A right relationship with God requires the pursuit of God as the highest priority of life...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a famous sermon that Jesus preached that we know today as the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:25, we see Jesus command those listening to His sermon, and humanity throughout history, to not become overly concerned about the day to day aspects of life here on earth so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety. However, while we may intellectually agree that we should not worry, emotionally we still can find ourselves in a place where we become overly concerned about the day to day aspects of life here on earth so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety. We can still find ourselves in a place where our behavior betrays what we say we believe when it comes to this issue of worry.

 Jesus revealed the reality that worry distracts our devotion from God to something other than God. What we become overly concerned about so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety about is what we end up becoming devoted to. Worry distracts our devotion from God to something other than God.

 Jesus then provided two illustrations to the crowds listening to point out that worrying changes nothing about the things that we have no control over. In addition, Jesus reminded the crowds that if God provides in such a way for what is only temporary, then how much more will He provide for those who are created in His image. After challenging the crowds about their lack of faith, Jesus then brought the crowds listening back around to the issue of worry in Matthew 6:31-32: 

"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' ³² "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your   heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Here we see Jesus provide two reasons behind His command to not become overly concerned about the day to day aspects of life here on earth so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety. First, Jesus explained His command to not worry by stating “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things;”.

When Jesus refers to Gentiles, he is referring to those who were not Jewish ethnically or religiously and who worshipped something other than the One True God as God. Jesus point is that those who do not know God are driven by the desires and priorities of life other than God. And as a result of being driven by the desires and priorities of life other than God, those who do not know God will place their trust in those desires and priorities instead of God.

In addition, Jesus explained His command to not worry by stating “for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” Jesus point here is that, if you have a right relationship with God, you have trust in a God who knows what you need. Jesus here is revealing for us the reality that what we worry about reveals where our focus and our desires lie. Jesus then hammered His point home with a second command in verse 33-34:

 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Instead of becoming overly concerned about the day to day aspects of life here on earth so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety, Jesus commanded the crowds listening, and humanity throughout history, to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. In other words, Jesus is commanding humanity to make it their highest priority to devote serious effort toward possessing and experiencing a right relationship with God as a part of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus then explained that when a person makes it their highest priority to devote serious effort towards experiencing a right relationship with God as a part of the kingdom of God, all these things will be added to you. Jesus point is that as we make it our highest priority to devote serious effort to experience a right relationship with God; as we make the pursuit of God our highest priority, God will provide what we need. 

Notice that I did not say that God will provide what we want, because that is not what Jesus is saying here. The entire context of this section of this sermon is on people becoming overly concerned about the day to day aspects of life here on earth so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety as to how they would meet their needs and survive. Every illustration that Jesus used was about meeting the needs for food and clothing to survive.

We see Jesus reinforce this reality with what He states in verse 34: "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” When Jesus uses the word trouble, this word refers to a state of being that involves difficult circumstances or misfortune. Jesus here is basically saying “Don’t worry about what potential trouble or misfortune may come your way tomorrow, because you have no control over what may come tomorrow, so do not borrow the trouble of tomorrow today.  Instead take one day at a time, one step at a time, with a focus on pursuing a right relationship with Me by doing the next right thing.

 Now so often, we tend to look at this passage as a passage about worry. However, what if I told you that worry is not the main point of this passage. What if I told you that the issue of worry was a symptom of something much deeper that Jesus wanted to expose and deal with. Because it is here that we see Jesus reveal for us a timeless truth about the true nature of what it means to obey the message and teachings of Jesus and the true nature of a lifestyle that is living a right relationship with Jesus.  And that timeless truth is this: A right relationship with God requires the pursuit of God as the highest priority of life.

You see, Jesus addressed the issue of worry because Jesus knew that worry distracts our devotion from God to something other than God. Jesus addressed the issue of worry because Jesus knew that what we become overly concerned about so as to be consumed by apprehension and anxiety about is what we are truly devoted to. Jesus addressed the issue of worry because Jesus knew that what we worry about reveals where our focus and our desires lie. And because of the reality, Jesus commanded humanity throughout history to make the pursuit of God and a right relationship with God as the highest priority of life.

So, here is a question to consider: What are you worried about? And what does what you are worried about reveal about what is the highest priority in your life?

Because worry distracts our devotion from God to something other than God. What we worry about reveals where our focus and our desires lie. Is Jesus the highest love, the highest treasure, the highest priority of your life?

Because, as Jesus makes clear, a right relationship with God requires the pursuit of God as the highest priority of life...