Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
In the above scripture, Jesus sets out the priority focus for Christians, which is to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness. Often, we reverse the order by seeking first “all the other things” before His Kingdom. Before discussing further what Jesus meant by these words, it is important to look at the context of this verse. There are three things to note.
Firstly this teaching is part of what is referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount which comprises the teaching of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, found in chapters 5 to 7. In these chapters, Jesus presents the “constitution” for Christians. In our country, we have a constitution that lays out the rights and responsibilities of both government and citizens. It is the duty of the citizens to be familiar with the contents of the constitution. Similarly, Jesus lays out the constitution that Christians need to follow while living in this world. Christians therefore have double citizenship: their country and the kingdom of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sets out the principles and practices of the citizens of the kingdom of God. Through these practices, Christians represent God in the world as agents of transformation, that is, “the salt” and “the light” of the world. Salt transforms the meal and in some cases it preserves food, keeping it from rotting. However, salt is of no use if it remains in the salt shaker.
Similarly as the light of the world, Christians bring light in darkness. We all know that even the light from a matchstick can transform a big room. So too, with our daily small acts of kindness we can transform the darkness in the lives of people around us. The Sermon on the Mount describes what it means to seek first the kingdom of God.
Secondly, the call by Jesus in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God was part of the teaching on worry, particularly worrying about our basic material needs, namely food and clothing. Jesus was not saying that we should ignore our material needs or pretend that we do not care.
He was addressing the root problem behind worrying, which is lack of faith in God’s ability to provide for our needs. Further Jesus also knew that our needs can consume me because they are never ending. We crave more and more material goods and in the process spend our time worrying about ourselves and have no time for ministering to others. Our lives become self centred and shallow. Jesus’ goal is to liberate us from consumerism which robs us from pursuing our calling or living faithful to the kingdom of God. Our lives loose their impact and become of no significance to the world. Think of the people whose lives have changed the world and are in inspiration to all of us such as Ntate Mandela or Bishop Tutu. Their lives are spent in the service of others not themselves.
This is the essence of the kingdom of God- self-sacrifice in service of others.
Lastly, the kingdom of God is modeled to us through the sacrificial life of Jesus, who lived out the Sermon on the Mount and served both God and his community. For example, He healed the sick, delivered the possessed, reached out to the marginalised in society and fed the hungry.
The many ways in which Jesus changed the lives of people indicate to us that we too, in our context and in different ways, can transform the lives of people within and outside our community. The prayer of St Francis of Assisi points us to practical steps in seeking the kingdom of God first on a daily basis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
Originally published in the print edition of DIVINE Magazine, Issue 02.
