others! God clothes the grass of the field, which is her today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire.

Jesus sighs, saying “You of little faith!” How much more will He clothe us! So, He commands not to set our heart on what we will eat or drink and not to worry about it. Because the pagan world runs after all such things, our Father knows that we need them. Therefore, we shall seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to us as well. Matthew adds to seek His kingdom His righteousness.

The pagan world indicates the realm that is far away from God. The people were called uncircumcised and had no access near to God at all. It is under total blackness and darkness, spiritually dead and totally confused. They are running after all what to eat or drink and what to wear. Apostle Paul describes the conditions of the pagans in the Epistle of Ephesians.

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:11-12)

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 5:3-6)

The amazing statement of the description of the states of the pagans is that they do not inherit the kingdom of God by any degree. They have no part with the kingdom and rather far away from it. Such a person has been described this way:

Into this world,
To eat and to sleep
And to know no reason
Why he was born,
Save to consume the corn,
Devour the cattle, flock, and fish,
And leave behind an empty dish.

All of us once were in such a condition of darkness and confusion, but God has cleansed and washed away by the blood of Christ Jesus, and made alive with Him for good works prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).  

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” (Ephesians 5:8-12)

We need to eat for sustaining life and to clothe for splendor. But Jesus says life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Food and clothes are temporal, deteriorating, and disappearing. They are made for this earthly life and body, not for the eternal life and body. Therefore, we shall seek His kingdom and His righteousness first.

What does it mean to seek His kingdom first? The word ‘first’ indicates that we still need to eat and to clothe. It cannot be cancelled out in the name of seeking the kingdom. But first seek God’s invisible kingdom and His righteousness. Firstly, it means that we shall be aware of the existence of the kingdom of God though invisible. What is seen is simply the reflection of what is unseen. God is invisible and no one has seen God except the Son of Man. The Scripture says that through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3).

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

The kingdom of God never indicates some far away remote place in space. It is rather an invisible realm where God reigns and governs. It is in our thought world and mind. Hebrews made a clear statement regarding the kingdom of God. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Then, we shall experience all things are ours in Christ Jesus. We have been made alive in Christ and so we belong to the kingdom of light, bearing the fruit of light, all goodness, righteousness, and truth. The children of light shall bring forth fruits, love, joy, and peace in the midst of turbulent and bumpy lives.

So, the logical conclusive admonition to the children of light shall be “Do not be afraid,” as our Lord Jesus says.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:32-34)

What a tender word it is, “little flock!” Our Father is pleased to give us the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. What does it mean? Buy the opportunities that our Father in heaven release in our midst and obey Him by faith. That’s how we ought to lay up the treasures in heaven which will not perish or wear out. They never fail us because no thief can reach near and no moth destroy. We cannot serve two masters, God and Mammon.

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)