The Need We Need

If there was one thing you feel you need right now in your life more than anything else, what would that one thing be?

A new phone?

A new house?

A reliable car?

Or reliable friends?

Is your greatest need right now the need for more confidence at your job? Or more money from your job?

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist from the 20th century who argued that all human needs could be ordered into a hierarchy – each need building upon a previous, lesser need being met. The gist of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was that, in order for us to meet our higher needs (needs like self-esteem, respect from others, accomplishment, and self-actualization), our lesser, more basic needs need to be met first – needs like sleep, breathing, water, and food.

Maslow’s theory was that, if we fail to meet even our most basic, fundamental needs, our perceived highest needs won’t be met either.

And then there’s Jesus, who, in Luke 12, lays out a radically different ‘hierarchy’ of needs; and in his hierarchy of needs, Jesus argues there’s not only a need we need that’s beyond our perceived highest need, but that same need is a need far more foundational than our need for food and clothes.

Our Higher, More Foundational Need

Jesus had just shared a short story to illustrate how existentially foolish it is for a person to define themselves by the abundance of their possessions.

He tells a parable about a man who was undeniably rich – a man who had invested his security, his peace, his comfort, happiness, and joy in his stuff – a man who defined himself by his accomplishments and accumulated treasures. This man had amassed so much wealth, he estimated that he would never be in need again.

And yet, in spite of everything he had, this man ironically had a need even higher than his need for praise and recognition; he had a need far more foundational than the need to eat every day.

Sure, in the world’s economy, he was quintessentially rich; but in God’s economy, this man was bankrupt – and God had now come to collect. On the day this man’s life suddenly ended, God wouldn’t define him with all the prestigious titles the world gave him for his wealth. God defines him as he would anyone who invests eternal value in temporary treasures – who stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God: God defines him as a ‘fool’.

This man had foolishly trusted his wealth to free him from a life of worry – but as he stands empty-handed before his God and Creator, he had a lot to worry about.

It’s in the immediate context of that parable that Jesus says 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.” There’s more to our lives than worrying about making money, paying bills, filling our fridge, or working overtime. A person’s life before God is neither defined by the lack of nor the abundance of their material possessions – just as the worth of a person in the eyes of God isn’t defined by the food and clothes they do or don’t have. You are valuable and precious to God, and for that reason Jesus says to you, “Do not worry about anything.”

Consider the Birds and Flowers…

To drive this point home, Jesus asks his disciples to think about two pictures: the life of ravens and the life of plants. Ravens, for instance, don’t get up every morning and stress out about whether they’ll find food. They don’t fill their wings with seed and sow it into the earth, they don’t harvest it when the time comes, nor do they frantically build barns to stockpile any food they find, either.

They don’t stress out about what they will eat – and yet, God feeds them.

And then you have the flowers of the field. They grow – and not because they toil and labor at their 9 to 5 6 days a week. They don’t work at all – and yet, not even [King] Solomon in all his [wealth and] splendor was dressed [as beautifully] as one of these [flowers].

Notice, the common thread that runs through both pictures isn’t worry: the common thread is that both ravens and flowers are valuable to their Creator; the common thread is that the needs of both ravens and flowers are met by God.

And if God cares for grungy birds that dine on carrion, if God cares for the grass of the field which is here today, and tomorrow [withers, dies, and] is thrown into the fire, how much more valuable are you than they?

So, Why Do We Worry?

Jesus’ message is simple: we don’t need to worry about anything. After all, what does all that worrying even accomplish? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

Modern studies on ‘worry’ back Jesus up on this, and show that excessive worrying can actually cause health complications – and even shorten your life! But before you start worrying about how much you’re worrying, can you see what Jesus is saying? He isn’t just saying that worrying is unproductive or unhealthy – though both are true; Jesus is saying that our worrying is completely unnecessary. Notice, the birds of the air and the flowers of the field – neither of them worry, and their needs are still met. The ‘condition’ of their needs being met isn’t their worry – but God’s grace.

The thought that ravens and flowers worry about whether they’ll be clothed or fed is ridiculous, isn’t it? But that’s exactly Jesus’ point: it’s just as ridiculous when we worry about whether we’ll be clothed or fed.

But we can’t end the sermon there, can we? The main point of Jesus’ message might be simple, there is nothing simple about Jesus’ command, “Do not worry.” Why is that? If, according to Jesus, worrying about our ‘needs’ is unhealthy, unproductive, and unnecessary, then why do we still worry?

The Heart Beneath Our Worry

Well, what does it actually mean “to worry”? We often define worry physiologically – the racing of our heartbeat, a state of restlessness and fatigue; we define ‘worry’ as a feeling of fear, concern, or anxiety that viscerally disrupts our relaxation and peace of mind.

And while that’s certainly true, worry is far more than just biology. After all, Jesus isn’t going after the biology behind our worry; Jesus isn’t downplaying the importance of eating healthy, exercising, or getting a good night’s sleep; Jesus isn’t denouncing the use of modern medicine, nor is he dissuading anyone from seeking professional help should their anxiety get out of hand.

Jesus is challenging the heart beneath our worry.

Because, whether we realize it or not, worry is far more than ruminating about impending dangers or anticipated problems.

‘Worry’ isn’t just a fear that what we feel we need most will not be met.

‘Worry’ is a is a subtle assertion that we’re on our own, that we have to fend for ourselves, that God either isn’t involved or isn’t invested in his creation, that God can’t meet any of our needs. Instead of casting our worries onto God, we hang on to our worry – convinced we have to save ourselves.

Worry Reveals Our Idols

A pastor once said that, “If your heart is full of worry, you’re worshipping the wrong God.” That gets at the heart of our worry, doesn’t it? Because at the heart of all our worrying is idolatry.

Don’t believe me?

Well, what are the things that you worry about most? What things keep you up at night? What causes you to lose sleep? What needs do you feel you need more than anything else in the world? Maybe the ‘need’ you feel you need most is material stuff, like food, clothes, and money.

But you and I both know that not all our needs are material needs. Maybe the ‘need’ you worry about constantly is professional – pertaining to your job or vocations: you need to be successful; you need to make your family proud; you need to get that promotion; you need recognition from your peers; you need people to see all the hard work that you do; you need your coworkers to cut you a little more slack.

Maybe you feel the ‘needs’ you ‘need’ most are relational: you need to be liked; you need to be loved; you need to be valued; you need to be respected; you need to be appreciated. You see, a heart that worries about all these perceived ‘needs’ is a heart that loves and trusts in these things over God.

Christ Meets Our Needs

The Christian author, C.S. Lewis, once wrote, “Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth, and you get neither.”

That Jesus calls us to seek first his kingdom is his invitation to see the world through a greater hierarchy of needs. But notice, the kingdom that we are called to “seek” is the same kingdom our God has already been pleased to give us! Jesus is drawing our attention to a need that everyone in this world desperately has – a need that this material world can never meet.

It’s a need that is beyond our perceived highest needs, and yet it’s a need far more foundational than even our need for food and clothes.

But do not worry; that need has been eternally met in Jesus.

Whether you consider yourself rich or poor, we all needed a right relationship with God. And because of our idolatry and seeking the world’s wealth instead of his kingdom, God could rightly call us a ‘fool’, too. But God wouldn’t leave us spiritually bankrupt before him; our God, who is rich in love, would come to right the ledger – and he would do that with the divine currency of his own blood.

Where we would value earthly blessings more than the Blesser, the Son of God denied the wealth of this world and became poor – so that through his poverty we would be rich towards God. When neither our gold nor silver could buy our way into good standing with God, God would by giving his body and blood into death; the Son of God would take our debt onto himself and, in exchange, clothe us with the richness of his righteousness. Christ would leave the mansions of heaven for a time so you would be able to call them your home for an eternity! And that Christ rose from the dead assures us of the treasures of heaven to come.

You, in Christ, have a clean slate. Your debt has forever been paid. Your greatest need has been met eternally in Christ.

Why would God go to such great lengths to redeem you from sin, death, and hell and rescue you from the shackles of your worries? You are his treasure. You are not defined by the treasures that are here today and gone tomorrow. You are defined by Jesus – and who he has declared you to be: God’s dearly beloved child!

And if that is the length your God would go to meet your highest, most foundational need, you don’t need to worry: God will meet your lesser needs, too!

If God is your shepherd, then you are free from all your fear and anxiety.

If God is my Savior, I’m free from the dread of guilt and shame.

If Christ is my Rescuer, then I’m free from the worry of where I’ll spend eternity.

If God is both my friend and my brother, then what can man do to me?

If God is my Father, I’m free from worrying about whether I’ll have what I need for today and tomorrow.

So, don’t be afraid, little flock. God cares for birds and plants. Your God most certainly cares for you! He will always meet the needs we need.