On Sunday, when church is over and I am finally home, sitting in my chair, I find myself wondering, “What just happened? Where did the last week go? What, if anything, did I accomplish?” Over the years, I have bemoaned this experience with a variety of different folks. From what I can tell, it turns out to be a very common experience, almost universal.
Most people, myself included, generally shrug it off with a comment like, “That’s life.” But is it really? Is that as good as it gets? Is that what we were created for? To struggle, fret, and run around in circles until we die? If that is the case, what is the difference between the way of the world and the way of Jesus?
In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us this:
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:31-33[ESV]
When Jesus began his ministry, his message was simple. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” Repent—as in, turn around, because the kingdom of heaven is near!
When humanity rebelled in the garden, we lost access to God and to the Tree of Life. However, God’s plan from the beginning was to restore our relationship to Him and set us free from death. This plan was gradually revealed over time and finally came to fruition in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But suffering did not disappear with the appearance of Jesus. The Kingdom of God is being progressively revealed, and we will not see it in its final form until the king returns, evil is destroyed, and we are resurrected to eternal life in a recreated world.
So what about now?
What about this life? We must remember that the world in its current state is not the ultimate goal; it’s only the beginning. When we failed in the Garden of Eden, our failure was, at its heart, a failure to trust God. Our present life has been restored in Jesus, and we no longer have to fear death. But it is a life of faith.
Our ancestors became impatient and greedy. They failed to trust the goodness of God and took matters into their own hands, plunging the world into death and darkness. Jesus has set us free from the darkness of our own hearts and teaches us to walk in faith, trusting in the goodness of God.
This is where today’s passage comes into play. Jesus wants to reset our focus and desires on God, His kingdom, and the things eternal. He is telling us that God’s kingdom and His righteousness should be our primary focus, the thing we seek above all else. And ironically, if we do that, the other things we need will be provided by God in the same way he cares for the birds and the flowers. Jesus is taking us back to a Garden of Eden lifestyle.
This may sound ridiculous, and I can hear the voices saying, “Look around! This is not Eden!” Obviously not, and Jesus of all people knew that better than anyone. But our relationship with the God of Eden has been restored thanks to the suffering of Jesus on our behalf. So, we can live an Eden lifestyle now, even in this fallen world.
What does that even look like?
I have spent the bulk of my adult life trying to understand that question. I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount since I was a kid. I have seen hippies use this phrase as an excuse to do nothing, and I have seen motivational speakers act like the passage does not even exist. I think it’s safe to say that both of these approaches miss the point. But what is the point then?
The point, as near as I can tell, is one of redeeming our desires. We desire a great many things, and we need some things too. (though not as many as we think) Jesus is telling us that our desires for things are the problem; our desire must be for God alone, first and foremost. And when we do that, the things we truly need will be provided for us, not without effort, but without worry and grinding anxiety.
In a word, Jesus is freeing us from idolatry. That’s right, idolatry. A topic that is not talked about in the church anywhere near as much as it is talked about in the Bible.
When we trust our wisdom and efforts, we become idolaters worshipping at the altar of our wandering desires. On the other hand, when we seek the kingdom and His righteousness, we, by necessity, have to give up on building our little kingdoms and pursuing our often destructive desires. When we are free from idolatrous desires, we are free from all the worry that goes with them.
Jesus is recasting the old stories of idolatry, blessings, and curses from the scriptures into a context his audience could better understand. Idolatry is not just a pagan thing; it is a human thing. Idolatry is putting anything other than God in first place. Blessing follows our faithfulness to God and God alone. Curses follow the worship of anything else, including our own efforts.
Worship is placing something above all else; idolatry is worshiping anything other than God. Let’s find peace this week by destroying all of our idols and pursuing God and God alone. Let’s seek His kingdom and not our own. Let’s pursue his righteousness rather than things this world holds so dear. And let’s bring someone along with us on this journey.
And have a great week!
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