Beginning with the first verse of Matthew 6, Jesus discusses five areas of important Christian development.  

  1. Give to the needy. This is a way to ‘practice righteousness’ in verses 1-4.  
  2. Pray, which allows us to communicate with our heavenly father and develop the proper attitude of submission to God’s will.  The template for simple, effective and humble prayer is outlined in verses 5-15.  
  3. Fast, verses 16-18. Exercising willful control over our appetite literally gives the Christian strength to control fleshly appetites in all areas. 
  4. Store up treasures in heaven is covered in verses 19-24.  Jesus briefly instructs the Christian to focus on using our natural and spiritual senses to serve God. Our behaviors will add treasure useful for eternity.  “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The word for healthy in Greek is “generous” and the word for unhealthy is “stingy.” Jesus is stating that a Christian follower is on the right track if he or she is generous in using all things in the service of God’s will.  This includes using our time, talents, possessions, resources and money to serve God. 
  5. Do not worry, discussed by our Lord in verses 25-34. This verse is part of the question. This means when we focus on sacrificing our natural will to do God’s will, our heavenly Father will guide and direct our lives. God will provide for our needs. Matthew 6:8, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

God never promised to give Christians prosperity. Jesus himself wasn’t prosperous or wealthy. He said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head,” Luke 9:58 (NIV). Christians are to follow in their Master’s footsteps. (See also Isaiah 33:16.)

The “kingdom of God” and the “kingdom of heaven” are used interchangeably and mean the same thing. (For example, both are used to describe the same parable in Matthew 13:31 and Luke 13:18-19.)

  • John the Baptist’s first words were about this kingdom: Matthew 3:1-2 “Now in those days John the Baptist came …saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  • So were Jesus’: Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  • Many of Jesus’ parables were about the kingdom of God.
  • Jesus encouraged us to pray, Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth…” 
  • Jesus preached the “gospel of the kingdom” Matthew 9:35.
  • The disciples preached, Matthew 10:7 “And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Why do so few Christians today talk about this kingdom on earth and good tidings for all?

Many misinterpreted scriptures and concepts were introduced within Christianity. Scriptures seemingly are contradictory:

  • The kingdom is here. Jesus “carried” the kingdom with him. Matthew 4:17
  • The kingdom is in you. Jesus’ true followers also “carry” the kingdom. Luke 17:20-21
  • The kingdom is in the future. Matthew 6:10
  • The kingdom is a message to be spread. Matthew 4:23
  • The kingdom is difficult to enter. Matthew 18:3
  • The kingdom has to do with the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:22,24

“The kingdom” is established in phases and can mean any one of many facets of THE kingdom, referring to people, events or an end result. It can refer to: Jesus himself at his first advent, the context of the development of the church class now, the time of resurrection, OR the final reign of God after all enemies—even death—are destroyed.

  • The general view of Christianity has been that this kingdom of God is to be within the hearts of people and not a literal kingdom on earth. Therefore, missionaries have attempted to CONVERT the world to Christianity NOW in order to establish God’s kingdom on the earth “in men’s hearts.” 
  • In its full establishment, the kingdom of God will be the literal government ruling over the whole earth and resurrected humanity.

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1030: “Where is the Kingdom Jesus Told Us to Pray For?”
Uncovering what God’s kingdom is, how it works and who benefits
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

PDF Booklet: “Why Are You a Christian?”