Luke 12:31
(2009 – 9)
Bob Rakestraw
Knowing that our main pursuit in life is to “set our hearts on” and “strive first” for the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:33; Luke 12:29-31), we now need to ask a second major question on these issues: “What is the kingdom of God?” What did Jesus mean by this expression, and what does it mean to us today? If we get this right, and have the attitude of seeking the kingdom always, we will have solved, in principle, the overarching question of existence: “Why and how do we live life and provide for our basic needs?” A proper understanding of Jesus’ words, received with a heart to obey, will do us more good than a thousand sermons from the most gifted preacher in the world!
Many reams of paper and gallons of ink have been used over the years to try to explain the meaning of the phrase “the kingdom of God.” Whatever else has been accomplished, this huge effort demonstrates that Christians everywhere and always have recognized the importance of the words. Whatever else we may say about the kingdom,, we know that it is the most important thing in life to pursue. We are to strive first for it—above all else.
The Meaning of the Kingdom
It is always essential when trying to discover the meaning of any phrase or word in the Bible to look at its context, both immediate and broad. In the Gospel of Luke the word kingdom (basileia) is used 46 times. A meditative reading of these texts, as well as the many dozens of other locations of basileia throughout the New Testament is one of the most profitable exercises a Christian (or even a non-Christian) may experience. “Kingdom” is one of the most frequent and important words from the lips of Jesus, although the word is also found often in the book of Acts, the epistles, and the book of Revelation.
Most simply stated, the kingdom of God is the reign or rule of God. Ever since the creation, God has reigned as King, and his reign will never end. He is not a tyrant king, however, but is benevolent, merciful, loving, righteous, just and holy. We may even say that before the creation the kingdom of God has always existed as the harmonious trinity of Father, Son and Spirit. The characteristics of the King are the characteristics of the kingdom. Because God wanted to share his love and populate his created realm with living beings, some of whom would be able to make free moral choices, he created angelic beings, animals, and human beings. With the creation of angels and humans God allowed for ideas and actions opposed to his pure and perfect reign. Even after sin defiled God’s creation, God still reigned—and always will—over his domain: earth, the heavens and all things.
Clarifying the Concept
Many Christians think erroneously of God’s kingdom as a place rather than a realm. They often think of it as the place we go when we die, or the kingly government of Jesus over the earth from his throne in Jerusalem. There are reasons why these ideas have developed during the course of Christian history, and they contain some valuable insights. But the kingdom of God is a much broader concept than usually realized. N. T. Wright says that “God’s kingdom” in the preaching of Jesus “refers not to postmortem destiny, not to our escape from this world into another one, but to God’s sovereign rule coming ‘on earth as it is in heaven’” ["Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection and the Mission of the Church" (New York: Harper Collins, 2008), p. 18]. Wright goes on to consider the prayer, “Thy kingdom come, on earth as in heaven.” He states,
“That remains one of the most powerful and revolutionary sentences we can ever say. As I see it, the prayer was powerfully answered at the first Easter and will finally be answered fully when heaven and earth are joined in the New Jerusalem. Easter was when Hope in person surprised the whole world by coming forward from the future into the present. The ultimate future hope remains a surprise, partly because we don’t know when it will arrive and partly because at present we have only images and metaphors for it, leaving us to guess that the reality will be far greater, and more surprising, still” [Wright, p. 29].
Wright’s words help us to see the kingdom as already here on earth but not yet fully realized. It is possible to think of the kingdom as always existing within the Godhead, yet from the beginning of the human race prophesied and anticipated as something fuller, more tangible, than God’s rule over humanity in general.
Anticipating and Experiencing the Kingdom
During the thousands of years before the coming of Christ, God’s people were looking for the coming of the kingdom. The early chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke reveal how this heightened sense of anticipation culminated in the birth of Jesus—the King of Kings. Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and announced that “the kingdom of God is among you.” Jesus embodied the kingdom—the peace, justice, righteousness, joy and hope within the Godhead—and radiated the qualities of the kingdom himself to the people he taught, fed, healed, and forgave.
Everything about Jesus revealed the kingdom. As Wright indicated, however, the inauguration of the kingdom through the new people of God—the new sphere and agency of God’s rule on earth—did not occur until the first Easter Sunday. From the first Easter until now the kingdom of God has been coming more and more to earth as it is in heaven. This is the kingdom of God we are to strive for and seek to extend as we live here on earth. This is the kingdom that is now here, and the universal gift from God for all the earth. It is, of course, vital to pursue our coming rest with God upon death, as we await our bodily resurrection, and it is important to envision and hope for the coming of the New Heavens and the New Earth (the kingdom of God in its full realization). But neither of these is the kingdom of God we are to be striving for now in the sense of Luke 12:31 and Matthew 6:33.
One key to what Jesus meant by his kingdom is in Matthew 6:33 itself: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” A major aspect of the kingdom is God’s righteousness. The apostle Paul instructs us so helpfully on this point. “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval” (Romans 14:17-18).
The kingdom we are urged by Jesus to seek—to strive after above everything else—is a close daily walk with God, an attitude of generosity and kindness, a heart quick to repent and confess and a desire for holiness in thought, word and deed. It is also a zeal for justice, reconciliation, righteousness and the good news of salvation and wholeness to spread throughout the earth, engendering lives filled with love, joy and peace flowing from the life of God within.
This sounds like an impossibly high standard, and it is—if we strive after such a life and spirit by our own energy. But by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God we can live such a life, one day at a time, one minute at a time. God does not require of us what he does not enable us to do. In fact, in our classic text from Luke 12, in which he assures us that our Father knows our needs for the daily provisions for life, and in which he urges us to strive for his kingdom, he assures us that as we do so, “these things will be given to you as well.” Then he gives us those remarkable words of comfort and hope, with which I close. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Jesus and Money: Striving for the Kingdom
Luke 12:31
(2009 – 8)
Bob Rakestraw
This is the third in our series on Luke 12:31: “Instead, strive for [your Father’s] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” We previously noted that these words of Jesus contain a remarkable promise and offer us strong hope from day to day. However, some of you may be struggling with trying to obtain “these things” (the physical and financial necessities of life) in the economically turbulent world in which we live, and find this promise of Jesus either unclear, simplistic or unworkable. In this posting and the next I hope to address some of the issues and questions that are raised by these classic words of our Lord.
What Does “Strive” Mean?
The first question—one easily overlooked or minimized—is: what does it mean to strive for God’s kingdom? It helps to compare this text with the parallel verse in Matthew (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”) and to note that the word “his”—from the context both in Matthew and Luke—refers to “your Father” or “your heavenly Father” (Matthew 6:32-33). The fact that this discourse is addressed to those who are known by their Father and who are the disciples of Jesus (Lk. 12:22) indicates that “seeking first” would arouse the listeners greatly. When this miracle-working Rabbi from Galilee tells his followers to pursue something “first” or “above anything else,” they listen.
God has made it plain what he will do if we seek his kingdom. While we will study the word “kingdom” more in the next posting, we can say for now that God’s kingdom is his rule, his reign, his way of righteousness, peace, justice, holiness and mercy. If we seek first the realm of God, the money and the provisions we need for everyday living (food, clothing, shelter, furniture, transportation, heat, light, water) will be given to us by God. There is no other thing mentioned in the text for us to do than to seek the Father’s kingdom. This is such an all-encompassing and highly-practical promise that one could easily use this as his or her life verse. It deserves and rewards our most careful attention. It almost seems too good to be true.
Matthew’s addition of “first” (“seek first”) reveals the emphasis Jesus places here on priorities. (Luke was not led by the Spirit to include this adverb, nor was he present, as Matthew was, when Jesus gave this discourse. The similarities and differences of the gospels are well worth reflecting on, as every part reveals the truth of God uniquely and richly.) The simple yet easily neglected truth, according to Jesus, is to strive first after God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and then our needs will be met. The painful (to our Father, for sure) fact, however, is that many of Christ’s followers seek first their daily needs—and often their daily wants—and then after they are having trouble paying their bills and supporting themselves they seek God. I suspect all of us have been guilty of this at some time or another. It may even be our daily approach to life, and Jesus wants to reverse this order.
Seeking and Striving Amplified
The words “seek” or “strive for” are used three times in Luke 12:29-31, once in each verse. The words have the same Greek root, but the middle verse, speaking of all the nations of the world, adds an intensifier to that root, and may be translated “eagerly seek” (NASB). Even though the three occasions all use the same basic root, one version reveals nicely the nuances in each verse:
29. “And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father know that you need them. 31. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
As is often the case, the context itself gives us the meaning of a word, and this is clearly the case above. Whereas some versions translate the basic root the same way each time (“strive,” NRSV; “seek,” NASB), the variations on the original Greek words, as shown above (“set your heart on,” “run after,” “seek”) bring out the fuller spectrum of color in the word. It is a strong word, and Luke instructs us both how not to strive (vss. 29, 30) and how to strive (v. 31).
To seek or strive after the Father’s kingdom is to “set our hearts on” the things of God, to “run after” God’s way, to long for the purity and holiness of God. We do this, in part, by praying something like the following as soon as we rise, “Dear Father, I give myself to you today. I love you, adore you, and trust you to direct my ways today. Thank you, Father, for giving yourself to me.”
“Seeking” is the mental/spiritual attitude with which you go through the day. The Greek is “be continually seeking.” Whether you are a bank teller, construction worker, student, homemaker, or computer technician, you do your tasks carefully and honestly, while always being aware of your status as a child of the King. You pray as needs come to your mind, you praise and thank God often, and you are always seeking ways to introduce others to the King and the Kingdom, whether by giving time, money, acts of kindness, words of compassion, or even blessing the needy in your mind.
It is important to correct one basic misconception that sometimes arises, and that can easily crush us in our quest for the kingdom of God. When Jesus tells us to “seek” and “strive after” the kingdom and its righteousness, he is not asking more of us than we are able to do by his grace. Yes, it is an impossibly high standard for us to achieve on our own, but when we respond to the grace of God at work already in us, he gives us more grace. As we are strengthened more and more by the Spirit within, we find that we are living the life of the kingdom—one word at a time, one action at a time, one day at a time.
The Giver of All Grace
It is possible to hear the command of God as coming from a rigid lawmaker or from a grace-giving enabler. If you see God the first way you will become weary very soon with “striving” after the kingdom of God. You may feel downcast and guilt-ridden when you read The New American Bible’s translation of Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingship over you, his way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides.” You may feel that you need to play Christian music all day long, read only Christian books and magazines, associate only with believers, and pray through a long list of prayer requests every day. You may find the business of seeking God’s kingdom exhausting, and you may soon give up.
But if you are coming to know God as a grace-giving enabler, you are not overwhelmed by his commands. Of course, they are very high, but you come to know that with every expression of the will of God for you there is the generosity of God’s grace and enabling power to direct you in the way of the kingdom. You know personally the experience of the psalmist: “I find my delight in your commands, because I love them” (Ps. 119:47). And you hear the gentle words of Jesus often: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). You serve God throughout the day in whatever occupation you have, but you have a calmness about how you pursue the things of the kingdom. You are striving first for the kingdom, but you are experiencing an inner rest and freedom from anxiety as you walk with God and do your work.
We know that God desires strongly to meet all of our needs for living in this world. The verses before and after our text for today reinforce this truth. “Your Father knows that you need them. … Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:30,32). I know that finances are a major concern for some of you who read these postings, and for you and all of us I repeat the command and promise of Jesus to strengthen your faith and hope.
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
(2009 – 8)
Bob Rakestraw
This is the third in our series on Luke 12:31: “Instead, strive for [your Father’s] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” We previously noted that these words of Jesus contain a remarkable promise and offer us strong hope from day to day. However, some of you may be struggling with trying to obtain “these things” (the physical and financial necessities of life) in the economically turbulent world in which we live, and find this promise of Jesus either unclear, simplistic or unworkable. In this posting and the next I hope to address some of the issues and questions that are raised by these classic words of our Lord.
What Does “Strive” Mean?
The first question—one easily overlooked or minimized—is: what does it mean to strive for God’s kingdom? It helps to compare this text with the parallel verse in Matthew (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”) and to note that the word “his”—from the context both in Matthew and Luke—refers to “your Father” or “your heavenly Father” (Matthew 6:32-33). The fact that this discourse is addressed to those who are known by their Father and who are the disciples of Jesus (Lk. 12:22) indicates that “seeking first” would arouse the listeners greatly. When this miracle-working Rabbi from Galilee tells his followers to pursue something “first” or “above anything else,” they listen.
God has made it plain what he will do if we seek his kingdom. While we will study the word “kingdom” more in the next posting, we can say for now that God’s kingdom is his rule, his reign, his way of righteousness, peace, justice, holiness and mercy. If we seek first the realm of God, the money and the provisions we need for everyday living (food, clothing, shelter, furniture, transportation, heat, light, water) will be given to us by God. There is no other thing mentioned in the text for us to do than to seek the Father’s kingdom. This is such an all-encompassing and highly-practical promise that one could easily use this as his or her life verse. It deserves and rewards our most careful attention. It almost seems too good to be true.
Matthew’s addition of “first” (“seek first”) reveals the emphasis Jesus places here on priorities. (Luke was not led by the Spirit to include this adverb, nor was he present, as Matthew was, when Jesus gave this discourse. The similarities and differences of the gospels are well worth reflecting on, as every part reveals the truth of God uniquely and richly.) The simple yet easily neglected truth, according to Jesus, is to strive first after God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and then our needs will be met. The painful (to our Father, for sure) fact, however, is that many of Christ’s followers seek first their daily needs—and often their daily wants—and then after they are having trouble paying their bills and supporting themselves they seek God. I suspect all of us have been guilty of this at some time or another. It may even be our daily approach to life, and Jesus wants to reverse this order.
Seeking and Striving Amplified
The words “seek” or “strive for” are used three times in Luke 12:29-31, once in each verse. The words have the same Greek root, but the middle verse, speaking of all the nations of the world, adds an intensifier to that root, and may be translated “eagerly seek” (NASB). Even though the three occasions all use the same basic root, one version reveals nicely the nuances in each verse:
29. “And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father know that you need them. 31. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
As is often the case, the context itself gives us the meaning of a word, and this is clearly the case above. Whereas some versions translate the basic root the same way each time (“strive,” NRSV; “seek,” NASB), the variations on the original Greek words, as shown above (“set your heart on,” “run after,” “seek”) bring out the fuller spectrum of color in the word. It is a strong word, and Luke instructs us both how not to strive (vss. 29, 30) and how to strive (v. 31).
To seek or strive after the Father’s kingdom is to “set our hearts on” the things of God, to “run after” God’s way, to long for the purity and holiness of God. We do this, in part, by praying something like the following as soon as we rise, “Dear Father, I give myself to you today. I love you, adore you, and trust you to direct my ways today. Thank you, Father, for giving yourself to me.”
“Seeking” is the mental/spiritual attitude with which you go through the day. The Greek is “be continually seeking.” Whether you are a bank teller, construction worker, student, homemaker, or computer technician, you do your tasks carefully and honestly, while always being aware of your status as a child of the King. You pray as needs come to your mind, you praise and thank God often, and you are always seeking ways to introduce others to the King and the Kingdom, whether by giving time, money, acts of kindness, words of compassion, or even blessing the needy in your mind.
It is important to correct one basic misconception that sometimes arises, and that can easily crush us in our quest for the kingdom of God. When Jesus tells us to “seek” and “strive after” the kingdom and its righteousness, he is not asking more of us than we are able to do by his grace. Yes, it is an impossibly high standard for us to achieve on our own, but when we respond to the grace of God at work already in us, he gives us more grace. As we are strengthened more and more by the Spirit within, we find that we are living the life of the kingdom—one word at a time, one action at a time, one day at a time.
The Giver of All Grace
It is possible to hear the command of God as coming from a rigid lawmaker or from a grace-giving enabler. If you see God the first way you will become weary very soon with “striving” after the kingdom of God. You may feel downcast and guilt-ridden when you read The New American Bible’s translation of Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingship over you, his way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides.” You may feel that you need to play Christian music all day long, read only Christian books and magazines, associate only with believers, and pray through a long list of prayer requests every day. You may find the business of seeking God’s kingdom exhausting, and you may soon give up.
But if you are coming to know God as a grace-giving enabler, you are not overwhelmed by his commands. Of course, they are very high, but you come to know that with every expression of the will of God for you there is the generosity of God’s grace and enabling power to direct you in the way of the kingdom. You know personally the experience of the psalmist: “I find my delight in your commands, because I love them” (Ps. 119:47). And you hear the gentle words of Jesus often: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). You serve God throughout the day in whatever occupation you have, but you have a calmness about how you pursue the things of the kingdom. You are striving first for the kingdom, but you are experiencing an inner rest and freedom from anxiety as you walk with God and do your work.
We know that God desires strongly to meet all of our needs for living in this world. The verses before and after our text for today reinforce this truth. “Your Father knows that you need them. … Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:30,32). I know that finances are a major concern for some of you who read these postings, and for you and all of us I repeat the command and promise of Jesus to strengthen your faith and hope.
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
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