St Matthew does not tell us what it was the disciples of Jesus were worried about. So we can begin our thinking this morning by taking a close look at the items listed by Jesus.

The first items are food and drink. Then there is clothing. And then there is Tomorrow!

The list looks rather like the things with which the Journalists like to worry us every day as they read out the News:

The Cost of Living,

following the latest trends in fashion, and

every possible worry about Tomorrow.

When it comes to thinking about Tomorrow, there is always something about which our human nature is able to Worry.

On its own the advice “Don’t worry” is not going to address our anxieties about what the future may hold for us. If we are anxious then we are going to worry anyway. The difference to which Jesus directs us is to build on our relationship with God. The point Jesus makes is that God is the future for us. We can look to the past and see how God has supported us over the years. As we sit here we know in the present that God is with us. Anxiety about the future doesn’t arise, because whatever will happen God remains with us. God is our life; God is in control. God is not anxious; God is love and we can meet the future secure in the knowledge that God is with us in every circumstance and however things work out in the future. This faith in God provides us with the best antidote to Worry – Hope!

Which brings us neatly to what St Paul writes about in his letter to the Romans – “…in hope we were saved”.

Hope is not something we acquire. Hope is built into the fabric of our DNA. Modern research on the nature of hope has revealed that deep down in our being, every one of us has a resilient belief that, one day, our dreams, our hopes and visions will become reality. To activate this built-in Hope requires us to have faith in something or someone outside of ourselves.

St Paul identified that this something is faith in the glory of God, who promises to transform for the better our world and our life in the world.

For us to build up Hope in a better future we are not expected to wait and see. We need to develop positive relationships with other people and share our hopes; we need to take every opportunity to improve life for people around us to show that our hopes in a better life are possible; we must learn how to cope with disappointments and failures so that our Hope is undiminished; and we must keep in daily contact with God in prayer to renew our hope. In the words of Jesus, this is to strive first for the kingdom of God. On this foundation our Hope for a better future will continue to grow.

What St Paul recognised in his letter, is that our world is seemingly always in a crisis. The whole of creation is groaning he states. And we, living amongst all this chaos and trying to live the life of the risen Christ, long for things to be better than this.

St Paul encourages us to have the patience to dig deep inside ourselves and hope in God for the better future promised in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus encourages us not to spend our time in Worry about Tomorrow; tomorrow will only have yet another set of things to add to our worries. Instead, we are advised to strive first for the kingdom of God.

The bottom line is this: there is no need to Worry about tomorrow because it is possible to Hope for a better future.

In the name of the risen Christ let’s live that better future in Hope today.

The Revd Malcolm France