We come face to face with a choice between God and earthly wealth. To serve God, we need to love him above all things. The rival master can be anyone or anything; the example given is mammon, a Semitic word for money or riches. St Gregory of Nyssa said that it was a Canaanite god of riches. We can see the challenge as worship either of God or of some other god. Our ultimate loyalty should be to God, and this is impossible if we serve money in the way that a slave serves his master. It is this service of money, not the possession of it, that is wrong. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian sentenced to death for opposing the Nazis, put the choice well: 'Our hearts have room for only one all-embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord.' In the rest of today's Gospel, the theme is worry and anxiety. The Greek verb in 'do not be anxious' (v. 25) is merimnate, used also in Philippians 4:6, 'Have no anxiety about anything'. God gave us life and our body, so he will give us the lesser gifts of food and clothing, and therefore anxiety is unnecessary.

Jesus identified the human tendency to worry and anxiety, which robs us of the peace of Christ. The basis of our anxiety is that we lack faith. Jesus' teaching here gives us several reasons why we should not worry. It is to miss the point of life, which is far more important than such things as food, drink and clothing. It makes little sense — if God feeds the birds, surely he will not let us go hungry — and is a waste of time because it will never lengthen our lives. Indeed, worry can make us ill, shortening our lives. By worrying, we become like unbelievers, seeking material things. God knows our needs, so apprehension is unnecessary. There are enough problems today without worrying about tomorrow! The answer to worry is to 'seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness' (v. 33). We need to change our priorities and seek to uphold God's standards. Through God's grace we can grow in our understanding of his love and become more conscious that he cares for us.

'Lord, help me to remember that if you feed the birds and cover the fields

with beautiful flowers, you are certainly always going to take care of me’

WHY JESUS?

Can Jesus bring meaning to life?

Jesus Christ spoke of life being full of meaning and purpose. He said that we are important to God, and our meaning in life can only be fulfilled by a relationship with our Creator. However, many think that Jesus Christ wants us to become religious. They think Jesus came to take all the fun out of life, and give us impossible rules to live by. They are willing to call him a great leader from the past, but say he is not relevant to their lives today.

One of my companions thought that Jesus was just another religious leader who set up impossible rules to live by. He thought Jesus was totally irrelevant to his life. Then one day at a student union lunch table he sat next to a vibrant young coed with a radiant smile. Intrigued, he asked her why she was so happy. Her immediate reply was, “Jesus Christ!” Jesus Christ? he bristled, firing back: “Oh, for God’s sake, don’t give me that garbage. I’m fed up with religion; I’m fed up with the church; I’m fed up with the Bible. Don’t give me that garbage about religion. ”But the unfazed young coed calmly informed him, “Mister, I didn’t say religion, I said Jesus Christ.”he was stunned. He had never considered Jesus more than a religious figure, and didn't want any part of religious hypocrisy. Yet here was this joyful Christian woman talking about Jesus as someone who had brought meaning to her life. Jesus Christ claimed to answer all the deep questions about our existence. At one time or another, many of us question what life is all about. Have you ever gazed up at the stars on a pitch-black evening and wondered who put them there? Or have you ever seen a sunset and thought about life’s biggest questions:

• “Who am I?”
• “Why am I here?” 
• “Where am I going after I die?”

Although other philosophers and religious leaders have offered their answers to the meaning of life, only Jesus Christ proved his credentials by rising from the dead. Skeptics like my friend who originally scoffed at Jesus’ resurrection, have discovered that there is compelling evidence that it really occurred.

If we take his words seriously, Jesus offers life with real meaning. He said that life is much more than making money, having fun, being successful, and then ending up in a graveyard. Yet, many people still making an attempt to find meaning in fame and success, even those who have already made it to the mountaintop.