On Sunday morning in the Seminary, Reverend Kenneth I MacLeod preached on Matthew 6: 25 - 34, a sermon entitled, 'Don't be anxious'.

Jesus always gets straight to the heart of the matter at hand, and this passage is no exception. His direct way of speaking left people in no doubt as to what He was telling them. The Sermon on the Mount is a masterpiece of radical teaching, challenging us to reassess our relationship with God, with one another and with our possessions.

There are no hiding places. In responding to the teaching of Jesus here, one has either to face up to what He is saying, or dismiss it from memory. The latter can only ever be a temporary response, however, because there will come a time when we will be confronted with this truth again, and our own reaction to it.

He is warning His followers against falling into the kind of hypocrisy of which the Pharisees were known by God to be guilty. Their outward displays of religiosity frequently impressed other people - as they were designed to do - but they never fooled the Lord, who knew the innermost secrets of their hearts. This is why Jesus referred to the Pharisees as 'painted sepulchres'; their outward show of devotion was calculated to mask their sin.

Some people, Mr MacLeod said, accuse Christians of hypocrisy when they stumble. Falling short is not hypocrisy, however, but an inevitable mis-step in any believer's journey, because they are still sinners. Real hypocrisy is deliberately veiling your sin in a cloak of religion in order to impress others and protect yourself.

The Pharisees were insincere and their righteousness a sham. The true righteousness of Jesus covers and indwells those who depend upon it.

In this chapter, Jesus highlights a number of areas in which the Pharisees are guilty of hypocrisy. These are meant as lessons to the true believer in what to avoid.

First of all, charitable giving is to be done quietly andwith discretion. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, but disapproves of outward displays designed to draw attention to one's goodness.

Secondly, unlike the Pharisees, Christians are to pray in secret. This does not mean that public, corporate prayer is displeasing to God - then, the intention is that, although one man leads, all present engage in prayer. It counsels against the sort of public prayer which becomes a performance and a spectacle to impress onlookers with your holiness.

Thirdly, Christ talks about fasting. Again, there is nothing inherently wrong in this and people may choose to devote a particular time to prayer, untrammelled by the need to prepare a meal, or engage in other worldly pursuits which will distract from the task in hand. The Pharisees fasted ostentatiously, refusing food with a flourish, or drawing attention to their hunger-induced tiredness so that other people might marvel at their devotion.

Christ spoke also about our relationship with our worldly possessions. We tend to make a division between spiritual and temporal concerns, but He did not do that, demonstrating that our relationship to everyone and everything ought to be spiritual. Any problem in this regard generally arises within the human heart and manifests as covetousness. Mr MacLeod pointed out that there is nothing wrong with a healthy ambition to do well, nor is there anything sinful about admiring nice things. Cause for concern transpires when these things come first with us and become idolatrous.

In light of all this, therefore, the Lord is telling us not to be anxious for anything, that He will always supply our needs. Although the AV translates this as 'take no thought', this is not exactly accurate, as the Lord later asks that we reflect on the birds of the air, who most certainly do prepare for various eventualities. So, the thrust of His command is not to tell us we should refrain from planning, but that there should be no anxiety about the outcome of those plans.

Mr MacLeod added that there should, nonetheless, be one point of anxiety for everyone: to make sure that they are in Christ. Once their cares are cast upon Him, then there is no further cause for anxiety. He remains with us always, even into the dark vale of death and although our faith may waver there, His presence will remain constant: He will not leave or forsake.

God has promised to provide for our needs - He does not promise more than that, though He frequently does much more. We are constantly looking for more, not content to have the necessities, even though more may be to our detriment. If it is, we can be sure that the Lord will withhold it for our benefit.

In verse 28, we are asked to reflect on Creation and on all that the Lord has done. If even the birds are amply provided for, does it seem likely that the people He so loved would be neglected?

Anxiety does not add anything to our lives. Indeed, the very word means 'to be torn apart', while 'worry' means 'strangled'. These are destructive emotions. Mr MacLeod quoted Corrie Ten Boom, who said, 'worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength'.

If we keep our eye upon the Lord, seeking Him diligently, He will supply everything else. Our focus should be to know more of Him with whom we hope to spend eternity.

As we seek more of Him, it is not merely so that He will grow in our own hearts. We want His kingdom to increase, to see our family and our community all bow the knee before Him.

We pray that Stornoway will be changed, that people who give no thought to the Lord would have their hearts softened towards Him, and come to be subjects in His kingdom.

What we have here is radical teaching, Mr MacLeod concluded, but may God give us grace to live this way, and to watch as He adds all that is required.