The Grass of the Field

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

In my musing on St. Matthew 6 for this next sermon (Trinity XV), it occurred to me that this is a strange thing for Jesus to say, that the grass of the field is thrown into the oven. How many times of glossing over that little phrase does it take before we truly consider these lilies of the field? What lilies, what grass, is thrown in to the oven? Wheat! For wheat is toiled over, harvested, ground, sifted, watered, leavened, kneaded, and cast into the oven; all so that it might become bread. Today's grass is tomorrow's bread.

And Jesus says, "Tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself." Therefore today let us consider the lilies which are harvested for baking, and learn the meaning of repentance. For all flesh is grass, but by the toil of Christ has redemption come to it. So also does He water, sift, and knead it, to become His loaf, His Church.

Moreover, He is Himself the leaven which leavens the whole lump: for by our reception of His Body we become His Body. And we are raised, as leaven.

That resurrection takes place tomorrow; today let us pay heed to His labors by which we shall be raised tomorrow. And therein lies the secret of contentment.