| In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses our anxiety about basic needs. He says not to worry about food or clothing because God has a plan to provide for us just like he does for the birds and the flowers (see Matthew 6:25-32). Then Jesus tells us where to put our focus: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). | |
How should we understand this combined command and promise from Jesus? We know from the preceding context that “all these things” doesn’t refer to everything you might want. It only refers to your basic needs: things to eat, to drink, and to wear. But even with that caveat, we know many people have both loved Jesus and struggled in dire poverty. Having faith in Jesus has not eliminated their children’s malnourishment or covered their bodies during cold nights. So is Jesus giving us some optimistic half-truth or have we misunderstood the message?
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