Seek first, all things will be added

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ~ Matthew 6:33

 

I have heard, and spoken, and sung these words of Christ countless times throughout my life. I have preached on them and taught on them many times as well. However, the real challenge is living them out. What does it mean to "seek first the kingdom of God?" What does it mean to seek "His righteousness" first?

 

And what are "all these things" that will be added to them?

 

Well, Jesus what teaching His disciples (and us) not to worry about food and clothing... that they don't need to chase after these things. Worrying and chasing after these things is what the world does. Though we ARE in the world we are NOT of the world. Moreover, our loving heavenly Father (our King) knows what we need. He is the One who provides all good and needful things to us (and to all the world).

 

So what is meant by the kingdom of God? What it means in this context is that we live first as citizens of His kingdom, rather than citizens of the world. That means God is our King. That means He is in charge. That means His law is the law by which we live our lives.

 

Similarly, to seek "His righteousness" means that we seek to do what is right in His eyes (which is objectively and actually right). When we seek God's righteousness.

 

That means we live our lives asking "Is this what God would have me do?" "Is this right in God's sight?"

 

And what of "all these things" that will be added to us? Well, Jesus is talking about the stuff in life that we often worry about or spend all of our time and energy chasing after. Jesus tells us that we don't need to worry about them or chase after them. God will give us what we need when we need it. He will provide for us day by day, even as He did for the people of Israel in their 40 years in the wilderness.

 

He will provide for us day by day, even as He provides for the birds of the air and the plants of the field. It may not look glamorous, or be decadent, but it will be good and worthy of thanks.

 

God who made our bodies knows that we need clothing. If He can knit you together in your mother's womb cell by cell, certainly He is able to provide you with knit clothing to cover your body. If God has given you life in order to do what is holy and righteous in His sight, certainly He is able to provide you with the food and drink that you need to give you the strength to do His will. This is the whole frame of Christ's teaching.

 

When we chase after the stuff of this world - when we are preoccupied and worried about it - it monopolizes our time. We begin to look at the stuff of this world as if it is providing us with the good things we need - our jobs, our spouse, our parents, our children, our abilities, our government, etc. In short, we make gods for ourselves out of the good things that God gives to us. Worse yet, when we lift up these things as the end all be all (the goal of our existence and where our identity lies), we become willing to do whatever it takes to please those gods and to keep them in our lives.

 

So we do what is asked of us and we sacrifice time...sacrifice money... sacrifice relationships... sacrifice our morals... we even sacrifice God on the altar of our false gods. We worry that if we don't make these sacrifices we will miss out. And we do miss out; we miss out on God being our King and Savior... We miss out on His righteousness for us in Christ, because we do not trust Him.

 

On the other hand, if we seek first God's Kingdom and His righteousness, what does He promise? He will give us the clothing that we need. He will provide us with the food that we need. We will have the stuff of this world that our heavenly Father knows is needed and good for us. But more than that, we will also have the ONE thing that is needful. We will have a relationship with God defined by faith in His faithfulness. And you know what comes along with that besides "all these things?"

 

When we trust in Christ's words, and we seek God's Kingdom first and His righteousness, we not only have all these other earthly blessings in this life, we also have His Salvation and eternal life. Although none of us live as perfect citizens in God's Kingdom (doing everything according to His righteous will), when we trust in Christ...when we trust in His Word...when we trust in His righteousness and His sacrifice for us in His life and in His death upon the cross, then we need not be anxious about anything in this life or in the life of the world to come.

 

Because Christ is faithful, through faith in His name we are knit together as members of His Body (the Church). As members of His body, we are clothed with the robes of Christ's righteousness in Holy Baptism, making us holy and righteous in the sight of our King. Yes, we are given new life through faith in His name - a life that is eternal and can never perish. And this new life is fed and refreshed as we gather together as one to eat and drink the very body and blood of Christ that was sacrificed for us upon the cross, rose for our justification, and lives and reigns on high at the right hand of the Father. Yes, our whole life is found in Christ Jesus our Savior. And because of that, we need not worry.