O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...

The command in this passage not to worry presupposes that “every man naturallycares for himself and his life…he is always intent on something and cares aboutsomething (Bultmann 1967:991).” This care is not ruled out as illegitimate. Carebecomes a problem when it becomes worry/anxiety over items related to humansurvival (Matt. 6:25).Carson argues that worry can be both appropriate and sinful (Carson 1994: 92-93). Ifworry is seen as merely “concern” it’s absence can at times be wrong (Carson1994:92). Specifically, if there is an absence of concern relating to being faithful inobedience to Christ. On the other end of the spectrum worry that causes a person tohave obscured priorities would be sinful. The kind of worry or anxiety Jesus isreferring to here is thus the kind that relates to human survival and can obscure thedisciples priority of seeking God’s Kingdom (Matt. 6:33).The first reason related to the prohibition is found in verse 25b (Talbert 2006:126).This is where Jesus asks rhetorically as to whether life is not more than food and thebody more than clothing? In asking this rhetorical question about the life and thebody Jesus is in fact saying that life and the body, which is “existence…is more thanfood and clothing (Hagner 1993:1630).”The point that life is more than food is embodied quite impressively by Jesus inMatthew 4:2-4 where He went without food for forty days (Powell 2000:877). This isthe story where Jesus affirms that man does not live on bread alone, but on everyword that comes from God.The second reason related to the prohibition is found in verse 26 (Talbert 2006:126).Here Jesus point to birds of the air and the fact that they neither reap nor gather yettheir Heavenly Father feeds them. Jesus then again rhetorically asks if His disciplesare not of much more value.Here Jesus is using a “minore ad maius” argument, which is an argument movingfrom the lesser to the greater (Carter 2000:177). By doing this Jesus makes the pointthat what God does by way of provision for the birds which are of lesser value, Hewill “surely” do for His disciples which are of greater value. Blomberg (1992:125)55