Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, June 20, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Daily bread is a by-product of God’s justice. Jesus understands the needs of the people coming to him for spiritual nourishment. He knows they are poor, hungry, sick, oppressed, tired, and marginalized. And, he reminds them, God knows it, too. He encourages them to set aside, as best they can, their physical needs, turning them over in trust that God will provide for them, and attend instead to “striving for the kingdom of God,” which means working for justice.
It seems a little insensitive by modern standards. After all, someone who is chronically malnourished or in pain or mentally ill may literally not have the capacity to do this work. To have someone who is in dire need come to you for help and then to tell them not to worry about their physical needs but just seek after God… well that’s just not helpful.
For someone like me—middle class, dominant culture, etc.—this message is far more applicable, I think. Jesus is telling me, “Stop trying to ‘figure it out’ all the time. Instead, focus on your relationship with God—put that first—and the rest will take care of itself.” That has, in fact, been my experience for years on end, through a lot of serious challenges in my life. But also, Jesus is telling me to “strive for the kingdom of God”, which means working for justice for those who are in need. If everyone were to do this—to look past their own (often selfish) needs and see the whole—then certainly “daily bread” would follow for all God’s children.
How does make me feel to be told to “strive first for the kingdom of God”?
