Smoodock's Blog

We are studying Jesus’ discussion with his disciples, which is best known as his Sermon on the Mount. Today, we’ll be finishing up the sixth chapter in Matthew, which is, roughly, the middle portion of his teachings (Matthew 5, 6 and 7). Jesus had been speaking of the matter of giving of one’s resources to those who are needy. What Jesus is doing is addressing the disciples’ fear of not having enough for themselves and their families, if they do, as Jesus says they should do, and give to others in an effort to satisfy their needs.

What’s at stake here is not just one’s faith or courage to put oneself at risk for the sake of another, but the greater matter concerns what we actually think of God. Will God respond to our obedience and supply our needs, if we supply the needs of others at our own risk? The question goes even deeper than this. The prime directive from the beginning has been to image God (Genesis 1:27). The Lord not only gives to everyone out of the abundance of his heart, but he, too, placed himself at risk, when he gave his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins (John 3:16; cp. 1John 2:2; 4:10). Will the Father reward his children who behave like him, even if they do so when their supply isn’t large?

Jesus concluded his teaching on the principle of giving with: “Take no thought…” (Matthew 6:31), repeating what he said in Matthew 6:25. The sense is not to not think, per se, but to ‘have no anxious thought.’ The English word thought has changed its meaning over the years, so Jesus was encouraging his disciples to not fear, vis-à-vis take no anxious thought for one’s life or one’s provisions, when we give to others, because this activity fulfills the prime directive of mankind to image God (Genesis 1:27). Jesus isn’t telling his disciples anything new. Rather, he is reminding them of the reason behind God creating men in the first place (cp. John 13:15). Most of us have heard sermons about giving and the words: “You cannot out-give God!” While this saying has often been abused in an effort to cause the believer to give more, it is a truism, meaning, if one suffers lack, because he sought to be like God, the Lord will not abandon his disciple, but will come to him and bless him.

Jesus asked his disciples to think about what he was telling them. The gentiles know little or nothing about God. They don’t have a relationship with him. It is only natural, then, for a man, who is without God, to act in ignorance of him. They ignore the needs, they see in others, because they’re afraid of not having enough, themselves (Matthew 6:32). Thus, being anxious over how much, we give others is more like imitating folks who don’t know God. We’re certainly not behaving as though we know him, and desire to be as he is. Israel had a history with God, and Jesus was challenging his disciples to remember that history.

Finally, Jesus tells his disciples: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…” In other words, they are in God’s Presence, vis-à-vis the Garden of Eden, where mankind had unbroken fellowship with their Creator. Therefore, if they are in the Presence of God, the proper thing to do is to act like they know where they are. A son behaves as his father behaves. A son idealizes his father and watches him, so he could be like him. This is the natural thing to do. So, if Jesus’ disciples are in the Presence of their spiritual Father, they should be seeking to imitate his righteousness (Matthew 6:33), and when they do, all those things that are necessary in their lives will be added to them (cp. Genesis 1:29). To be anxious for the future, because one is imitating his Father, is self-contradictory and illogical. Each day has its own challenges. Submit to today’s task or challenge of imitating the Lord (Genesis 1:27) and meet tomorrow’s challenges, when they occur (Matthew 6:34). If one is in the Presence of God, he will help us to decide, what is good for us and what is not (Genesis 1:16-17).