Today's Reading: Matthew 6:24-34

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We worry. We worry a lot. We worry about what we will eat and what we will wear. We worry about this life, which must end. And make no mistake, it will end, no matter how much food we have on hand or how many outfits are hanging in our closet. We need to get our priorities in order.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Don’t seek food and clothes first. That’s what the heathen do. No, seek first the favor of God and His saving works. Seek the Lord and His grace. For you see, if you have the Almighty on your side and He cares for you, then you don’t have to worry about anything. The One who can feed the countless birds and dress the countless flowers can certainly feed and dress you! If you have the grace of God, then everything else will be added to you!

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You have already found it, or rather it found you. When you were baptized, you became a citizen of God’s kingdom—nay, even more than that! You became a member of the royal family, a child of God! A good king takes care of his citizens, but even wicked kings take care of their own children. How much more will your King and Father take care of you?

You are members of the kingdom. You have been dressed in a righteousness that far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). Jesus wrapped your sins around Himself, and then He dressed you in His righteousness. This isn’t the story of the prince and the pauper. It is the story of the Savior and the sinner—the righteous Savior takes our place on the Cross, so that the sinner can take His place at His Father’s table.

So, stop worrying! The heathen want to extend their lives another week, another month, another year, but you will live forever in the Kingdom of God!  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, we implore You, let Your continual pity cleanse and defend Your Church; and because she cannot continue in safety without Your aid, preserve her evermore by Your help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the 15th Sunday after Trinity)

-Pastor Alexander Lange is pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Albany, Oregon.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.