Once again, Jesus draws attention to the fact that His kingdom is a heavenly one. He encourages his listeners to not place their dependence on and allegiance in material things. Things of earth– money, possessions, even cities and nations– eventually grow old and disintegrate into memories captured in old photographs and history books, or are forgotten altogether. The Kingdom of Heaven, however, lasts forever. It is immaterial, and material things cannot destroy it. But what does it mean by “the Kingdom”? What does it mean to serve God over money?
This is from an online article synopsizing the Sermon on the Mount, “written by” the internet persona Jesus Benyosef.
Resist all fear-based instincts for hoarding and devouring resources. We haven’t yet learned from the birds—they don’t even have jobs, but my Dad takes perfectly good care of them. The currency of the future is not startups and hedge funds, but relationships and trust.
Our priority should not be in getting things, or in the worries of tomorrow. It should be in loving others, reaching out to the hurting– the mission Jesus gave to us. Our focus should be on the here and now, the love and the healing we have been commissioned to give. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34, The Message).
Melanie Anderson, Pilgrim 