There is a huge sycamore tree in our front yard that has a hole high up in the trunk where two large branches converge. We have a great view of that tree from our living room window. Often I have sat there, transfixed and amused by the carryings on of the many squirrels who live in our yard. That hole in the trunk is a popular destination, and, on any given day, squirrels can be seen carrying dried leaves and twigs into it, making a nest that must be comfy and warm. I have even seen birds and squirrels vie for the spot: when one leaves to get more fluff for the nest, the other quickly reclaims the hole. Possession seems to last until the latest resident has to leave and the other comes back. I once observed a squirrel carrying a load of leaves in its mouth that was too wide to get through the entrance to the nest. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter, the squirrel went back down the tree, returning a moment later with a more manageable load and was able to successfully navigate the entrance. The squirrels seem patient and even cheerful as they do their work, day after day. I have often wondered if they have bad days and moody times. They just seem to carry on, regardless of weather or circumstance. They really are quite miraculous creatures.
Jesus' remarks about the lilies of the field are among the most beautiful and imaginative in all of the gospels, in this writer's opinion. There is a majesty in the text that paints the most vivid pictures to underscore the meaning of the words. In our twenty-first century lifestyles of comfort and abundance, it may be difficult to capture the original intent of the words that Jesus spoke in their context. Most of the people in Jesus' time and place were desperately poor, and survival was very much a day to day operation. Many people tried to scratch out a living by working in the soil, or by fishing. The lilies of the field image was directed to the farmers in his midst. He reminds them that, though their lives are tied to the soil and to the creatures who also get their food from it, they are not called to become actual lilies or birds. The ultimate meaning of their lives is not defined by the soil in which they work, but is rooted in God's providential care for all creatures. The birds of the air, the flowers in the meadow, the men and women who struggle to subsist on the barest of essentials: all of these are under the providential care of God. The text reminds its readers that, though the needs of men and women are greater than those of plants and animals, God's love and sustaining care are adequate for the survival of all.
If our lives are to have true meaning, then they must serve something outside of ourselves. If a man or woman farms, and cares only about the actual work of farming, for example, he or she makes an idol of work. In addition, such a person may also begin to covet those things which he or she does not have because the financial resources are so limited. The rich may idolize the possessions which they have accumulated, and the poor may come to idolize those things which they do not possess. In either case, there is an insecurity born of a lack of trust. Do we really trust God for our immediate, as well as our ultimate survival? Can we find the confidence to state honestly that we believe that God does care for us? The answer to that question may sound very different coming from someone who has a good job and adequate shelter over against someone who is wandering the streets. But Jesus' message is clear: those who would call themselves his followers must possess the inner peace and fortitude to believe that their lives cannot fall out of the realm of God's loving care. We can have lengthy discussions about how that care is best demonstrated, and about what happens to our perceptions of that care when tragedy strikes, jobs are lost and dreams are shattered. But before we can move on to discuss those larger issues, we must be able to discern for ourselves if we really believe what Jesus says in this passage. To what extent do we really believe that God cares for us?
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