Luke 12:22-31

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Do not be anxious about your life. Can any of you, by worrying about it, add a single moment to the length of your life? If such a small thing is beyond your power, why worry about the rest?"

This teaching is in both the gospel of Matthew (6:25-34) and the gospel of Luke. The only difference is the "put down" of Gentiles in Matthew 6:32 for seeking food, drink and clothes, which does not appear in the gospel of Luke. This is evidence that the gospel of Luke was written for churches with Gentile Christian readers, whereas the gospel of Matthew was written for a Jewish Christian congregation.

In this passage Jesus is teaching his disciples to seek the kingdom of God and to trust in God for everything else. These are not simply words spoken in the past, but advice being read in the early church by its leaders and their followers (and by us, as well, today).

Are we to understand these words literally to mean that if we are hungry and have faith, God will give us food? And that, if we are thirsty and have faith, God will give us water? Or, should we understand this passage to mean that Christians, who have food and water, should share what they have with all those seeking the kingdom of God, particularly those who are devoting themselves to the leadership of the church? Which of these "interpretations" of this passage makes the most sense to you?

Grace and peace...Bob