[Matt 6:25-34] But Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness (Lim)

John C. Lim                

Matthew 6:25-34   

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?  

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

As we enter into a new year, we have a lot on our mind.  Our hearts are weighed down heavily with many conflicting thoughts and burdens.  As we struggle to find a balance between pessimistic view of our future and positive outlook on what lies ahead, we start this year off somewhat tentatively.  At this point in time, I think it is important for us to be reminded from this passage what Jesus taught his disciples about worrying and future.  Look at verse 25.

      Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your  body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more  important than clothes?

It is only natural for us to be worried about our life in general.  Otherwise, Jesus would not have addressed this so directly.  Everyone is concerned and worried about all that is happening around us.  From current dire economic strife to uncertainties in regards to geo-political storms brewing all around our world, how can anyone not be worried?  It is normal and natural for us to be concerned about our future and what awaits us.  But Jesus tells us simply not to worry about our life.   
 
Filling our hearts with constant worry is a serious matter that should not be ignored.  Jesus is pointing out that our worry about life is mainly about how we will subsist.  Basic essentials such as food and clothes are mentioned.  From the day we were born to now, we have been living by the grace of God.  We came into this world naked and with nothing and yet, we are all wearing clothes and have been eating for some time now. 

Jesus points out with examples from nature. 

Look at verse 26 & verse 28.

      Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your  heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?

      And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not  labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one  of these.

First he talks about food by saying how our heavenly Father provides for the birds.  And then he talks about clothes explaining how our heavenly Father provides for the lilies of the fields and that Solomon in all his majestic wardrobe wouldn’t be able to compete with lilies. 

Jesus takes an example of the birds which represent the animal kingdom and he also takes an example of the flower which represents plant kingdom.  Let’s think about this for a moment.  How does the bird eat?  We have to remember that birds do work hard to feed themselves. From early in the morning to late in the evening, they are constantly searching for food.  Although God provides grains and worms, the birds must still go out and earn their living.  Birds that basically sit around waiting for food to drop out of the air will go hungry.  But we know that birds instinctively searches for food for survival.  We have to realize that birds are not loafing around all day but do engage themselves fully in order to provide for themselves as well as their chicks in the nest.

What Jesus is teaching us is that God provides the means for us to be able to work and reap harvest from our labor.  We work in our various jobs and earn living to provide for our families.  Basic sustenance for our survival is achievable but we have to work.  If we are concerned about not eating five course meals everyday at a fancy restaurant, that is a different story. 

How do the lilies of the field clothe themselves?  Flowers in the fields do not compete among themselves to see who dresses better.  As far as the basic clothing needs are concerned, we can be more than amply covered to protect ourselves from the elements. From second hand shops to retailers who sell at substantial discount, we can look around and find bargains if we can overcome our pride.  It only becomes a problem for us when we start injecting more values to what kind of clothes we wear instead of what we actually need.  Flowers are not too concerned about outdoing other flowers consciously but more often than not, we do. 

From having food to eat and having clothes to wear, majority of us do alright with these basic needs.  We need to remind ourselves that our body needs feeding and clothing but not necessarily at the level constantly badgered by the 5^th Avenue advertising agencies.  Gourmet meals prepared by world famous chefs utilizing the most exotic and expensive ingredients may not be what we need or can afford but a healthy meal of common ingredient for common people are just as nourishing and satisfying after a hard day’s work.  Notoriously expensive garments designed by the world’s greatest designer may be out of our price range, but a sturdy pair of Levi’s will last years.  It really comes down to our own values and perspective in life.  When we allow other people in this world to dictate how we ought to live in terms of what we wear or what we eat, we’ve lost our main focus and can then be easily manipulated into the rat race in life. 

What God has in store for us is so much more noble and worthy yet, we constantly fall victims to the “image” we are enticed to portray by how we live in this world.  Vanity feeds upon vanity.  Wealthier we become, thirstier we get to satiate that fountain of vanity that seems to bubble up.  When will we recognize this phenomenon in our world?  God is more than able to provide for our essential needs and we want to learn to find satisfaction with God’s provision not our vanity driven desires for the things of the world.  Look at verse 26b and verse 30.

      Are you not much more valuable than they?

      If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is  thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

In regards to food and clothing, Jesus asks these rhetorical questions.  So, how about it?  Where are we right now in our lives with what Jesus says?  Are we spending much of our time fretting and worrying? 

Jesus questions how much more valuable we are than birds of the air and how he will not much more clothe us than the lilies of the field.  Indeed we are infinitely more valuable than the birds of the air and lilies in the field.  For us to be obsessed or preoccupied with the worries of food and clothing shows how lacking we are of faith.  When our situations are not optimal in many ways and we are feeling down, we ought to remind ourselves of this passage and draw strength from God.  God who created the heavens and earth cares for us in a special way that far exceeds his care for the birds and lilies.  We are indeed much more valuable than the birds and lilies. 

Jesus equates our unwillingness to trust God to little faith.  And because we are of little faith, we are constantly busy worrying about these things.  We worry all the time of real and imaginary concerns even as we begin the New Year.  And Jesus points out the ineffectiveness of worrying in verse 27.

      Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?  

As absurd this may sound, it is also clear that we don’t accomplish anything by worrying.  Yet many people use worrying as catharsis to their own satisfaction.  Worrying has never solved any problem in the past and it never will in the future.  Fretting and groaning about the current economic state or our own circumstances will not produce any result.  And Jesus continues to tell us how we ought to proceed.  Look at verses 31-32.   

      So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we  wear?'   For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that  you need them. 

Once again, there is an emphatic command for us not to worry as in verse 25 at the start of this passage.  Jesus tells us not to worry about what we shall eat, what we shall drink or what we shall wear.  The simple truth is that people who do not call Jesus their Lord run after these things.  This is important for us to think about.  Pagans or those who do not believe in God actively pursue these things.  They are on a mission to achieve the heights of success in terms of perhaps most exotic food, drink and clothes.  These represent manifestations of having achieved the ultimate success.  When a person can spread caviar on cracker as often as we spread peanut butter on our piece of bread for our sustenance, that person is running after food.  When a person wears $12,000 dress to a party to impress the crowd, perhaps that person is running after clothes.  Some connoisseur of fine wine who bids a huge sum of money for a rare vintage bottle of wine might be considered one who is running after these things.  Even as we think about these pursuits, we can see how silly and futile these attempts truly are.  Yet, many people fall into this kind of trap and can’t seem to get out of them.  There are many people in our world who have become so enamored with these materialistic obsessions that they are completely consumed by them.   

Even as we think about what Jesus is saying here, we can see how foolish that kind of pursuit truly is.  Unbelievers and those who do not trust in God actively pursue these things with abandon.  It is almost as if they are possessed to feed their hunger for these things.  And yet, true satisfaction eludes them.  For these things in themselves will never satisfy the longing in their heart.  At the end of the day, we realize that we can only eat three square meals a day and that we don’t have to eat lobster and steak every night.  Matter of fact, such rich diet may be harmful to our health.  Fancy clothes do not make us any better human beings except to those who judge people superficially.  If food satisfies our hunger and clothes provide warmth and protection for our body, should we put so much emphasis on these things as if these things are actually more important than our life and our body?   

It is only natural for those who have no prospect of future in heavenly kingdom would be preoccupied with these things but those of us who believe in Jesus Christ and the coming of His Kingdom, we have more important matters to tend to and busy ourselves with.  Look at verse 33. 

      But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you  as well. 

Jesus points out the most important factor in all our human endeavors in this world.  Unbelievers will run after these things.  They will covet after these things of the world as these are all they have.  For the unbelievers and pagans, there is nothing more to look forward to beyond this life.  All men came with nothing into this world and all men will leave with nothing in their hands.  So for these people, all they have is now and now is what they live for.  So the race is on for these people to get the most toys while they can.  But soon, this life comes to an end and they can’t take anything with them. 

At least for those who believe in Jesus Christ, we can look forward to His Kingdom and while we live in this world, we live with constant awareness that we are only here temporarily until we go to our permanent home in heaven.  So, we eat to fuel our body and we wear clothes to protect our body so that we can live to glorify God and to enjoy His presence in our lives while we live in this world.  The purpose and goal of our life is so fundamentally different from those pagans or unbelievers that we cannot possibly share in their pursuit of worldly materialism.   

Our life’s orientation is not about the superficial things of this life but more content oriented.  We are to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.  Our priority in life is heavenward not earthbound.  When we seek His Kingdom in our daily life, we would not be so easily enamored with things in life that will pass away.  Our priority is God centered.  We seek as our primary goal in life to walk after God.  We seek His face first.  When we live each day seeking God and His guidance, our priority in life will always be heaven ward.   

And Jesus assures us that when we seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, all the other things will be given to us as well.  Our heavenly father knows that we need clothes and we need food to sustain ourselves. And when we are able to clothe ourselves and feed ourselves with good things in life, we ought to be thankful to God as these things come from God but we should not make these things end in themselves.  We need these things in life to live but we don’t live for these things.  There is a big difference here. 

God, our Heavenly Father knows that we go hungry and that we shiver in cold without adequate clothing but God wants us to rise above the common fray of life and pursue much nobler goal.  We are God’s children living on this earth with a mission God gave us that we may go out into this world and live to glorify God.   

As we enter into the New Year, we praise God for granting us life here on earth.  Even as we go through this year somewhat concerned, we ought to not let our concern constrict our enthusiasm for God.  As we remind ourselves that we are His children whom he will provide food and clothing, we face new challenges with a great sense of relief and assurance that He will see us through even this year.  But we have to remember that while God’s provision is more than adequate to meet our needs, we have to recognize that our sinful nature continues to battle for priority in our hearts.   

Finally, let’s look at verse 34.

      Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has  enough trouble of its own.

This is third time that Jesus not to worry.  This time, He tells us not to worry about tomorrow or future.  I know there are many of us who are concerned about our future retirement in light of recent economic downturn.  If it is any consolation, retirement is a man made concept.  Who says we have to stop working when we reach certain age. As long as we are able to work, we ought to work.  Our true rest is not in our retirement days but when we go home to our heaven.  Worrying about future is not going to produce any positive results.  Our news is full of unexpected events and happenings.  Things people have never envisioned for themselves are taking place almost routinely on daily basis.  Nothing is certain.  Even the banks and major corporations are on sandy ground.  Nothing in life is permanent.  Everything is in flux.  Can we then solve our problems by worrying?  Each day is a precious gift from God to live unto Him.  People lose their fortune and their lives on a moment’s notice without any reaction time. 

When we are able to eat partake of a meal giving thanks to God, we ought to be filled with happiness and joy.  And when our heart is filled with gratitude because of God’s provision, we face each day with new hope and new expectation that God cares for us and He provides for us.

As we go out into this world and work diligently while doing good for others, we remind ourselves that we are living not for ourselves but to seek after God’s will for our lives. As we constantly and consistently remember God in our lives, we will not lose our focus and we will not lose our priority in life.

Let us jump in to this New Year with that confidence we are greatly loved by God and that He will lead us every step of the way through whatever that awaits us.  Let each day be a day of thanksgiving.