阅读经文 

耶稣的初代门徒生活在战争、暴力、疾病和饥荒之中，这些处境对我们当代许多人来说很陌生。人们在任何时候，都可能失去一个孩子，或没有粮食吃，或被罗马税吏剥削。而且，当时与今天不同，还没有安全网络。没有刺激性消费，没有社会保险支票，没有食品券，也没有医院。

这并不是说我们在二零二二年的挣扎不真实，或者说它们的程度并不重要。但理解下面的教导对我们有帮助：即使在古代世界的恶劣环境中，耶稣也敢于告诉祂的跟随者们不要为生活忧虑。祂在提醒他们，神呼召他们与祂建立关系。如果神看顾植物，供养动物，这些受造物所需要的能从神得到供应，那么我们也可以相信神会供应我们所需要的一切。我们怎能不期望我们的天父供应祂的儿女呢？

耶稣正在向我们显明如何从忧虑和焦虑中得释放，无论它们从何而来。因为神是我们慈爱的父亲。如果我们有任何需要，我们都可以祈求祂的供应。如果我们面临挣扎，我们可以向神求助。如果我们感到迷茫，或对我们应该做什么感到困惑，我们可以求祂显明旨意。当我们求这些事时，我们不仅要相信神能够供应我们的需要，还要相信祂乐意供应。

Jesus’ early disciples lived with war, violence, disease, and famine in a way that is foreign to many of us. On any given day, people could lose a child or lose their harvest or be robbed by a Roman tax collector. And, unlike today, there were no safety nets. There were no stimulus payments, no social security checks, no food stamps, and no hospitals.

This is not to say that our struggles in 2021 aren’t real, or that they somehow don’t matter. But it’s helpful to understand that even in the harsh environment of the ancient world, Jesus had the audacity to tell his followers not to worry about their lives. He was reminding them that God called them into a relationship with him. And if God watches over plants and provides for animals, if these other parts of creation have what they need, then we can trust that God will provide everything we need. Why wouldn’t we expect our Father in heaven to provide for his children?

Jesus is showing us how to find relief from our worries and anxieties, no matter what they are. For God is our loving Father. If there’s something we need, we can ask him to provide it. If there’s a struggle that we face, we can ask God for help. If we feel totally lost or confused about what we should do, we can ask him for clarity. And as we pray these things, we can trust not only that God can provide what we need, but also that he will.