Matthew 6:33

Context

This verse is the conclusion of the teaching on anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34), which follows the teaching on wealth in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells his hearers to consider the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and asks whether God, who feeds and clothes them, will not much more care for people. After saying that "after all these things do the Gentiles seek" and that the heavenly Father already knows that they have need of them, he gives the instruction of verse 33 and closes with "Take therefore no thought for the morrow" (v. 34). Just before this passage, he declared, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (6:24).

Interpretation

• A matter of priority: "First" denotes both sequence and importance. Interpreters understand the verse not as a command to neglect one's livelihood but as an expression of trust that, when the center of life is placed on the reign of God, God will provide what is needed.
• The meaning of "his righteousness": In Matthew, "righteousness" usually refers to a life in accordance with God's will (5:20; 6:1). Accordingly, some read the phrase as a call to seek a righteous life befitting the kingdom of God, while others read it as a call to seek the justice and salvation that God himself brings about.
• "Shall be added": This is read as a promise that God will supply food and clothing through his providence.

Questions Concerning Application

Some preaching treats this verse as a transaction in which material prosperity follows from seeking God's kingdom first. Critics regard this as a misuse characteristic of prosperity theology, since the context speaks of basic needs (food and clothing) rather than wealth and warns against the worship of riches. Others hold, conversely, that the promise that God genuinely cares for the lives of those who obey him should not be weakened.

In the Korean Church

The verse is frequently cited in sermons on Sunday observance, offerings, and career decisions, and the Korean version of the English chorus "Seek Ye First" is widely sung.

Related Passages

• Matthew 6:24-34
• Luke 12:29-31
• Romans 14:17
• Philippians 4:6-7