Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 28, 2025

Grace to you and peace from god our father from

our lord and savior jesus christ amen in

the holy gospel for today jesus says do not be anxious he says this three times

the word anxious is also found in our gospel for today a total of six times

the greek word is marinate.

It can also mean worry.

When we are anxious, we worry about something in the future.

What do you worry about? Your health, especially perhaps for those who are aging?

Do you worry about finances?

Do you have enough money to pay the bills or even your tuition?

Do you worry about family conflicts or strained friendship relationships?

Do you worry about your job? Do you worry about your high school or college education?

Do you worry about the rising crime and violence rate in our culture today?

Do you worry about your aging parents? Do you worry about your children?

Because we have a sinful flesh, it's easy for us to be anxious and worry about this or that.

Worry is a part of our fallen life.

It happens all the time, and yet worry accomplishes nothing.

It only drains us of our time and energy. It is as if Jesus said, do not worry.

I created you in my own image, in the image of God. I redeemed you with my own blood.

You are mine. I forgive your sins. I freely give you life and salvation.

I give you daily bread and food and clothing.

Therefore, there is nothing to worry about.

Trust in me. Jesus asks several questions in our Holy Gospel today that kind

of go through them and answer them.

The first question he asks is, is not life more than food and the body more

than clothing? The answer is yes.

Your life in Christ is more important than food, clothing, or anything for the body.

They're important to be sure, but your life in Christ is more important.

Jesus asked another question. Are you not more of value than the birds of the

air? The answer is, yes, you are.

The birds don't worry about what they will eat, yet our heavenly father feeds them.

How much more will God provide for all that you need?

God knows your needs and he will supply them. You are more precious to him than the birds.

You are his baptized lamb. You are redeemed with the blood of Christ.

Jesus asks another question. Which of you, by being anxious,

can add a single hour to his span of life?

The answer is none of us can add an extra hour to our day.

We wish for an extra hour to finish our work, but worry cannot lengthen our day.

Jesus asks another question. Why are you anxious about clothing?

If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow

is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

And the answer is, yes, he will.

The lilies and the grass don't worry about what they will wear.

Our Heavenly Father clothes them with a beautiful dress.

How much more will God care for you? He knows your needs and he will provide.

After all, you are more important to God than the lilies in the grass of the field.

You are his baptized lamb. You are redeemed with the blood of Christ.

Jesus said, For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly

Father knows that you need them all.

In other words, the pagan Gentiles do not believe in the one true God.

Rather, they chase after idols, and they trust in themselves.

But you are different. You believe in the one true God who created you and redeemed

you with the blood of Christ.

So let the world know that you are different.

Let them see that you trust in your Heavenly Father to provide for all your needs.

We view material things differently than the unbelieving world.

Our material things are only temporary because eternal life is our real home.

Through faith in Christ, we have a peace to which the world can never give us.

So we need not worry because we know that God does hear our prayers.

He answers them in the best possible way and he provides for all that we need.

Food and clothing are important for us, but they are not our master.

They do not control us. We trust that God will bless us with a sufficient welfare

to provide food and clothing for the body.

God will continue to take care of us.

If you are in need, pray. If you are unemployed, pray that God will give you

a job. If you are in need, then pray for God to send a good Samaritan that will help you.

We will not always get what we want, but God will always give us what we need.

Yes, money, food, and clothing are important, but faith in Christ matters more.

Bread for the body is necessary, but yet faith in Christ, who is our bread of life, is far greater.

Therefore, Jesus says, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

And all these things, food and clothing, will be added unto you.

We just sang a very beautiful hymn, What God Ordains is Always Good.

It was written by Samuel Rodequist in the 17th century. He was a Lutheran pastor.

I encourage you to sing it often, especially times of trial or tribulation.

The first stanza goes like this. What God ordains is always good.

His will is just and holy. As he directs my life for me, I follow meek and lowly.

My God indeed, in every need, knows well how he will shield me.

To him, then I will yield me. And the author is basically saying, yes, life is difficult.

Yes, life has its challenges and its problems. Yet I will not curse God.

God is good and he is faithful.

He is gracious and merciful. He will help me to get through my various trials and tribulations.

He will lead and I will gladly follow.

Erica Kirk said at a public address following her husband's assassination,

quote, Our world is filled with evil, but our God is good.

So incredibly good. And we know that for those who love God,

all things work together for good.

And after all that she has gone through and suffered and as a widow,

she does not curse God, but she acknowledges that he is good despite whatever the circumstances,

and she's willing to follow God's will, even though we don't understand things.

So also for us, things may not go our way.

Living in a fallen world, things even happen outside of our control.

And yet we will not curse God. Rather, we will trust in him that he will carry

us through our difficulties and give us faith to trust in him.

Let's now look at the life of Christ, who never worried.

He trusted in his heavenly father. He devoted his life to doing the will of his father.

And so when Jesus was tempted by Satan to fall down and worship him, Jesus said no.

Jesus remained faithful to his heavenly father. Jesus never worried about food.

When there was no food, Jesus multiplied enough bread and fish for himself and

the over 5,000 that were in the crowd. When Jesus went to the home of Martha

and Mary, Martha was the one who worried, worried about this and that.

But the most important thing was the word that proceeded out of the mouth of

Jesus that Mary and others heard.

Jesus never worried about food or clothing. During his three years of ministry,

he traveled here and there, But he always had someone to put him and his disciples

up for the night and to give them food.

Jesus never worried about water. One day he was thirsty. He went to the well

and he asked a woman to give him a drink. He was thirsty.

But bringing this woman, saving faith in himself, in Christ,

was more important than getting a drink of water.

Eventually, she believed that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

Jesus was more concerned about the woman's faith than in getting a drink of water.

Land and building an earthly home was of no importance to Jesus.

His goal was the cross. His mission was to die for us and for our salvation.

And so he died as a righteous sacrifice for our sins of anxiety and worry,

our sins of gossip and covetousness.

Jesus made the payment for the sin that we cannot make, and he bore the wrath of God in our place.

Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death upon a cross.

And three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, and there is now reconciliation

with our Heavenly Father.

There is now peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there is now

the forgiveness of sins for us poor sinners.

What shall we wear? We wear the robe of Christ's righteousness that was given to us in our baptism.

Yes, we are still sinful by nature, but outwardly we wear the robe of Christ's righteousness.

What shall we eat? This morning we are fed with the word of God.

It enters our ear and is planted in our heart by faith. The word is living and active.

The word in holy absolution bespeaks us righteous.

It removed our sin as far as the east is from the west.

And in preaching, we hear both the law, which shows us our sin,

and we hear the gospel, which shows us our savior.

And we learn from the law how to love the neighbor.

Because of Christ, there is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He forgives you all your sin. And in In Christ, you have everything.

In Christ, you have a peace which money and clothing and food cannot buy.

What shall we eat and what shall we eat? What shall we eat and what shall we

drink here at this altar?

We eat a small wafer, which is also the body of Christ.

And we drink from the cup, the blood of not only wine, but also the blood of

Christ for the forgiveness of all our sin.

Dearly beloved, By God's grace, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Make worship your highest priority in life and food and clothing will be added to you as well.

Romans chapter 8, verse 32 asks the question, He who did not spare his own son,

Romans 8:32

but delivered him up for us all,

how shall he not also freely give us all things?

And the answer is yes.

In other words, if God is able to raise his son from the dead,

then surely he will provide for all our needs.

Our text puts it this way. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things, food and clothing, will be added to you as well.

Even if we are in need, God will make sure that all things will work together

for our good to those who are called according to his purpose.

So with Jesus as your good shepherd, you shall not be in want.

You will lack nothing. He will give you food among the green pastures and drink

along the still waters. But more importantly, he will be your bread for eternal life.

So by God's grace, Do not worry, but trust in God alone.

What God ordains is always good. This truth remains unshaken.

Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, I will not be forsaken.

I fear no harm, for with his arm he shall embrace and shield me.

So to my God I yield me. Amen.