I want to note two things about my
approach to Matthew 6:25-34 and then highlight four themes identified by
commentaries, books, and articles.
The first note I want to make is obvious
but needed. Matthew 6:25-34 is part of
the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7.
Understand how I see this larger passage: The Sermon on the Mount is a call to a radical discipleship that is
shaped by absolute submission to the will of God.
A couple of writers crystalize my
understanding. Martin Goldsmith writes
that the Sermon on the Mount is multi-focused, with thoughts about the Kingdom,
righteousness, reward, mission, authority, and how to teach. Each focus calls listeners to a “radical and
total commitment and trust” in Jesus.
Failure to do this means an incomplete discipleship.[1] David Greenwood writes that Jesus does not
propose an abstract morality in the Sermon on the Mount but rather demonstrates
the Father’s plan for humanity. The
sermon is a call both to reflect this plan and to accept the rule of God.[2]
Second, I often hear people refer to an
understanding about the Sermon on the Mount summarized as follows: The Sermon on the Mount is not a call for
how we are supposed to live today, but is instead a description of what the
fulfilled Kingdom will look like so we understand how far away we are from it. I did not encounter any writers make this
argument in what I read, so I am not able to interact with it except in the
above strawman summary. My lack of
interaction with the idea is an accident of the ideas presented in the sources
I have available to me, rather than a scoffing dismissal.
There are four themes in Matthew
6:25-34. First, Jesus tells listeners to
seek the Kingdom of God while trusting that God will provide for the
necessities of life. Second, Jesus tells
listeners that attempts to achieve financial security in an absolute sense are
futile. Third, Jesus is not telling
listeners that work and preparedness are unworthy for disciples. Fourth, Jesus is calling for a community of
generosity among his disciples. These
themes are inseparable.
Seeking
the Kingdom while trusting that the Father will provide is not the same
as saying that if we do good things, God will reward us financially. Instead, it is saying that our role as
disciples is to seek the Kingdom and that God’s role is to provide for us. The Father cares for fields and birds – good
parts of his creation. People are the very
good part of the Father’s creation. If
the good/very good differentiation is indeed true, then it makes sense that the
Father cares for people at least as much as birds.[3] The essence of this passage, then, is
trust. If we trust the Father rather
than possessions for security, generous use of our possessions will be an
inevitable demonstration.[4] Our priority should therefore be the
Kingdom. Even good work with noble goals
should be secondary to our commitment to the Kingdom.[5]
Claiming
that absolute financial security is futile means acknowledging that money is
a good tool, but also that it neither can be trusted to provide everything that
we need even when it works properly nor can be trusted to be an always
available resource. Understanding our
context is important if we are going to see what Jesus may be saying. Our context teaches us to see ourselves as
consumers and that spending money makes our society function properly. The idea that buying more things equals
security is the false prophesy of this teaching.[6] The idea is wrong not only because it flies
in the face of the truth that the Father is our ultimate source of security,
but also because it fails to acknowledge that we have no idea whether we may
lose access to our stuff, whether through robbery, falling stocks, or disaster
by the end of the day tomorrow.[7]
Looking
to the Father for security involves seeing work and forethought as valuable
tools to accept His offer of security.
Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that nothing can negate our value as
people. Birds do not eat and lilies do
not grow through chance; the birds gather and wildflower seeds are spread.[8] We are not being told to neglect work or
effort. We are being told that our work
is not the source of our security. God
still has to provide for us in order for work to have benefit.[9] Disciples should conduct work with the
mindset that it is one of the ways that we rely on the Father. If we do so, the possessions that come from
work will be seen as the Father’s provision.[10]
Jesus’
claim includes a call to generosity and community, rather than a
call to hoarding and individuality. Part
of the purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to provide a framework for
Christian community.[11] Throughout Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus says “you”,
but is not talking to you or me. He says
it to you and me. As a community we are called to be righteous
and as a community we are promised blessings.
When a community is righteous, it shares amongst itself. When there is need in a community, it is
untrue to claim that the Father is failing to provide a promised blessing. It is true to say that someone else is
misappropriating a promised blessing.[12] Generosity and community show that we trust
the Father. Generosity with our
possessions marks our discipleship and makes a statement about where we look
for security.[13] Possession-based security will lead us to
fight not only for our share, but also to poaching the shares of others for
just-in-case moments.[14] Instead, our focus should be the security of
others. As we continue to see that
hunger exists, caring for others in community is our only solution. This is counter-cultural.[15]
[1] Martin
Goldsmith, Matthew & Mission: The
Gospel Through Jewish Eyes, 68-69.
[2] David
Greenwood, “Moral Obligation in the Sermon on the Mount,” Theological
Studies (June, 1970), 307.
[3] Craig
S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background
Commentary: New Testament, 63-64.
[4] Thomas
G. Long, Matthew, 73-76.
[5] Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, 164-168.
[6] Frederick
Dale Brunner, Matthew: A Commentary – The
Christbook Matthew 1-12, 329.
[7] Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, 164-168.
[8] Thomas
G. Long, Matthew, 73-76.
[9] Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, 164-168.
[10] R.
T. France, Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries: Matthew, 137-142.
[11] James
L. Bailey, “Sermon on the Mount: Model for Community,” Currents in Theology
and Mission (20, 1993), 94.
[12] Craig
L. Blomberg, “The Most Often Abused Verses in the Sermon on the Mount,” Southwestern
Journal of Theology (Summer, 2004), 13.
[13] Thomas
G. Long, Matthew, 73-76.
[14] John
Calvin, Matthew. (Kindle).
[15] Frederick
Dale Brunner, Matthew: A Commentary – The
Christbook Matthew 1-12, 329-330.
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