Verse:
Matthew 6:33
But seek ( seek / zeteo ) ye first the kingdom ( kingdom / basileia) of God, and his righteousness ( justification / dikaiosune ) ; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Commentary by Adam Clarke
Verse 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God Source
His righteousness
That holiness of heart and purity of life which God requires of those who profess to be subjects of that spiritual kingdom mentioned above. See Clarke on Matthew 5:20.
The seventh reason against these worldly cares and fears is-because the business of our salvation ought to engross us entirely: hither all our desires, cares, and inquiries ought to tend. Grace is the way to glory-holiness the way to happiness. If men be not righteous, there is no heaven to be had: if they be, they shall have heaven and earth too; for godliness has the promise of both lives. 1 Timothy 6:3.
1 Timothy 6:3
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
All these things shall be added unto you.
The very blunt note of old Mr. Trapp, on this passage, is worthy of serious attention. All things shall be added. "They shall be cast in as an overplus, or as small advantages to the main bargain; as paper and pack-thread are given where we buy spice and fruit, or an inch of measure to an ell of cloth." This was a very common saying among the Jews: "Seek that, to which other things are necessarily connected." "A king said to his particular friend, 'Ask what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee.' He thought within himself, 'If I ask to be made a general I shall readily obtain it. I will ask something to which all these things shall be added:' he therefore said, 'Give me thy daughter to wife.' This he did knowing that all the dignities of the kingdom should be added unto this gift." See in Schoettgen.
To this verse, probably, belong the following words, quoted often by Clement, Origen, and Eusebius, as the words of Christ: "Ask great things, and little things shall be added unto you; ask heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added unto you."
Commentary by Oswald Chambers
Having God's "Unreasonable" Faith
May 21
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you
-- Matthew 6:33
When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. ". . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . ." Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, "But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed." The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves to live. Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.
". . . do not worry about your life . . ." (Matthew 6:25). Our Lord pointed out that from His standpoint it is absolutely unreasonable for us to be anxious, worrying about how we will live. Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed -- no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that. In essence, Jesus was saying, "Don't make food and drink the controlling factor of your life, but be focused absolutely on God." Some people are careless about what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, having no business looking the way they do; they are careless with their earthly matters, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.
It is one of the most difficult, yet critical, disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into absolute harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.
Commentary by James Burton Coffman
Verse 33 This is a divine appeal for men to put first things first. The kingdom of God should be placed first: (1) in importance, (2) in point of time, and (3) in emphasis. The righteousness men should seek is that of Christ, not their own. This means that God's commandments should be honored, rather than men's, and that his doctrine should be received and practiced instead of the commandments and traditions of men. As a result of true obedience, God will add "all these things" to the estate of his children. This is true not merely of individuals, but of nations and states as well. It can be no accident that those areas of the world which are most characterized by attention to and observance of the teachings of Christ are also those areas most civilized, having the highest standards of living and the greatest abundance of "all these things"!
But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Source
Commentary by David Guzik
4. (33) Summary: Put God's kingdom first - He will take care of these things!
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."Source
a. But seek first the kingdom of God: Let this be the acid test when you are in trouble: Am I seeking the Kingdom of God first? b. And all these things shall be added to you: If you do not think that your physical-well being is a worthy object to live your life for, you then may enjoy all these things. He promises heavenly treasure, rest in divine provision, and fulfill God's highest purpose for man - fellowship with Him, and being part of His kingdom.
i. In particular regard to the context Jesus is speaking to, we must ask ourselves this question: "Is physical well-being a worthy object to which I will devote my life?" If you think it is, then your god is mammon, your life is cursed with worry, and you live life as an animal, concerned mostly with physical needs.
i. Remember: this is the choice that you made when you became a Christian, but you reinforce that decision, or deny that decision, everyday of your life.
Commentary by John Gill
But seek first the kingdom of God And his righteousness;
Meaning either the Gospel, and the ministration of it; in which sense this phrase is often used, see (Matthew 21:43) (Mark 1:14) (Luke 4:43,9:2-60,16:16) and which is diligently to be sought after, and into; to be constantly attended on, and to be preferred to our necessary food, to raiment, or riches, or any enjoyment of life: or else the kingdom of glory, which is prepared by God, and is his gift; for which he makes his people meet here, and will introduce them into it hereafter. And all these things shall be added unto you:
the righteousness of God, which is revealed in the Gospel, and is what gives a right and title to the kingdom of heaven. This is not the righteousness of man, but of God; and is no other than the righteousness of Christ; so called, because he is God who has wrought it; it is what God approves of, accepts, and imputes, and which only can justify in his sight, and give an abundant entrance into his kingdom and glory. Heaven is to be sought for in the first place, as the perfection of the saints' happiness; and Christ's righteousness is to be sought for, and laid hold on by faith, as the way and means of enjoying that happiness; without which, there will be no entering into the kingdom of heaven. Source
of the free bounty, goodness, and liberality of God, without your thought and care, and much less merit; even "all these things", meat, drink, clothing, or whatsoever worldly sustenance else is necessary for you: which are not parts of the happiness of saints, only appendages thereunto; which they have over and above what they are, or should be chiefly seeking after. The Hebrews F18 say,
``that no good sign will be shown to Israel, until they return and "seek" three things: "afterwards the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord"; (Mymv twklm) (wz) , "this is the kingdom of heaven"; and "David their king", according to its literal sense; "and shall fear the Lord and his goodness"; this is the house of the sanctuary, as it is said, "this goodly mountain", and Lebanon.''
Commentary by John Wesley
Verse 33. Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness Source
- Singly aim at this, that God, reigning in your heart, may fill it with the righteousness above described. And indeed whosoever seeks this first, will soon come to seek this only.
Commentary by Matthew Henry
6. Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33. [1.] The great duty required: it is the sum and substance of our whole duty: "Seek first the kingdom of God, mind religion as your great and principle concern." Our duty is to seek; to desire, pursue, and aim at these things; it is a word that has in it much of the constitution of the new covenant in favour of us; though we have not attained, but in many things fail and come short, sincere seeking (a careful concern and an earnest endeavor) is accepted.
Here is a double argument against the sin of thoughtfulness; take no thought for your life, the life of the body; for,
(1.) You have greater and better things to take thought about, the life of your soul, your eternal happiness; that is the one thing needful (Luke 10:42), about which you should employ your thoughts, and which is commonly neglected in those hearts wherein worldly cares have the ascendant. If we were but more careful to please God, and to work out our own salvation, we should be less solicitous to please ourselves, and work out an estate in the world. Thoughtfulness for our souls in the most effectual cure of thoughtfulness for the world. (2.) You have a surer and easier, a safer and more compendious way to obtain the necessaries of this life, than by carking, and caring, and fretting about them; and that is, by seeking first the kingdom of God, and making religion your business: say not that this is the way to starve, no, it is the way to be well provided for, even in this world. Observe here,
Luke 10:42
but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." [2.] The gracious promise annexed; all these things, the necessary supports of life, shall be added unto you; shall be given over and above; so it is in the margin. You shall have what you seek, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, for never any sought in vain, that sought in earnest; and besides that, you shall have food and raiment, by way of overplus; as he that buys goods has paper and packthread given him in the bargain. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is, 1 Timothy 4:8. Solomon asked wisdom, and had that and other things added to him, 2 Chronicles 1:11,12. O what a blessed change would it make in our hearts and lives, did we but firmly believe this truth, that the best way to be comfortably provided for in this world, is to be most intent upon another world! We then begin at the right end of our work, when we begin with God. If we give diligence to make sure to ourselves the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, as to all the things of this life, Jehovah-jireh--the Lord will provide as much of them as he sees good for us, and more we would not wish for. Have we trusted in him for the portion of our inheritance at our end, and shall we not trust him for the portion of our cup, in the way to it? God's Israel were not only brought to Canaan at last, but had their charges borne through the wilderness. O that we were more thoughtful about the things that are not seen, that are eternal, and then the less thoughtful we should be, and the less thoughtful we should need to be, about the things that are seen, that are temporal! Also regard not your stuff, Genesis 45:20,23.
Now observe, First, The object of this seeking; The kingdom of God, and his righteousness; we must mind heaven as our end, and holiness as our way. "Seek the comforts of the kingdom of grace and glory as your felicity. Aim at the kingdom of heaven; press towards it; give diligence to make it sure; resolve not to take up short of it; seek for this glory, honour, and immortality; prefer heaven and heavenly blessings far before earth and earthly delights." We make nothing of our religion, if we do not make heaven of it. And with the happiness of this kingdom, seek the righteousness of it; God's righteousness, the righteousness which he requires to be wrought in us, and wrought by us, such as exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees; we must follow peace and holiness, Hebrews 12:14. Secondly, The order of it. Seek first the kingdom of God. Let your care for your souls and another world take the place of all other cares: and let all the concerns of this life be made subordinate to those of the life to come: we must seek the things of Christ more than our own things; and if every they come in competition, we must remember to which we are to give the preference. "Seek these things first; first in thy days: let the morning of thy youth be dedicated to God. Wisdom must be sought early; it is good beginning betimes to be religious. Seek the first every day; let waking thoughts be of God." Let this be our principle, to do that first which is most needful, and let him that is the First, have the first.
Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Source
Genesis 45:20,23 1 Timothy 4:8
20 Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.' "
23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Commentary by Scofield
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Source
kingdom of God
The kingdom of God is to be distinguished from the kingdom of heaven (See Scofield "Matthew 3:2") , in five respects:
(1) The kingdom of God is universal, including all moral intelligences willingly subject to the will of God, whether angels, the Church, or saints of past or future dispensations Luke 13:28,29; Hebrews 12:22,23 while the kingdom of heaven is Messianic, mediatorial, and Davidic, and has for its object the establishment of the kingdom of God in the earth (See Scofield "Matthew 3:2") 1 Corinthians 15:24,25.
(2) The kingdom of God is entered only by the new birth John 3:3,5-7 the kingdom of heaven, during this age, is the sphere of a profession which may be real or false. (See Scofield "Matthew 13:3") Matthew 25:1,11,12
(3) Since the kingdom of heaven is the earthly sphere of the universal kingdom of God, the two have almost all things in common. For this reason many parables and other teachings are spoken of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew, and of the kingdom of God in Mark and Luke. It is the omissions which are significant. The parables of the wheat and tares, and of the net Matthew 13:24-30,36-43,47-50 are not spoken of the kingdom of God. In that kingdom there are neither tares nor bad fish. But the parable of the leaven Matthew 13:33 is spoken of the kingdom of God also, for, alas, even the true doctrines of the kingdom are leavened with the errors of which the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians were the representatives. (See Scofield "Matthew 13:33") .
(4) The kingdom of God "comes not with outward show" Luke 17:20 but is chiefly that which is inward and spiritual Romans 14:17 while the kingdom of heaven is organic, and is to be manifested in glory on the earth. (See "Kingdom (O.T.)," Zechariah 12:8, note; (N.T.), ; Luke 1:31-33; 1 Corinthians 15:24, note; Matthew 17:2, note.) (See Scofield "Zechariah 12:8") , Luke 1:31-33 See Scofield "1 Corinthians 15:24" See Scofield "Matthew 17:2"
(5) The kingdom of heaven merges into the kingdom of God when Christ, having put all enemies under his feet, "shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father" 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (See Scofield "Matthew 3:2")
About Commentary Authors
Prepared by William C. Barman for George Young Memorial United Methodist Church -- Palm Harbor, FL on 9/7/03; 7:51:51 PM