What are the reasons Jesus gave for why we should not worry?
Luke 12:22-31 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
- The things in life we worry about are usually not the most important issues. We worry about clothes when the body is more important than clothes.
- God loves us and will provide for us. We are more important to him than the ravens, whom he feeds, and the lilies of the field, whom he clothes.
- Worrying does not change anything. We can’t add a single hour to our life by worrying.
- Worrying is a trademark of those who do not know God. We who know God should not have to worry.
- Worrying reveals our lack of faith.
- When we seek after the kingdom of God, He will grant us all our needs without having us to worry about them.
Instead of worrying, just bring your petitions to God and surrender the matter to Him. Trust Him to take care of your needs.
Jesus tells us to watch over temptation as it will cause us to stumble. What are some practical ways to win over temptation?
Luke 17:1-3 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.
- Know the Bible well. We won’t be able to avoid sin if we don’t know what God considers as sinful. In our world today, many areas have become grey and people do as they please without regard for what is right or wrong in God’s eyes.
Ps 119:911 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV)
- Pray that we will have the strength to combat temptation.
Luke 11:1-4 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
- Flee from tempting situations. One sure way to avoid falling into temptation is simply to avoid it. Joseph physically ran away from the danger zone. Had he stayed back, he may not have been able to stop her advances. We can learn to do the same. We can avoid magazines and movies that stir up sexual thoughts. We can avoid going out with friends that encourage us to sin.
Gen 39:11-12 One day, however, no one else was around when he was doing his work inside the house. She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, “Sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house.
- Remember God’s goodness. We have to realize that sin hurts God because God loves us and knows that sin is doing us damage. Do we want to hurt the God who loves us and has redeemed us? The next time we are tempted to sin, contemplate on the good that you have received from God and determine not to hurt God by your sin.
(Eph 4:30-31 NIV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. {31} Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
- Understand the consequences of sin. While God has saved us from eternal punishment of sin, there are temporal consequences we have to deal with when we sin. For example, a person who indulges in sexual sin opens himself to sexually-transmitted diseases etc. A person who breaks the law will be punished by the law. God allows us to go through these punishments because He loves us and they are necessary deterrents to sin.
Jesus taught us to store up treasures in heaven. How do we go about doing this?
Luke 12:32-34 My little group of disciples, don’t be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
- Give to God and worthy causes
The verse above tells us that if we give to the poor, we are laying for ourselves treasures in heaven.
In another passage, Jesus commended the poor widow for giving sacrificially to God’s house.
Luke 24:1-4 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
- Serve others
Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Jesus healed a woman who was crippled due to demonic bondage? Do all illnesses have spiritual roots? If not, what are the other reasons why people have illnesses.
Luke 13:10-17 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
There are several reasons why people have illnesses.
- Spiritual – satan and his demons can afflict human beings with diseases.
- Sin – Paul talks about those who partake of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner leading some to fall sick and even die.
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
- To fulfil God’s purpose
John 9:1-3 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
- Natural reasons – There were occasions when Paul did not make any references to spiritual reasons for sins but instead recommended natural means to get well.
1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
What are we to do when we fall sick?
- Seek God for healing
Many people in the Bible sought help directly from Jesus to heal them.
Paul also besought the Lord for healing and the answer given by God was “No”. God wanted Paul to learn the sufficiency of His grace. We don’t know whether God will grant us the healing or not so we need to just go ahead and ask.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
- Ask our spiritual leaders to pray for us
James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.
- Confess any known sin – Since sin can be a cause for illness, we should first examine ourselves to see if there is any unconfessed sin in our lives.
- Seek medical help or natural remedies
Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
Some people have the view that Christians should never go to a doctor. I disagree. Jesus said that those who are healthy don’t need a doctor. This is tantamount to saying that those who are sick do need a physician.
As earlier indicated, sometimes natural remedies can be used when our illness is not severe, like when Paul recommended Timothy to drink a little wine to help cure his stomach illness.
When the ruler called Jesus “Good teacher”, why did Jesus ask the question: “Why do you call me good?”
Luke 18:18-27 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
Jesus told him that no one is good except God. Therefore Jesus is challenging him, “Do you really believe that I am God?”
When the man asked what he has to do to receive salvation, Jesus told him that he has to keep all the commandments. Can obeying God’s commandments will save us?
Yes, obeying all of God’s commandments can save us. But the problem is that no one can obey all of God’s commandments.
Was the rich man able to obey everything God requires of us and thereby gain salvation?
He thought that he could but when Jesus asked him to do one more thing, he could not. That is why the people later asked Jesus how then man can be saved, Jesus said it is impossible with man.
If salvation is impossible with man, how then can man be saved?
Salvation is impossible with man’s own effort. However, it is possible with God because God provided a way for us to be saved, through Jesus Christ.