Nicholas King Lectio Divina 4

Explore the words of Jesus in this timeless passage from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6.25–34

(From The Bible translated by Nicholas King)

‘So I’m telling you: don’t worry about your life, what you’re to eat; nor about your body, what you’re to wear. Isn’t life more than diet, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky: they don’t sow, or reap, or gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more important than them? Which of you can by worrying add a single cubit to your height? And why do you worry about clothing? Learn [from] the wild flowers, how they grow – they don’t do hard work, nor do they do any weaving, but I’m telling you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. Now – if God clothes the grass of the field like this, which is here today and thrown into the oven tomorrow, will [he not do] all the more for you, people of little faith? So don’t worry and say “What are we to eat?” or “What are we to drink?” or “What are we to wear?”. You see, the Gentiles pursue all these things. Your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. No – first seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you in addition. So – don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today’s hardship is enough for today.’

Reading

This passage is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), in which he gives all kinds of instructions on righteous living and the blessings that come from it.

Read Jesus’ words slowly and carefully, as if he is speaking directly to you. Pause and notice the words or phrases that make a special impression on you.

Meditation

Focus on the special words or phrases that you noted, and think about why they seem meaningful. Do they pinpoint particular anxieties that hang over you?

What does this passage say to you about body image and the worries that can be related to it?

What do you think it means to ‘seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness’? Meditate on these words and see what they say to you.

Prayer

Speak and listen to God about any insights that he brings to you through this passage.

Thank God for any times you can remember when he provided a solution to something you were worrying about. Place any current worries into his hands, and pray that you might learn to trust him more, day by day.

Contemplation

Take time to rest in God’s presence before moving into the rest of your day or night. Allow Jesus’ words to remain with you over the coming week.

You could make further time to listen to birdsong or observe the grasses that grow alongside pathways. Notice the enormous variety of sounds and colours in these parts of God’s creation.