Here is the link for Matthew, Chapter 6, and verse 33 from the Chapter:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
If you read the verse in context, you will see “all these things” is referring to basic needs of a human life, such as food, drink, and clothing.
In the modern world, we readily relate the fulfillment of need to work. Most of us, assuming we are capable adults, spend our entire lives working in order to provide for ourselves and our families.
In this passage, Jesus is redefining the concept of work and how we meet our needs. Work is not, at least at its most basic level, the job we go to everyday. Work is instead the pursuit of the Kingdom.
In the “real world,” I work in the construction industry. I manage projects in order to make sure that all the required materials, equipment, and labor are available for a project when needed, so that a new or renovated building can be turned over to its owner in the shortest time possible.
If you asked anyone what I spend my time doing, they would say I am “working.”
But am I following the instructions of Jesus as I do what is necessary to meet the needs of my family? Am I pursuing the Kingdom as I execute my job?
The answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no, and hopefully more often than not.
It depends on something deeper that is also contained in this verse. Jesus does not tell us to seek God, and all these things will be given us. He instead tells us to seek “his kingdom.”
The use of the word kingdom implies community. It implies interaction with and service to others.
I often desire to walk away from my job and spend all my time in search of God. It’s not an unusual aspiration for someone who spends lots of time thinking about God. You never get enough, never feel satisfied. St Francis of Assisi and St. Augustine are two prominent examples of men much greater than I who struggled with the same thing.
But we have to find balance between the search for God, and service in the kingdom. Jesus himself often went off alone to engage in prayer, but he also ministered to the people continuously.
The suggestion I am working toward is not that anyone walk away from the modern idea of work. It is simply to say that the modern idea of work needs to be refined and clarified if it is to mesh properly with the message of Jesus.
We must consciously link the ideas of work and Kingdom together.
Whatever you do for “work,” there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate service to others. It starts with attitude. When people meet you, do they sense something different about you? Can they tell you are a citizen of the kingdom? Are you an example of how they should treat others?
And then do you place people first, especially ahead of profit? Are you content to earn a reasonable living and serve people at the same time? Do you value people as highly as you value profit, or do you pursue dollars as the most important element of work?
Jesus is telling us that in order to meet our needs, pursuit of the Kingdom must be an integral ingredient in our work life.
How different would the world be if we all internalized that message?
Next week, Matthew Chapter 7.