Take no thought for your life...

"If I didn't think about money, I'd go broke."

a parishioner

How should we read Jesus' command to not care about food and clothing? Should we, as one of my parishioners suggested, ignore it as impossibly idealistic? Some scholars dismiss it as only appropriate within an apocalyptic world-view: Jesus expected the current world to end soon, and thus calls his disciples to ignore all physical cares and trust in God in the new world to come. The Jerusalem Church followed his instruction, and when the End did not come, Paul had the Asian churches bail out Jerusalem. Shouldn't we be a bit more practical about money?

Wesley is one of many who read Jesus as forbidding anxiety, while allowing care and labor:

Our Lord does not here require, that we should be utterly without thought, even touching the concerns of this life. A giddy, careless temper is at the farthest remove from the whole religion of Jesus Christ. Neither does he require us to be "slothful in business," to be slack and dilatory therein. This, likewise, is contrary to the whole spirit and genius of his religion. A Christian abhors sloth as much as drunkenness; and flees from idleness as he does from adultery. He well knows, that there is one kind of thought and care with which God is well pleased; which is absolutely needful for the due performance of those outward works unto which the providence of God has called him.  (Sermon 29)

Indeed, living simply requires that we both have a source of income and that we spend within that income. Jesus' command to "take no thought for your life" (Mt 6:25, KJV) can be translated "do not worry about your life" (NRSV). Wesley doesn't view these words as addressed to the church at large, but to individuals - and, as words of our Lord, he sees them as both promise and command:

[Jesus] forbids only that care which poisons the blessings of to-day, by fear of what may be to-morrow; which cannot enjoy the present plenty, through apprehensions of future want. This care is not only a sore disease, a grievous sickness of soul, but also an heinous offence against God, a sin of the deepest dye. It is a high affront to the gracious Governor and wise Disposer of all things; necessarily implying, that the great Judge does not do right; that he does not order all things well. It plainly implies, that he is wanting, either in wisdom, if he does not know what things we stand in need of; or in goodness, if he does not provide those things for all who put their trust in him. Beware, therefore, that you take not thought in this sense: Be ye anxiously careful for nothing.  (Sermon 29)

Wesley's view has been the common one throughout most of Christian history. We are not to worry about food or clothing; Jesus has commanded it, and claimed that God will care for his faithful children.* But this view has not stopped Christians from worrying throughout the ages.

What do you think?
Is Wesley correct in his reading? He seems to imply that the "gracious Governor and wise Disposer" will arrange things so that each individual will have what they need. Does this take place in your experience?

*The short passage we're considering (Matthew 6:25-30) does not mention any restrictions on those who will be cared for, but it does begin with a "therefore." We'll look at the preceding verses in a future week.