The Kingdom Movement

A Literary & Pastoral Study Guide to the Gospel of Matthew

The Inspiration of Matthew,

by Caravaggio

On the King's Errand

Devotional Reflections on Matthew's Gospel

From Certainty to Uncertainty:  Mt.6:33 - 34

^6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  ³⁴ So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

          The above is Jesus’ seventh statement about how his kingdom movement impacts our materialism and worry.  On some days, we will have questions about whether God is providing enough for us.  We may feel some uncertainty.  But uncertainty is normal because every day has problems and concerns.  The word for ‘trouble’ in that time referred to ‘the damage done to a crop by a hail storm.’  Jesus seems to be saying that each day may have a little damage.  We may indeed have trouble today.  On some days, we’ll have to tighten our belts, and our budgets.  Nevertheless, over the long haul, God does provide for us. 

          Yet despite what Jesus says, we do not accept uncertainty easily.  Instead, if we suffer damage today – whether it be crop damage due to a hail storm, or lower grades than others, or a less prestigious job than everyone else – we tend to project our fears far into the future and over-interpret our circumstances.  A mentor shared a story with me that helped me understand that.  The story goes: 

A poor, old man lived on his small farm with only his grown son and a horse.  One day, the horse ran off. 

The other villagers came to the old man and said, ‘Old man!  Old man!  This is terrible!  Your horse – it has run away!’ 

The old man replied, ‘Yes, my horse ran off.  And it is harder plowing without him.  But whether this is really a terrible thing, who can know?’

The villagers walked away, puzzled.

A few days later, the horse returned, leading five other wild horses.  The villagers came to the old man and said, ‘Old man!  Old man!  This is wonderful!  Your horse has returned and brought five others!’ 

The old man said, ‘Yes, it is true that my horse has returned leading five wild horses.  But whether this is a wonderful thing, who can know?’

A few days later, the old man’s grown son was trying to tame the wild horses when he fell and became paralyzed from the waist down.  The villagers came to the old man and said, ‘Old man!  Old man!  This is terrible!  You must now take care of your son in your old age!’ 

The old man said, ‘Yes, it is true that my son is now paralyzed, and I must care for him.  But whether this is a terrible thing, who can know?’

A few weeks later, that nation went to war and summoned all able-bodied men to serve in the army.  The son of the old man stayed home because he was paralyzed.  Sadly, the villagers lost their sons to the war.  So they came to the old man and said, ‘Old man!  Old man!  You are so blessed!  Your son is alive and stays with you.’ 

The old man said, ‘You never learn, do you?!?  Yes, it is true that my son is alive and is still with me.  And I am glad for him to be here.  But whether this is ultimately a good or bad thing, who can know?’

          The moral of the story is that we don’t know the future, and therefore we can’t over-interpret today.  Getting the highest grade possible, or the most prestige, might seem advantageous.  It might feel like it gives you some kind of protection from your worst fears.  Or at least it might feel like ‘the most responsible thing to do.’  Getting a lower grade, or less prestige, might seem to bode for a hard or inconvenient future.  Jesus, by calling us to embrace such sacrifices, touches a paranoid nerve of ours.  But Jesus also knows that you can never know for certain what tomorrow brings. 

Today has enough trouble of its own. 

Seek first God’s kingdom, today and tomorrow.