So what can we learn about our Father from the Scripture Passage above? First, the One who cares for and feeds all living things is our Father. Second, our Father sees us as having great value. Thus he knows and cares about our material vulnerabilities and needs. Third, he cares about beauty. Though we can be happy when he provides even the most basic accommodation and clothing, as his children we do not need to limit ourselves to drab clothing and style-less home interiors. Fourth, our Father doesn’t just give the kingdom to Jesus, but he 'delights' to give it to us.

Also, by identifying this kingdom with ‘our Father’ Jesus shows that he is talking about a ‘family kingdom’ in which we are sons and daughters of the kingdom, not mere subjects. Now, we have no problem thinking of our heavenly Father as the source of our daily bread. For we are familiar with the image of a father providing material things for his under-age children. Likewise, we can picture a kingdom in which a great and powerful King rules over subjects, and—if he is good—intervenes to deliver them from evil. But a Father King, who shares his authority with us as his adult sons and daughters? Such an idea is foreign to most people, and even offensive to the religious worldview when it is applied like this to God. So most theologians speak only of ‘the kingdom of God’ or ‘Christ’s Kingdom’ rather than ‘our Father’s kingdom’. And they miss the fact that there are significantly more references to the Father in the Sermon on the Mount than to the kingdom.

Jesus’ view of a ‘family kingdom’ gives a whole new perspective on the kinds of daily choices we face: like regarding what we treasure, what we focus our eyes on, and which day we live in. In Christ, we receive from the Father an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil or fade. Part of this inheritance is kept in heaven for us (Med.#45), but part of it is already ours. His Spirit in our hearts is the ‘first fruits’ of it (Med.#5 & Med.#8). By the Spirit, through Christ, we now have an intimate relationship with our Father who loves each of us, values each of us highly, and is accessible to each of us every day.

Yet as we live in this world, our bodies are still vulnerable daily to hunger, shame, injury, even death. The key question is: on what do we focus the eyes of our hearts? For as adult sons and daughters, we need to take responsibility for our own choices. We can treasure the Father and our eternal inheritance, focus on imitating his character, and walk with him today (Med.#52). Or we can focus on our body's needs and store up treasures that will hopefully be enough to protect us from all future vulnerability to hunger, shame and any other kind of suffering. The challenge is not to become more spiritual and ignore our physical needs. Nor are we asked to act like we have no responsibility in seeking such provisions. But our Father expects us, as adult daughters and sons, to give priority to his kingdom and 'his relational righteousness' over earthly needs and desires.

The quality of our lives and our ongoing relationship with our Father can be affected by the priorities we choose to live by. Life is about more than physical survival, since our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:19). And his presence affects our eyes and our heart, as revelation of the Father’s love floods our heart with light. But if, sometime later, we choose to focus on the needs of our body and on accumulating and consuming earthly treasures, then portions of our heart will again be darkened. Trust will gradually give way to anxiety until we are serving ‘Money’ instead of God. And unless we repent, the new darkness will be all the greater because our hearts will retain the emotional memory of the light we once had.

People who grow up in a godly environment are just as vulnerable to this process as those who didn’t enjoy such an early advantage. It seems that many of Jesus’ fellow Jews thought because they were the ‘good guys’, it was only their neighbors from other ethnic and religious groups who were ‘focused on’ earthly wealth and social status. Not so, says Jesus—also to us today. Christians are just as likely to be tempted to focus on earthly survival, wealth and social status as are non-religious people. To avoid being led into temptation, we need to choose to be led by our Father instead. A lifestyle of anxiety, or of serving Money, doesn’t just happen to us. It is a choice. And worry and serving of Money are two of the greatest obstacles to life (and spiritual growth) in our Father’s kingdom. For our hearts will become what we treasure. On more than one occasion in my own life, Jesus has challenged me to get rid of large quantities of money and ‘stuff’ to keep my heart on track with the priorities of my Father’s kingdom.

Are you remembering today how important you are to the Father? Will you treasure today your inheritance in the Father’s kingdom, and your relationship with him above your material needs and vulnerabilities? Are you making your Father’s righteous character the priority in your daily activities and thoughts?

[i] These texts not only follow the translation in The Good News of the Messiah by the Four Witnesses, but they are arranged in the order in which they appear in that ‘harmony’, which mostly follows Luke’s narrative order. Thus, the first text appears in Chapter 31, p.151; and the remaining texts appear in Chapter 32, pp.157-158.

[ii] Jesus is likely using a Jewish idiom that contrasts a ‘good eye’, i.e. a ‘generous’ or unselfish attitude (Prv. 22:9), with a ‘wicked eye’,  i.e. an ‘envious’ or greedy attitude (Prv.28:22).

[iii] Greek dikaio-sunee = ‘righteous-with’ or 'relational righteousness with God, or with people, or both (see note [ii], Med.#11).