Matthew 6:33

Commentary on Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

1. Context: Matthew 6:25–34

Jesus delivers Matthew 6:25–34[i] as part of the Sermon on the Mount, addressing the human propensity to worry over daily necessities—food, drink and clothing. He contrasts the Gentile way of life, consumed by anxious striving, with the divine pattern of providential care, illustrated by birds of the air and lilies of the field. In verses 32–34, Jesus explicitly challenges His followers to abandon anxious thought and reorient their hearts toward God’s rule. This sets the stage for the clarion call of verse 33: a summons to an entirely reordered set of priorities in Kingdom living.

2. Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 6:33

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

• “Seek first” (Greek zēteō prōton): an active, determined pursuit. It implies daily effort to align one’s desires, decisions, and disciplines around Christ’s reign.
• “The kingdom of God”: both the present reign of Christ inaugurated in His life, death and resurrection, and the future consummation when God’s will is perfectly done on earth as in heaven. Seeking the Kingdom means embracing Christ’s lordship over every sphere—personal, ecclesial, and cultural.
• “His righteousness”: not merely moral behaviour, but the covenant-faithfulness and justice of God manifested in Christ. Believers are invited to reflect divine character—integrity, mercy, and holiness—in their relationships and actions.
• “All these things”: the basic needs named earlier (food, drink, clothing). Jesus promises sufficiency, not necessarily abundance, as an overflow of His providential care once His Kingdom is first in our affection and obedience.

3. Theological Insights

Matthew 6:33 underscores key doctrines:

• God’s Sovereignty and Providence: Every provision flows from God’s sovereign decree and gracious care for His elect. When believers seek His Kingdom, they rest in His unbreakable covenant promises.
• Christ-Centred Covenant: The Kingdom inaugurated by Christ unfolds through the covenant of grace. By seeking first His reign and righteousness, believers live out the implications of union with Christ, who is both King and Righteous One.
• Sanctification through Kingdom Priorities: Pursuing God’s righteousness shapes the believer’s sanctification. Daily reorientation toward Kingdom values transforms how we steward time, talent and treasure in a world marked by scarcity and competition.

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4. Application to Modern Christian Living

Christians can apply Matthew 6:33 in practical ways:

• Establish daily rhythms (prayer, Scripture, meditation) that centre the heart on Christ’s reign.
• Evaluate personal and corporate goals according to Kingdom impact rather than cultural measures of success.
• Cultivate simplicity and generosity as hallmarks of a life that trusts God over consumer-driven anxieties.
• Encourage one another in local church contexts to live counter-culturally, embodying righteousness in social justice, mercy ministries and workplace witness.
• Remind congregations that true rest and provision flow from a Father who knows our needs and wills our ultimate good in Christ.

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Teaching from Matthew 6:33

The core teaching of Matthew 6:33 is this: Christ calls His people to reorder every priority around His sovereign reign and moral perfection, trusting that when we do so, God—our covenant Lord—will faithfully supply our daily needs.

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[i] Matthew 6:25-34

New King James Version

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [a]cubit to his [b]stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [c]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Footnotes

Matthew 6:27 About 18 inches

Matthew 6:27 height

Matthew 6:29 dressed