Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
In the context, Jesus is talking about the Father’s provision for his followers. That they are to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and then all they need of essentials will be given them. There may be secondary applications to this. In reality God does not promise no trouble in this life, not even protection from the worst of trouble. Though we can be certain from scripture it will come only as it passes through God’s hands. And that God will bring good out of it, even out of what is evil. Though in a way which we shouldn’t necessarily be able to understand, and in the end won’t necessarily either care or need to understand, although perhaps God will choose to give us something of that understanding. We will have what we need then. But what about now?
I would like to emphasize from Jesus’ words quoted above, how we’re to live as those whose future is completely in God’s hands. And who live in the present. What has been popularly called, the now. But not in a way that the popular culture would advocate:
“Let us eat and drink,” you say,
“for tomorrow we die!”
No. We do so as those whose future hope is new creation and resurrection and not anything less. And this hope we hold to is not only for ourselves. It is for everyone around us. Yes, everyone. We hold to the faith and to God’s grace and kingdom come in Jesus not just for ourselves or for the church, our brothers and sisters in the faith. But for the entire world, for everyone, our neighbors and friends, even for those who may hate us, our enemies. We know that we are all in need of God’s salvation in and through Jesus. But the most foolproof and protection in this world, if there really is such a thing, in the end doesn’t matter, since the real problem is untouched. We along with the world need nothing less than God’s full salvation in Jesus.
But back to the main point: We live in the now, seeking to follow our Lord together in this life in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have no promise of tomorrow in this life, but the promise of forever and ever in the resurrection into the new creation when we will share together in the eternal life of God, even the Trinitarian life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Which of course begins now, even in this present life. Day after day because of the Lord’s faithfulness. Keeping us in the present moment for as many moments in God’s good will as there are to come in this present life and beyond.
Jesus community 