It’s easy to make faith about checking boxes—attending church, praying before meals, giving an offering, or even fasting. But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that God is after something much deeper.
He wants our hearts.
In Matthew 6–7, Jesus challenges His listeners to move beyond outward religious activity and into genuine faith. Whether He’s talking about giving, prayer, fasting, money, worry, or judging others, His message is remarkably consistent:
God isn’t impressed by appearances. He desires hearts that trust Him above everything else.
If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to seek first the Kingdom of God, this passage provides one of Scripture’s clearest answers.
Jesus begins by talking about fasting.
In the Old Testament, fasting was primarily connected to repentance, grief over sin, and dependence on God. It wasn’t intended to earn God’s favor. Instead, it helped people slow down, humble themselves, and turn back to Him.
By Jesus’ day, however, many religious leaders had turned fasting into a public performance.
They wanted everyone to know how spiritual they were.
Jesus says:
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites… that their fasting may be seen by others.” (Matthew 6:16)
Their problem wasn’t fasting.
Their problem was their motivation.
Instead of drawing near to God, they were drawing attention to themselves.
Whenever we practice spiritual disciplines, it’s worth asking:
The Lord always looks beyond the action to the heart behind it.
Throughout Scripture, fasting is closely connected to repentance.
Repentance isn’t simply feeling guilty.
It is honestly confessing our sin, turning back to God, and trusting His promise of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
When believers confess their sins, God doesn’t respond with rejection.
He responds with grace.
That means spiritual disciplines are never about earning salvation. They are gifts that help direct our hearts back to the One who freely forgives.
Immediately after discussing giving, prayer, and fasting, Jesus shifts to one of His most famous teachings:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
Everything we value shapes our priorities.
Jesus isn’t saying that money, careers, families, hobbies, or possessions are evil.
He’s asking a deeper question:
What sits on the throne of your heart?
When something consistently comes before God, it quietly becomes an idol.
Jesus invites us to invest in something eternal.
Earthly treasures fade.
The Kingdom of God lasts forever.
Most people spend enormous energy preparing for retirement.
Jesus asks us to spend even greater energy preparing for eternity.
Life is brief.
Eternity is forever.
That perspective changes how we:
When we seek first the Kingdom of God, our daily priorities begin to align with eternal ones.
One of the best-loved sections of the Sermon on the Mount comes next.
Jesus repeatedly tells His followers:
“Do not be anxious about your life.” (Matthew 6:25)
That doesn’t mean believers never experience fear.
It means we have reasons to trust God that the world does not.
Jesus gives several reasons.
God has already promised to provide our daily needs.
If He has given us life itself, we can trust Him with today’s necessities.
Birds don’t store away food for years.
Flowers don’t manufacture their own beauty.
Yet God faithfully provides for His creation.
If God lovingly cares for birds and flowers, how much more will He care for those He has redeemed?
Jesus asks:
“Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
Worry feels productive.
It rarely changes anything.
Instead, it steals today’s peace while offering no control over tomorrow.
Again and again Scripture reminds believers:
Faith grows as we learn to trust those promises.
Jesus concludes this section with one powerful command:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
This doesn’t promise an easy life.
It promises that God remains faithful.
Putting God first affects every area of life:
When Christ is Lord, everything else finds its proper place.
Matthew 7 begins with another frequently misunderstood teaching.
Jesus says:
“Judge not, that you be not judged.”
Some assume this means Christians should never evaluate right and wrong.
That isn’t what Jesus teaches.
Scripture repeatedly calls believers to discern truth from error, good from evil, and wisdom from foolishness.
What Jesus condemns is self-righteous, hypocritical judgment.
Before correcting someone else, He says we must first examine our own hearts.
Our goal is never to win arguments.
Our goal is to help people know Christ and walk in His truth.
These chapters are connected by one central theme.
Whether Jesus discusses:
He keeps bringing us back to the same question:
Who has your heart?
External religion can fool other people.
It never fools God.
The good news is that Jesus doesn’t simply expose our misplaced priorities.
He also forgives them.
Because of His death and resurrection, every repentant sinner receives complete forgiveness and the promise of eternal life.
That frees us to stop performing and start trusting.
To stop worrying and start resting.
To stop living for temporary treasures and begin seeking first the Kingdom of God every day.
