What does Matthew 6:33 mean "all these things"?

[FanofB16]

Hi, I’m confused about a verse:

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says “33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.

What does He mean when He says all these things will be given to you as well.

What are these things?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Todd_Easton]

Jesus seems to be talking about “your livelihood, what you are to eat or drink or use for clothings.” (Matthew 6:25)

 

[drafdog]

Try reading the entire section beginning at verse 25 through to the end of chapter 6. Don’t read single verses and try to understand them as though they were a complete message. It doesn’t work that way and is not intended to work that way.
Read entire chapters as an even better way of getting to the messages in the scriptures.
Get a good study guide. There was a good series that we used at the Catholic university I attended back in the 70’s. Many of the booklets were edited by Fr. R. Brown, a widely respected Catholic scripture scholar. Sorry I don’t have the name of the series, but I’m sure they are still out there somewhere.

Matthew

 

[FanofB16]

Hi,

The full passage is as follows: 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus appears to say “seek first hte kingdom of God” and clothes, water, food etc ie. comfort and security will follow. What then about the beggars and homeless on the streets or the people who suffer poverty in the world?

 

[COPLAND_3]

FanofB16

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says “33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.

What does He mean when He says all these things will be given to you as well.

What are these things?

St. Augustine says,

All these things shall be added to you; that is, of course, without being an hindrance to you: that you may not in seeking them be turned away from the other, and thus set two ends before you.

St. John Chysostom says,

Seek righteousness therefore, and you shall not lack food.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Fan__,

Jesus appears to say “seek first hte kingdom of God” and clothes, water, food etc ie. comfort and security will follow. What then about the beggars and homeless on the streets or the people who suffer poverty in the world?

Well, are they seeking first the kingdom of God?

As for poverty, it is not misery. Jesus lived in poverty. He said he did not have a pillow to rest his head. Jesus did not promise freedom from poverty.

Finally, Jesus’ main lesson here is : do not worry yourself with wordly things. He did not discourage us from trying to make a good living. He said not to worry about it.

Verbum

 

[Ignatius]

Hi,

The full passage is as follows: 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus appears to say “seek first hte kingdom of God” and clothes, water, food etc ie. comfort and security will follow.

I don’t see where He promises comfort or even security. He’s calling us to ‘Take up your cross daily and follow me’. Following Him to Calvary isn’t exactly a promise of comfort or security.