Living Today 9/5/43

Scripture: Matthew 6: 22-34

Text: Matthew 6: 34 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

Someone remarked the other day that it is almost unbelievable that the summer is nearly gone. The pressure of great events, calling for intensified work, restricted travel, growing and canning of food, and numerous other activities and considerations, keeps our mind on matters at hand so well that we hardly heed the passing of time. And the children are starting in the next grade in school; vacations are over; a busy year is in prospect. (Incidentally, I may say that I had a happy and most restful vacation. I believe Mr. Green did too. And I hope many of you enjoyed a refreshing rest or change from the routine of your occupations, some time during the summer.)

Now, at this first service of the fall, back in our own church home, I propose that we think for a little while just now about “Living Today.”

First, I want to utter this reminder: nothing new, but something each of us needs to have told to us now and again. We have to live only one day at a time. Today is the day that counts. If it is our rest day let it fulfill its purpose for us. If it is our busy day let it be filled with the work that we can do according to our capacity. But we do not have to live all of the tomorrows today. Neither must we live all of the yesterdays today.

We can find only misery in anticipating all of the possible miseries of days to come. It is better to cross our bridges when we get to them than to worry long miles away in fear that the bridges may be washed out. I had a lovable grandmother who never conquered some of her worries. I have seen her get into an automobile and then work herself into a fright, worrying over whether my father could get the car stopped or whether the brakes would hold when we should draw near the crossing where a freight train was passing a half mile away.

Recently our little state paper, “The Wisconsin Congregational Church Life,” quoted this sentence: “Never cross a bridge until you get to it, and then if the bridge is washed away, swim across.” Are you ever afraid of disaster or death on some tomorrow for yourself or a loved one? One of the great sentences of literature is this: “The valiant never taste of death but once.” To the truly valiant, death is never tomorrow. It is only a moment in some today that will be sufficient for itself, as each one of us come to it.

A man I know, with a wife, whom he married more than six years ago, and a little son just over a year old, has been inclined to worry over what he should do about his family, if the time comes when our government should need him, and take him into the armed services. He knows that that time may come and that he is probably fitted to serve when needed. But he has worried a good deal over his wife and child. The last time I heard him mention the matter, in answer to a question from me, he said, in effect, “My wife and I are not worrying now about the matter. We’ve thought it over from many angles, and have even drawn a few tentative plans. We live in uncertainty from month to month. But we’ve decided that worry is useless. We’re going to enjoy our son, and each other, day by day. When tomorrow comes it will only be another today and we can deal with it then.”

There is a verse which I read in this morning’s scripture lesson which is worth some careful consideration. For it can be confusing. The Bible is not all easy reading. Sometimes it is very hard. But with an inquiring mind and a receptive heart it is always rewarding. Here is the verse: “Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

At first reading of the verse, that seems to be a command to irresponsible, thoughtless living. It doesn’t appeal to the man who has struggled through years to build up a good business, who has been appointed to the planning commission of his city and who has just taken out another life insurance policy. What is life for him except planning for tomorrow?

If we don’t plan our lives carefully, we will certainly run into trouble. We don’t need to consult General Eisenhower to find that out! If I spend all of my monthly salary check within the next five days after I receive it, it doesn’t take Solomon’s wisdom to know that I’ll be having trouble over my credit before long. The hard working, and the prudent, rightly frown on the ways of those who live heedlessly and only for the pleasure of the moment.

Really, one of the ideas we have tried hard to inculcate in each generation is that of planning for the future. We believe in vocational guidance for people in planning their careers. Many of us believe that young folk must plan carefully for successful marriage, know its responsibilities and study its arts. Our nation has committed itself to a policy of social security, rather than leaving future old age to the evils and possible pauperism of the day when it comes. Our motto seems to be “Take a good deal of thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow will not take thought for itself.” And this seems exactly opposite from Jesus’ teaching in the verse we are considering.

There have been conscientious scholars who, conscious of this contradiction, have sought to remove the sentence from the scriptural record. Of course they have not wanted the publisher to just delete that verse from the page of some new Bible. But they have tried to explain it away. They call attention to the fact that it appears in only one of the Gospel accounts - Matthew; that both Matthew and Luke recount well authenticated utterances of Christ about “birds of the air” and “lilies of the field,” both ending with “seek ye first his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.” Then Matthew goes on to add, “Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow takes thought for itself.” Luke does not add the saying, and Mark does not record the entire discourse.

So the scholars of this type of thought argue that this is clearly “tacked onto” Jesus’ discourse by one writer; that it should never have been there at all; and that it should be disregarded. Well, I think we can credit such scholars with earnestness. (At least they are a big step ahead of those who won’t even bother to read it!) But this method of dealing with certain portions of the Bible is not conclusive - and it is exceedingly dangerous for us to use!

For if you and I can so easily lay aside one sentence, what is to prevent us from laying aside other sentences that bring us up short? We could continue the process until there might be almost nothing left.

We had better not let ourselves off so easy! It is better to look the sentence squarely in the eye, than to say, “O well, it isn’t there, you know.” How shall we view it then? Perhaps looking at it from a slightly different angle will help. Here, for instance, is a different translation of the sentence which makes it read, “Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself.” That does help a little. The word “anxious” suggest that we are not to be worrying or fearful over the future. The worries of each tomorrow will be sufficient unto themselves, without our trying to magnify them ahead of time, or anticipate them. But there is still more to be dug out of this verse’s meaning.

Let us start again by describing in more detail the concept with which most of us think we are familiar - the one which seems opposite to Jesus’ saying - “Take thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow will not take thought for itself.”

A. Here is a certain church, let us say, in a small but steadily growing community. It is at first a small, poor, struggling affair, finding its expression in a few sincere and determined souls. It has a tiny building and little equipment. Perhaps its minister could have done with more training. But there are new people moving to the community. Wise people believe that the community will expand.

The little church’s members begin to think and plan for the future. And slowly there grows before their minds a picture of what the church is to become. They see many more people coming into its membership and attending its worship. They see a larger, modern Sunday School. They see a better building. They see a well trained, prominent man preaching from their pulpit.

As days go by their dreams begin to take shape. Members discuss them and work out ways in which they may become fact. They organize themselves. They call on all newcomers. They strengthen the Sunday School, and modernize it. They purchase a moderately large plot of ground in a strategic location, and launch a building project to meet their growing needs. Finally all that they have dreamed is in their hands.

Note that the whole effort is undergirded with scriptural injunctions and approval. They have (1) gone out to bring others in; they have (2) provided a suitable place of worship; (3) they have established the best they knew for their Lord; (4) they have cared for the training of their children; (5) they have, with foresight and planning, established an excellent church “for the Glory of God.”

B. The same kind of procedure may be followed by a young man in his own personal life. Here he is talking with a high school counselor. The counselor asks about the young man’s hopes for the future and the young man names the occupation or profession he wishes to enter. So the counselor helps him to map out the preparation he needs, tells him about the universities where he can secure the kind of training he needs, adds other practical advice.

The young man starts out. From that moment his life is shaped to the dream of his career. Much of what he does, and how he does it, is determined henceforth by that dream. It keeps him at long and earnest hours of work. His preoccupation with it keeps him away from time-consuming, expensive pastimes. It controls his basic choices. And presumably he enters that career for which he has prepared.

These are illustrations of living by taking thought for the morrow. They represent the idea under which we believe we operate.

Now notice two things about the idea. (1) First of all, this idea can operate only when society and circumstances move “according to plan.” Every person here knows that war has completely upset the thought which millions of young men and women had taken for their tomorrow. A miscalculation or an unforeseen circumstance affecting the prosperity of the little community could have thwarted completely the plans of that little church. The fact is that the rule of “thought for the morrow” does not hold all the time and hence is not a true law of life.

(2) Note in the second place what may, and often does, happen to the character of the man who holds it, or the institution that works by it. Where does he get his purposes, his ambitions, his notions and attitudes? Does he not get them from his dream? If he becomes brilliant in his profession, but cold and uncaring in his human relationships, is it not because he is determined to realize his dream above all else? Is the ambitious church not apt to judge its self and its success by its property, its membership roll, its power of attraction? Where is God in all this? What the man is in danger of doing, is making his dream his god. He gives it his allegiance and his life even unto the renouncing of the God and Father of Jesus Christ.

Now, for just one more moment, let us look again, seriously, at this New Testament teaching “take no thought for the morrow.” Perhaps there is something more in it after all. Remember first that Jesus’ teachings are spiritual, directed to spiritual living. Remember also that the end and aim of man’s life are “eternal life.”

Christian life is a life of decision. There is an aspect of it which is once and for all decision, when one sets his course to live by the spirit of Jesus Christ; in other words when he becomes a Christian. But in the sense we are studying this morning, Christian life is a matter of day-by-day decision. For a thoughtful Christian, every decision has crucial importance, for every decision involves his allegiance to God Almighty. Christian living is a matter of immediacy. Every day, and every hour, has its importance. Not one duty can be passed over lightly or heedlessly. In each one, God waits for man’s choice.

Furthermore, today is the time when you and I live. Eternity is right here. At this moment, the “now” of every moment of experience, man’s life and eternity come together. Eternity isn’t a relationship of “present” differentiated from “future.” It is a moment, “now,” already in eternal setting. A Christian man may wisely take what he supposes to be the probable future into his consideration. He may even weigh it with great care. But the supremely important matter is what he does, how he live right now; today.

It seems to me that the phrase “take no thought for the morrow” is simply meant, by its negative phraseology, to lead us to the simple obligation “take thought for today.” Take thought for this moment of your life. Live it for eternity here and now. In each day, in the decisions we make now, you and I work out the salvation which God has offered us.

Has the love of God for us awakened a response of love in us? Then that response must show itself in every moment, as we deal with other people, and with the enterprises which have been placed in our hands.

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Dates and places delivered:

Wisconsin Rapids, September 5, 1943