The admonition to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt.6:32,33) forcefully reminds us of the unique position the Christian is in. We live in two worlds: we live in flesh and blood bodies in a material world and consequently have physical needs, and yet we have been made in God’s image with a life and destiny in a spiritual world. The one is immediate and temporal, the other is invisible and eternal. The one is worth comparatively little, while the other is worth everything. As Paul described these contrasting realities in 2 Cor. 5:16-18: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inner man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“Seek first” is different from “Seek only”. “Seek first” implies that we seek many things in life. I remember many years ago sending a tract entitled Are You Looking For Something? to a man who owned an old car business. He got a great kick out of the tract, not because of the religious content, but because of the irony of the title – he spent much of his days at the shop looking for parts with a torch! Dentists look for cavities, doctors look for symptoms, shepherds look for sheep etc.etc. More generally, we all seek for things that will enable us to live (as Matt 6:19ff alludes to – food, clothing, shelter etc.). For most of us in our society, we don’t do that as hunter/gatherers. We do it by earning money and converting that into what we are looking for. We are incurable seekers of other things too, such as happiness, love, acceptance, peace etc.
Jesus is not saying that we don’t have to take care of earthly things: if we won’t work we shouldn’t eat; he who doesn’t provide for his family has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel; a married man cares for the things of the world that he may please his wife and so on. Rather He is saying that there is something to be top of the list – the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness. When seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is first priority, then those other activities assume their proper place, proportion and purpose. When you go to work, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness means that you will work for your boss as you would work for the Lord – a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. If the workforce practiced that it would make a difference wouldn’t it? It means you set an example in sound speech that cannot be condemned, in dress, and all other aspects of human behaviour. It means you look for opportunities to sow the seed of the Kingdom with those whom you rub shoulders. Doing this makes going to work God-honouring. The same can be said for going to school, being a husband, wife, father, mother, homemaker, and any other area of human responsibility and activity.
Jesus told quite a few parables about the kingdom of Heaven because it was a different kind of kingdom from the kingdoms of the world. One of its characteristics was a certain invisibility when compared to political kingdoms. I could name any kingdom, principality, commonwealth and you would have no trouble finding it on a map of the world. You could point it out, could point out its boundaries, its main geographical and topographical features etc., and if you wanted to, could travel to the place. But the kingdom of God was and is not like that. cf. Luke 17:20,21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God comes not with observation, neither say “Lo here, or Lo there” for the kingdom of God is within you. Bear in mind they didn’t even realize that its King was speaking to them! But even so, it is a kingdom that can be found. Jesus told a man, you are not far from the kingdom of Heaven. I wonder if he looked around to see if an army was approaching.
Remember the parable of the pearl merchant? Matt.13:45,46 Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. This parable, and the one immediately preceding it (The Lost Treasure), speak to the value of this kingdom. To possess the kingdom, that is, to be a citizen in it, is to possess the greatest thing of all:- Phil. 3:20 For our citizenship is in Heaven, from where also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
But it also illustrates the searching it requires. The kingdom of Heaven is like an underground treasure. We talk about ‘underground movements’ and certainly the king of Heaven is that in some ways. It’s like a pearl of great price that is to be found somewhere in the marketplace. There are other pearls around, but not to be compared with this one. And in the marketplace of ideas there are certainly no shortage of religions and philosophies and all sorts of attractive pearls – knowledge, art, music, literature and the triumphs of the human spirit – pearls to be sure, but not to be compared with the Kingdom of heaven. Man is made to seek the true and the beautiful and the good. Man is made to seek after his Creator (Eccles. 12:1). Acts 17:26 says, …God… has made of one all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation: that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though he be not far from everyone of us.
To find the pearl of great price is one thing, but it is not yet owned. We may see the Kingdom of Heaven afar off, or we may be close to its borders (Matt.12:34), yet we may not have taken possession of it (Matt.7:21-23). Are you in the kingdom? (cf. John 3:3-5). So the man in the parable traded it all for this one pearl – and today he that would have that pearl must regard it as above all things – he must learn to love the Lord with all his heart and subordinate all other loves to that:- Phil. 3:8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Martha had to learn that, being careful and troubled about many things, whilst Mary had gotten a handle on it, focusing on the one thing really necessary.
Is it the case that when we have found the Kingdom and been made righteous by Christ then we should cease seeking? In one sense, yes, and in another sense, no. In the ‘yes’ sense, there is only one Kingdom of God and once we have become citizens in it we should not depart from it. To be a citizen in such a kingdom is not something to be treated profanely as Esau did his birthright. Would you give up your Australian citizenship? If not, why not? Why should we treat any less precious our citizenship in the kingdom of God? Similarly we cannot go any higher than to be made righteous by Christ upon entry into the Kingdom (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 1:21-23). I mean, how righteous is righteous!?
In the ‘no’ sense, we must continue to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. To be a citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia involves ongoing responsibilities. It behoves us, if we understand aright the concept of citizenship, to be law-abiding and productive citizens in our nation. Even so the Kingdom of Heaven. We must pursue the welfare of the kingdom of heaven and strive to be exemplary citizens of it.
Successful businessmen know the value of priorities. There are things they must do each day starting with the important and reducing to the not-so-important. The trap for many people is to do the important things first, which is right, and then work their way down the list and what is remaining is put to the top for the next day. The problem is there are probably more important things to do the next day, rather than the ‘left-overs’ from the day before. There is also the problem of distinguishing between the important and the urgent. When a phone rings it’s very hard to ignore it – it’s urgent but it may not be very important – for the Christian Jesus is saying that each day at the top of the list we have seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Why? Well, first of all, because it is the most important – there is no greater cause in the world. The old hymn “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord” describes the kingdom as dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand. The progress of the kingdom is left in our hands: we sow, and we water what we sow: and God but gives the increase. It needs to be reflected in our giving. Tossing the Lord some loose change we happen to find in our pocket or purse is not seeking the kingdom of God first, and is offensive to the King of the kingdom.
Then there is the fact that it’s what we were made for. Somebody once asked “What is the chief end of man?” The answer came back, “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever”. The fact of the matter is what we focus on and gets our attention, gets our heart and God wants our heart. Sadly there are those who make no effort to seek the Kingdom of Heaven at all, and there are others who have it as a low priority.
Added to that is the fact the world is temporal and so we should hold lightly the things of the world – v.19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. The French statesman, Cardinal Mazarin, when dying took his last look at his treasures of art and the costly adornments of his earthly house and cried, I must leave all this! I must leave all this! So Isa. 55:6 counsels Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Death has a habit of catching up with the one who won’t prepare for eternity: Luke 12:20…..thou fool…..
Also, we cannot have a divided allegiance – v.24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. There are two masters which divide the allegiance of mankind – some serve the true and living God; some serve mammon, riches, the world. The man who would serve two masters has no success or joy in either pursuit. There are those who are described as not having enough religion to be happy at a prayer meeting, but enough to feel guilty at a nightclub. …You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart….love not the world.
Finally, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness removes anxiety. Heb. 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. There is no doubt that the pursuit of God is right. We may have doubts and misgivings about some other pursuits in life, but not this one. The serendipity is that all the other things are added – food, clothing, housing etc., and other things we want are added – all these things shall be added unto you. These are the very things that lie at the root of much of the world’s anxieties. But there’s more as well. What about family? Mark 10:30; but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions: and in the world to come, eternal life. In fact all we need – Phil. 4:19; But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. Jesus has all authority or all power – He is Lord of all, and if we will look for Him, and look out for His cause, then He will look after us. What are you seeking?