Be Simply: Do Not Worry: Matthew 6:25-34

[sealchan]

Jesus teaches that we are not to worry about food and clothing, they will come. Are we not more than the food and the clothing we need? Focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness. Focus on today and not tomorrow.

These are my questions:

• Does Jesus teach non-attachment as in the Bhagavad Gita?
• Are the Beatitudes the way to focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness?
• Is Voluntary Simplicity or Simple Living in line with this teaching?
• Does this attitude encourage the many to be sheep so that a few can be wolves?

 

[Regiomontanus]

Jesus teaches that we are not to worry about food and clothing, they will come. Are we not more than the food and the clothing we need? Focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness. Focus on today and not tomorrow.

These are my questions:

• Does Jesus teach non-attachment as in the Bhagavad Gita?
• Are the Beatitudes the way to focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness?
• Is Voluntary Simplicity or Simple Living in line with this teaching?
• Does this attitude encourage the many to be sheep so that a few can be wolves?

Great questions. On the first three, yes I think so. That is one reason I am a socialist btw. As to the fourth point, that may, unfortunately be so. I mean look at how the 'might is right' mentality dominates so much political relations today.

 

[Nakosis]

Jesus teaches that we are not to worry about food and clothing, they will come. Are we not more than the food and the clothing we need? Focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness. Focus on today and not tomorrow.

These are my questions:

• Does Jesus teach non-attachment as in the Bhagavad Gita?
• Are the Beatitudes the way to focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness?
• Is Voluntary Simplicity or Simple Living in line with this teaching?
• Does this attitude encourage the many to be sheep so that a few can be wolves?

I sometimes wish I could live like that, but I suspect the wolves would eat me if I did.

To live like that would take more faith than I have.

 

[sun rise]

Great questions. On the first three, yes I think so. That is one reason I am a socialist btw. As to the fourth point, that may, unfortunately be so. I mean look at how the 'might is right' mentality dominates so much political relations today.

I also see the first three as a 'yes'.

But to me, it's more about what is in our heart than our actions. Yes I do agree that some might take it as an excuse to be a patsy, but I also think it it can be understood as a message to be practical but not from fear and anger but from understanding.

The examples of Gandhi and Martin Luther King come to mind here.

 

[2ndpillar]

Jesus teaches that we are not to worry about food and clothing, they will come. Are we not more than the food and the clothing we need? Focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness. Focus on today and not tomorrow.

These are my questions:

• Does Jesus teach non-attachment as in the Bhagavad Gita?
• Are the Beatitudes the way to focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness?
• Is Voluntary Simplicity or Simple Living in line with this teaching?
• Does this attitude encourage the many to be sheep so that a few can be wolves?

I think you missed the point. It reads "but seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you." Until you first find His kingdom, and His righteousness, you can expect to check in at the salt mines, and work your 12 hours a day for your portion of leavened bread.

 

[sealchan]

Great questions. On the first three, yes I think so. That is one reason I am a socialist btw. As to the fourth point, that may, unfortunately be so. I mean look at how the 'might is right' mentality dominates so much political relations today.

I would like to think that where 'might is right' there is a lot of wasted effort and energy and that by avoiding this effort the one's who do not worry reserve their energy and their effort for the more critical things. But that is something I hope to explore in discussion.

 

[sealchan]

I sometimes wish I could live like that, but I suspect the wolves would eat me if I did.

To live like that would take more faith than I have.

I like to consider how a person can take steps in the right direction. That is certainly where I am at.

Letting go of that which one cannot control is extremely hard. It requires having good and nurturing and self-rewarding things to attend to or one has little choice but to find one's mind drifting back to one's worries.

I don't think this scripture means to be careless, but to just not go too far about concerning.

 

[sealchan]

I think you missed the point. It reads "but seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you." Until you first find His kingdom, and His righteousness, you can expect to check in at the salt mines, and work your 12 hours a day for your portion of leavened bread.

That point is part of my second question. So to seek the kingdom and His righteousness do you think this means to follow the Beatitudes?

 

[2ndpillar]

That point is part of my second question. So to seek the kingdom and His righteousness do you think this means to follow the Beatitudes?

I think you have came up short The Beatitudes are from Matthew 5:1-12. The "kingdom of God and his righteousness is explored in Matthew 5:19-48, specifically Matthew 5:20.

 

[2ndpillar]

I would like to think that where 'might is right' there is a lot of wasted effort and energy and that by avoiding this effort the one's who do not worry reserve their energy and their effort for the more critical things. But that is something I hope to explore in discussion.

Since we are at the "end of the age" and all hidden will be exposed, I will give you a hint. If you want God to take care of all of your needs, and become perfect and find the kingdom, simply sell your possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow me (Matthew 19:21). If you simply want to enter into life, keep God's commandments (Matthew 19:17).

 

[sealchan]

I think you have came up short The Beatitudes are from Matthew 5:1-12. The "kingdom of God and his righteousness is explored in Matthew 5:19-48, specifically Matthew 5:20.

Probably...I'm only up to Matthew 6 in my close study of scripture. But the Beatitudes are first in the Sermon on the Mount and as such I suspect are meant to be given highest priority. They do speak of the kingdom and righteousness.

I've also found that the Beatitudes are IMO the most prominent avoided topic in Christian belief.

 

[sealchan]

Since we are at the "end of the age" and all hidden will be exposed, I will give you a hint. If you want God to take care of all of your needs, and become perfect and find the kingdom, simply sell your possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow me (Matthew 19:21). If you simply want to enter into life, keep God's commandments (Matthew 19:17).

Have you done this?

I have taken certain steps to simplify my life, but I do not expect to literally do this in full.

 

[2ndpillar]

Have you done this?

I have taken certain steps to simplify my life, but I do not expect to literally do this in full.

Selling one's property and giving to charity is easy. Following "me" is easy only if one follows Yehua's example of doing the will of God, versus following the exact same path of being crucified. You might want to consider to take the easier path of simply to keep the commandments. The result of me giving to the poor, was that I was not reimbursed 100 times as stated in the bible, but around a 1000 times, yet my life is simple and stress free.

 

[2ndpillar]

Probably...I'm only up to Matthew 6 in my close study of scripture. But the Beatitudes are first in the Sermon on the Mount and as such I suspect are meant to be given highest priority. They do speak of the kingdom and righteousness.

I've also found that the Beatitudes are IMO the most prominent avoided topic in Christian belief.

Your average "Christian" will claim to be living the beatitudes. But on the other hand, they have "annulled"/"abolish" the "Law" and the "prophets" (Matthew 5:17 &19) by way of the false gospel of grace of the false prophet (Matthew 7:13-15).

 

[allright]

Jesus said in the Gospel of John Chapter 3 you cannot see the kingdom of God or enter it without being born again
To be born again you must repent of your sins and accept Jesus as both Lord and Savior.
God's promise to provide all things in these verses only applies to his children

 

[sealchan]

Non-attachment is to not desire the outcomes of your actions in such a way that one gets endlessly caught in cycles of fortune and misfortune, gain and loss. Jesus teaches us to be poor in spirit, to not seek treasures on earth that are subject to theft and decay, to not worry even about food or clothing. One must take care of one's self but do what is within the scope of what you can do and do not allow hope or despair rule your mind. I suspect that non-attachment is also a close sibling to charity. Not only charity of worldly goods but also of one's time, knowledge and compassion is free to be given if one is not covetous. Non-attachment is the opposite of covetousness.

I have not yet progressed in my studies of the Mahabharata or of Krishna the giver of the Gita, but I found an interesting site that lists a very large number of correspondences between Krishna and Jesus' story...

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jckr1.htm

It seems that perhaps this scripture might owe some credit to the earlier stories regarding Krishna.

 

[2ndpillar]

Jesus said in the Gospel of John Chapter 3 you cannot see the kingdom of God or enter it without being born again
To be born again you must repent of your sins and accept Jesus as both Lord and Savior.
God's promise to provide all things in these verses only applies to his children

What is written John 3:5 is that "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God". But then again, Yeshua said, "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven". Where it said, "You shall not commit adultery", "I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery". (Matthew 5). You sound like my middle sister, who changes what is written to align with what ever twisted views she holds.

 

[allright]

What is written John 3:5 is that "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God". But then again, Yeshua said, "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven". Where it said, "You shall not commit adultery", "I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery". (Matthew 5). You sound like my middle sister, who changes what is written to align with what ever twisted views she holds.

What are you talking about. When did I say sin was okay or or even mention the sin of adultery

Being born of the spirit is being born again when one is indwelt by the Holy Spirit after one repents of sin and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior

Sounds like you being run by anger and bitterness toward your sister

 

[sealchan]

One assumption I am making here is that the Sermon on the Mount is a sort of first sermon in the sense that Jesus responds to the presence of the crowds. As such it seems like it is a new and important sermon which began in Matthew 5 and looks to end in Matthew 7. The Beatitudes come first and so far the common thread of all of his teachings are that we are to cultivate the right inner, mental attitude. In this sense, in this sermon I see the Beatitudes as a sort of high level list of how to attain the kingdom and seek righteousness.

I am going to keep track as I move forward on how Matthew develops this message. I will also in the course of time look at how Mark then Matthew then Luke and then John approach in their historical order the story and see how it develops in that sense as a shared text.

 

[2ndpillar]

What are you talking about. When did I say sin was okay or or even mention the sin of adultery

Being born of the spirit is being born again when one is indwelt by the Holy Spirit after one repents of sin and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior

Sounds like you being run by anger and bitterness toward your sister

It sounds like you are referring to John 3, and then making up your own version. Your modified version comes from Billy Graham, not John 3:5.