What is mankind?

Is it wrong to let a painting influence one’s choice of topic? I was struggling with what to write about next, when I came across Stanley Spencer’s Consider the Lilies , from his Christ in the Wilderness series. I had tucked it away as an image for later possible use, and it gave me the burst of inspiration I needed.  It depicts Jesus in a way that’s unusual for artists, as having a childlike fascination with some flowers in His path. It’s a fanciful idea, but I can imagine Him thinking, “Someday I’m going to use them as a sermon illustration.” Which He did, in Matthew 6:25-34. He wants us to consider the lilies of the field – the ones no one tends – that spring up anywhere and everywhere, propagated by the wind or creatures that graze on them, and the birds no one keeps as pets – the wild ones that come and go freely.  Why? He wants us to remember how much He cares about you and me. If it’s a precious thought that God cares about flowers and birds, it is even moreso...