Wednesday Bible Study: What Jesus asked, Part 2

 

Last time, Jesus asked a question that answered, "What are we to do to follow You?", and that answer was, "You have to be different."  This time, He uses questions to answer their question, "But if I become different, what happens to me?"  And depending on if we read it forward or backwards, He teaches not only what's important here, but in the next life.  He answers it with four directly asked questions (not counting those in Matt. 6:31).

Mat 6:25  "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Mat 6:26  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Mat 6:27  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Mat 6:28  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
Mat 6:29  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Mat 6:31  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
Mat 6:32  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Reading forward, He deals with the things of life from most important to least.

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

 This is the NECESSITIES of life.  

Are you not of more value than they? 

The birds he just referenced 'do not sow, reap, or gather.'  These are the ACTIVITIES of life.  The 'day-to-day', if you will.

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

This is also put in the MKJV,  Mat 6:27  Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?
This then is the QUALITY of life.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

This is the FINERY of life.  See, in four quick questions, Jesus disposes of virtually every concern of how following Him will change their lives.  But He doesn't just discount them and let them lay- and you see that when you look at our final verse in the passage:

Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

 

...not as the ending, but the HINGE of the passage.  Because, read backwards, this is how Jesus wants us to prioritixe the things of the Kingdom!

THE FINERY

1Co 9:24  Do you not know that those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.
1Co 9:25  And everyone who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Then those truly that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

The most fruitful lives on earth earn the greatest rewards in heaven!  Jesus doesn't take away from us the things we strive for- He gives us BETTER ones.

THE QUALITY

Luk 14:8  When you are invited by anyone to a wedding, do not recline in the chief seat, lest a more honorable man than you may be invited by him.
Luk 14:9  And he who invited you and him shall come and say to you, Give place to this man; and then you begin with shame to take the last place.
Luk 14:10  But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher. Then glory shall be to you before those reclining with you.
Luk 14:11  For whoever exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

Humbling yourself- accepting the quality of life that God gives you- that is what will bring you higher in heaven.

THE ACTIVITY

Rev 4:9  And whenever the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
Rev 4:10  the twenty-four elders fell down before the One sitting on the throne. And they worshiped Him who lives for ever and ever, and threw their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11  O Lord, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and for Your will they are and were created. 

 

Our activity there will consist of one main thing- to worship the God who brought us before Him through Jesus.  Before Him, all those prizes and accolades will pale before just being there.

THE NECESSITY

1Co 3:11  For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble,
1Co 3:13  each one's work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one's work as to what kind it is.
1Co 3:14  If anyone's work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If anyone's work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

So, from our view on earth, the most important thing about heaven is to GET IN.  But 'just getting in' covers us in soot, not glory.  From God's perspective, the most important thing in OUR priorities should be living the live that gets the PRIZES.  And so, His answer to the question, "But if I become different, what happens to me?", is, "Depends on where you place the priority."