The King’s Manifesto for Life
““Seeking Seeking first the first the
Kingdom of Kingdom of God”God”
Study 7
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Magnet of the HeartThe Magnet of the HeartThe heart will turn as surely as the needle of a compass towards what we really value. No amount of outward religious performance will change its direction for long if the world provides its pole. But if God is our prized possession, then to Him our hearts will be drawn; and He is the only possession which can never perish, and can ensure that the possessors will never perish either. We cannot pretend that delight and a sense of wealth in God come easily to human nature; only a long and constant direction of the mind can bring the consciousness of that precious treasure.
Bro. L.G. Sargent, The Teaching of the Master, pg.239
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Connection with Connection with Vv.1-18Vv.1-18 “Reward” has been Christ’s theme. Two attitudes have emerged:
(1) The mercenary spirit of the Pharisee.(2) Responsive love which treasures a secret and personal relationship with God.
Self-centred worship leads to avarice – trust in the visible.
God-centred worship leads to implicit trust in the invisible provider of all.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The True Treasure of LifeThe True Treasure of Life“The underlying theme of 6:1-186:1-18 has been that the true and eternal reward can only come as the result of a life of communion with God; and this leads on to a new section in which the reward is contemplated as the true treasure of life. The two sections are joined in thought by several interwoven strands. In contrast with the true worship is hypocrisy; and in contrast with true treasure is avarice. The two are so often found together that they may be reckoned as the twin spiritual perils of the pursuit of righteousness; and if the righteousness which many of the Pharisees showed was hollow, so were the riches in which they trusted.”
The Teaching of the Master, pg.235
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Magnet of the HeartThe Magnet of the Heart Matt. 6:19Matt. 6:19 – “Lay not” – theesaurizo –
to treasure up, to lay up in store – James 5:3James 5:3.
“treasures” – theesauros – treasure, wealth (anything laid up).
“corrupt” – aphanizo – to cause to disappear, put out of sight. Allusions to Isa. 50:9; 51:6-8Isa. 50:9; 51:6-8.
Treasure in heaven – Mal. 3:16-17; 1 Mal. 3:16-17; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; Ps. 31:19Tim. 6:17-19; Ps. 31:19.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Light of the BodyThe Light of the Body The eye is a symbol of
intelligence. “The eye is the light-
giver of the body; unless light can penetrate it all is dark within, however bright the sunlight around.”Bro. L.G. Sargent, The Teaching of the Master, pg.240-1
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Single EyeThe Single Eye Matt. 6:22Matt. 6:22 – “single” – haplous – single,
in one way; hence simple. Translated “sound” (NEB); “unclouded” (TCNT).
The word has the idea of “uncomplicated” and came by use to mean “liberality” – Rom. 12:8; 2 Cor. Rom. 12:8; 2 Cor. 1:12; 8:2; 9:11-13; James 1:51:12; 8:2; 9:11-13; James 1:5.
Principle – Prov. 22:9Prov. 22:9 – “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Evil EyeThe Evil Eye
“Desire for possession is the motive which corrupts the eye.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent, The Teaching of the Master, pg.240-1
The King’s Manifesto for Life
An Evil or Good Eye?An Evil or Good Eye?“The evil eye results from an attachment to earthly treasure which corrupts the spirit and blinds the heart. The ‘good’ or ‘single’ eye, on the other hand, is that of the liberal man whose vision is unclouded by greed and his mind not divided by envy, and so singleness becomes a New Testament term... .....for liberality.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent, The Teaching of the Master, pg.240-1
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The “Evil Eye” in ScriptureThe “Evil Eye” in Scripture Deut. 15:9Deut. 15:9 – “and thine eye be
evil against thy poor brother”.
Deut. 28:54Deut. 28:54 – “...his eye shall be evil toward his brother..”
Prov. 28:22Prov. 28:22 – “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye”.
Prov. 23:6Prov. 23:6 – “Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye”.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The “Evil Eye” in ScriptureThe “Evil Eye” in Scripture Mark 7:22Mark 7:22 – “...an evil eye..” Matt. 20:15Matt. 20:15 – “Is thine eye evil,
because I am good?” The basic idea is of being niggardly
and mean-spirited. The evil eye is a blinded eye symbolic of a distracted and divided mind - divided by greed. Due to its preoccupation, light cannot enter, and natural darkness reigns.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Lord of the HeartThe Lord of the Heart Matt. 6:24Matt. 6:24 – “serve” – douluo – to
serve as a slave.
“love” – agapao – sacrificial love.
“hold to” – antekomai – to hold before one against something.
“despise” – kataphroneo – to think slightly of.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
MammonMammon Common Aramaic word for riches. Akin to the
Hebrew word amen - firm, steadfast; hence that which is to be trusted.
GeseniusGesenius - derived from a Hebrew word signifying “treasure”.
Some suggest Mammon was the name of the Syrian god of wealth.
“In Matt. 6:24Matt. 6:24 Mammon stands unmasked as a false god; for it is a psychological truth that covetousness is idolatry” (Eph. 5:5Eph. 5:5).
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg.244
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Anxious ThoughtAnxious Thought “thought” - merimnao - to be full of
anxiety (which divides up and distracts the mind); to be full of distracting cares, anxious.
Occurs 19 times N.T. - 6 in this discourse (Matt. 6:25,27,28,31, 34Matt. 6:25,27,28,31, 34 twice).
See the use of the word in Luke 10:41Luke 10:41 (“careful”); 1 Cor. 7:32,33,34; Phil. 4:61 Cor. 7:32,33,34; Phil. 4:6.
To be divided and distracted by anxious thoughts concerning the things of this life is to have an “evil eye” (V.23V.23). It betrays also our true “treasure” (V.21V.21).
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Lord of LifeThe Lord of Life Matt. 6:26Matt. 6:26 – “Behold” – eis emblepo –
look unto; expresses earnest looking. V.27V.27 - “taking thought” – merimnao –
anxious thought. “stature” – helikia – adultness, maturity,
age, length of life. Jer. Bible – “Can any of you for all his worrying, add one cubit to the span of his life” – Luke 12:25-26Luke 12:25-26.
V.28V.28 – “Consider” – katamanthano – to observe well, learn thoroughly, note accurately (emphatic verb).
The King’s Manifesto for Life
““Consider the lilies”Consider the lilies” The Anemone Coronaria –
scarlet hue and silky sheen – like royal robes.
One must stoop to see its beauty - humility is required to ‘consider’.
No flaws can be detected – its glory is unblemished.
Note how they grow – no anxious care, no toil, no frantic sewing!
The King’s Manifesto for Life
““O ye of little faith”O ye of little faith” “little faith” - Gr. oligopistos - little of faith. A word exclusive to Christ used to
condemn four different states of mind, usually revealed under pressure:1. Matt. 6:30Matt. 6:30 - Anxiety2. Matt. 8:26Matt. 8:26 - Fear3. Matt. 14:31Matt. 14:31 - Doubt4. Matt. 16:8Matt. 16:8 - Forgetfulness
Only Christ is in a position to know whether his disciples manifest any of the above.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
SeekingSeeking Matt. 6:32Matt. 6:32 – “seek” – epizeeteo – to
seek earnestly or continually.
V.33V.33 – “seek” – zeeteo – to seek after, strive to find. Roth. – “but be seeking first”.
V.34V.34 – Roth. – “Do not then be anxious for the morrow.”
Weymouth – “tomorrow will bring its own anxieties.” Jer. Bible – “each day has enough trouble of its own.”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Seek First the Kingdom of GodSeek First the Kingdom of God“They are to seek the Kingdom and righteousness of God; they are to seek His glory and to seek to see His face. That is to say, they are not so much to strive to get as to give; and in giving themselves to God they will have the highest possession and the richest treasure, and the needs of this life will be added as the overflow of His bounty. There will be no need in that case to burden themselves with tomorrow: for tomorrow is God’s. Sorrow and evil there must be as the discipline of life, but their measure is in His hand, and each day can bear its own burden.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg.257
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Next Next StudyStudy
(God (God willing)willing)Study 8 – “Living under
judgement”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
…… …
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Content of this studyContent of this study Covers Matt. 6:19-34.