Explaining Matthew 6:33

Our Lord Jesus stated in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV): “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

To fully understand this verse, it’s essential to consider its context. The verse begins with “But,” a conjunctive particle indicating a continuation of a previous thought. Thus, we need to look at the preceding verses, starting from verse 24 through verse 34, to grasp the complete message Jesus was conveying:

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
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 cubit to his 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 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.

A Closer Look at Key Verses
In verse 24, Jesus explains that no one can serve two masters, highlighting the necessity of choosing between God and materialism. This sets the stage for the subsequent verses, which emphasize the futility of excessive anxiety about material needs.

In verse 25, we encounter “Therefore,” drawing our attention to the fact that flowing from the statement above (the previous verse), we should not be overtly anxious about material needs and forget what is more important.

Jesus proceeds to use the examples of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field in verse 26 to illustrate God’s providential care. The birds do not sow, reap, or store food, yet God feeds them through the natural order He has established. Similarly, the lilies grow, thrive, and are beautiful without any effort, demonstrating God’s provision in nature (verses 28-29).

A little step back to verse 27, we see Jesus questions the effectiveness of worry, pointing out that it cannot add a single cubit to one’s stature. This emphasizes that worrying is futile and that we should trust in God’s provision.

When we reach verse 31, another “Therefore” signals the continuation of this thought and consequent upon all the earlier points in the context:

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Here in verse 32, Jesus contrasts the behaviour of the Gentiles, who crave and pursue material things with desperation, and in their unbridled desires are serving mammon (Greek word, ἐπιζητέω, epizéteō), with what He expects from His followers. The Gentiles’ intense pursuit of material wealth contrasts with the priority and balanced pursuit Jesus instructs for His followers.

Finally, we arrive at verse 33:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
The term “seek” in verse 33 (Greek word, ζητέω, zēteō) denotes a focused, purposeful pursuit. Jesus calls for a different kind of seeking – one that prioritizes God’s kingdom and righteousness.
The teaching is that while we make this our primary pursuit, the other necessities of life will naturally follow, much like the growth of a person or the provision for birds and lilies.

If we pay attention, we observe that the word “added” in verse 33 had been used earlier in verse 27: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

How was “add”/ “added” used in the context of Matthew 6?
Jesus was saying that you cannot add a single cubit of height to yourself by worrying. How is height “added” then? It takes its natural course. And this “adding” of height happens to all men, whether believers in Christ or not!

So, we see that to “add” is for things to happen as God has provided in nature, following their normal progression; the same way He has provided in nature for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.
The word “added” (προστίθημι, prostithēmi) therefore, contextually implies a natural progression. Just as height is naturally added to a person without their conscious effort, so God makes provision available for our needs as we focus on His kingdom.

Jesus was not suggesting or promising that believing in Him, adhering to specific spiritual principles, or having some mystery kingdom keys would lead to material wealth. Instead, He was teaching that God, in His goodness, ensures that the needs of His creation are met through the natural order He has established.

He summarized the lesson and reiterated His point in verse 34:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do not overly pursue things as though that is all that matters in life. Trust God. Prioritize things of eternal value. Do not allow material needs to become idols. Fret not. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Things will take their natural progression.

Conclusion
Matthew 6:33 teaches us not to be excessively anxious about our needs or desperately ambitious for wealth. Instead, we should prioritize seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness, and not be distracted by earthly pursuits.

By doing so, we trust in God’s divine providence, knowing that He has already made ample provision for all our needs through His creation. Jesus reassures us that while we focus on what truly matters – our relationship with God – everything else will fall into place naturally.

Our God is good to His creation, especially to the epitome of His creation – man. He provides without discrimination, whether through the natural order or through miraculous intervention when needed.