Some thoughts from NT Wright regarding the end of Matthew 6:

Has it ever struck you what a basically happy person Jesus was?

This gets missed much of the time. I forget it as well. Jesus was present. He knew the provision of the Father and what was available in the Kingdom, so he could move past the obsessive worrying that overtakes so many of us.

Jesus had a strong, lively sense of the goodness of his father, the creator of the world.

When we navigate this world… how do we make our way through? It is not a denial of the struggle that happens all around us, but we can choose how we make our way through this world. We can be angry all the time. We can be fearful.

Or, we can find joy.

We can know the struggles around us. We can know the tragedy we may face. And in it, we can know the goodness of God all the same. We can find joy.

God’s kingdom, and the way of life that goes with it; the ‘righteousness’, or covenant behaviour, the way of life, that marks out God’s people; these are the things you should aim at. Then you’ll find that food, drink and clothing look after themselves.

If I am obsessing over the basics of life, that is what I may get in my hands, but at best they will be moth-eaten over time. If I am fixed on the treasures of heaven and seeking the goodness of God, I get the basics thrown in.

The affections of Christ are found in the holy pursuit of the kingdom of God. It is a righteous pursuit. It is not without difficulty. And yet, it is filled with joy. The JOY is set before us. How do we choose to navigate this world?