I have been thinking about this little text - a part of Jesus' sermon on the mount. It is a familiar one and for a certain generation of Christians evokes an over-sung worship chorus. It is really solid advice and I am down with it. But I have a question: How? How does one seek first the kingdom of God?
Well, when in doubt, check what the text says - in this case what Jesus says about it in Matthew. Sadly, in this context, Jesus' focus is not the "how-to". The above mentioned line comes at the end of Jesus' discussion or rather illustration of God's provision for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. These illustrations, in turn, come just after his command that we not be anxious about our life, "what you will eat or what you will drink." (Matthew 6:25) Which, in turn, comes right after this statement:
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24)
So here is how all the dots connect. You can only serve one master - God or money. You are anxious and afraid about having "enough". Anxiety about having enough is a sign that we are serving the money master, not God. The illustrations of God feeding the birds of the air and clothing the field in beauty are there to remind us that God is quite the provider. That there is no need to worry about having enough, he's always provding enough. So therefore seek first his kingdom and all these other things will be added. The "seek ye first" command is the imperative which flows from the "You cannot serve God and money" declarative.
You can't serve God and money, therefore seek first the kingdom of God. Pick one. The right one. It is classic God. Presenting us with options and then telling us which to choose - without coersion I parenthetically add. We see a similar thing in Deuteronomy:
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life... (Deuteronomy 30:19)
So in the sermon on the mount, Jesus is making the options clear to us. Be enslaved to money and worry, or seek the kingdom of God. I'm down the latter option - seeking the kingdom of God. But how?
There was a time when I would have confidently said this is it: Live a morally good life, study the scritpures, and pray. Sound simple, no? But I find myself in the place of the rich young ruler who said, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:20) The morality of my life, and my diligence in study and prayer are open to the judgement of God, of course. I am aware of a number of failings in those departments. But my point is not how well I have sought the kingdom according those criteria, but rather, "What do I still lack?" Because I do still lack something - at least it seems that way to me.
In both the sermon on the mount text and in the story of the rich young ruler cited here, God's competitor is wealth, money. The rich guy went away because Jesus told him to sell his considerable wealth, give to the poor and then to follow him. I cannot go further in trying to understand what it means to seek his kingdom without starting here. Money, or preoccupation with it, is in the way.
I cannot serve God and seek his kingdom, and be first concerned with the security of wealth - by wealth I mean reasonable comfort not an island in the Carribean. This kind of hits me between the eyes right now. My salary has recently been reduced. I am developing ways of making up the difference, but find myself a little anxious and fearful about what we shall eat and what we shall wear. That underlines problem number One in my quest to seek his kingdom. I am trying to serve two masters.
My immediate defense is that I need to concern myself with the practical realities of housing, feeding and clothing my family. Mustn't be so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good, as they say. But Jesus presents us with a relationship to God which actually excludes my "concern" for practical realities. And by concern I mean worry. The "no earthly good" critique seems rather out of place. In Jesus, God is our Father who loves and provides for very earthly realities:
"Therefore do not be anxious saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles (the ones who don't have this relationship with God) seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (Matthew 6:31-32)
God knows what I need. So leave that worry aside. Until I do that there is no seeking of his kingdom. That is a beginning place.
Our Father knows we need simple daily bread, and so we pray for that (as in Mt. 6:11)--not to inform him--but to remind us that our needs should be simple; and the prayer is not "give me my daily bread" so it also reminds "me" of those around me who also might need bread, people in need that I should try to help.
ReplyDeleteI think the worry or anxiety Jesus talks about later in Mt. 6 is especially about "seeking" anxiously treasures on earth (as in 6:19-21). These treasures "demand" (like a "master" mammon) that we work hard and accumulate greedily the means of buying the best clothes, food, and drink our society values. Thus Jesus contrasts the birds (that do not work hard at sowing or reaping) and flowers (that do not work hard at toiling or spinning) with all the people who anxiously seek these things, so they can be dressed and feast like Solomon.
All of this suggests "downward mobility" for many of us "middle class." Poverty should not scare us, including getting involved in sharing our bread with those in even greater need. In Acts 20:28-35 Paul tells church leaders he did not try to fleece the flock, like certain "wolves;" he did not covet their money, but worked with his hands in order to be able to help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."