The instruction previously given was rather negative motives to avoid the ways and objects of the Gentiles, because of their confiding in their Father's care. And now we have more directly positive instruction. “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.” As usual, Luke gives us the moral force of things. “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink,” as the apostle says, “but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost.” They were to desire and pursue what God Himself was about to bring in, what manifests His power in contrast with man's weakness. And so seeking, all other things—all that is needed for this life—all the things that mail makes to be so important, should be added unto them. God assuredly takes care of His own. If we seek His things, He does not forget ours, He could not, would not, overlook our need day by day.
Further (ver. 32), they are not to fear, although a little flock. Their strength did not at all rest on numbers or resources of an earthly kind, but on a most simple and blessed principle it was their Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom. He had delight in it, it was His complacency. This could not fail: why should they fear? Far from it, they are told to sell what they had. “Sell that ye have, and give alms.” All that would manifest love flowing out to the needy became them. It was their Father's way with them who were once poor indeed, and they were to keep up the family character. They might, it is true, provide bags; but they were to be such as waxed not old, such as heavenly treasure demands. They were not to be of an earthly kind, but rich toward God, “a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth.” There is nothing forgotten: God is not unrighteous to forget your work of faith and labor of love; and what is of importance too, there is no disappointment with the treasure, no thief approaches it on the one hand, no moth corrupts on the other, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The object was, that their heart should be settled on things above, and it would be so if their treasure was there. A man is always determined by what he seeks, by his objects. If he sets his heart upon a degrading object, he is degraded; if upon that which is noble and generous, his character is morally elevated. If therefore he is attracted by Christ who is at the right hand of God, if heavenly treasure is before his eyes, his heart follows his treasure, he is taken entirely above the power of present things, which cannot more drag him down.
Is it too much to say that there is nothing of such moment for the disciple? If he has Christ, it is of all consequence he should see Christ where He is, and the things of Christ, where He sits at the right hand of God. Only to look at Christ on earth would falsify a Christian. Assuredly He is and must be an infinitely blessed object wherever He is, nor is it that there would be no worthy effect of thus looking at Christ. But we must bear in mind that Christ here below was under law, and connected with Judaism, with its temple, rites, and priesthood; that as yet the great question of redemption was not decided, sin was not judged, evil was not put away; that the world was not given up as hopelessly bad, nor, consequently, was man. Whoever therefore merely looks at Christ as He was here below, shuts himself out from the great truth that all these things are questions already decided; that the world is judged before God, the earth under sentence, heaven opened, redemption accomplished and sin put away. The soul who looks at Christ on earth is not only shut out from all the distinctive truths of Christianity, but is plunged into a state of uncertainty; whereas all under the gospel ought to be clearly seen and settled. The mighty work of redemption does not remain to be accomplished. This is one reason why the mass of Christians who look at Christ thus are necessarily of doubtful mind, and count assurance to be presumption. The spiritual character is formed accordingly. But our Lord Himself tells us to have “a treasure in the heavens that faileth not,” “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” He wished to have them heavenly; and in practice there is no other way than seeing and knowing and possessing, in the true sense, our treasure in the heavens. If so, the heart is there also.
But there is another thing too. It is good to have before us the object that is before God. It is good to have an object, a true object, that calls one out into a state of patience and expectation. We cannot do without the power of hope; if we have not the true object, we shall have false ones. “Let your loins” therefore He says, “be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.” I do not take this expression about returning from the wedding as prophetic, but rather as moral, in accordance with the habitual style of Luke. It is certainly intended to present no aspect of judgment but of joy, and it is therefore an allusion to the well-known facts constantly before their eyes, a figure taken from them. They were to be waiting for their Lord, not in a judicial point of view, but as One who returns from a wedding that when He comes and knocks they may open unto Him immediately. This is another grand point, not only, that He is associated with joy, but that they should be free from all earthly encumbrance, so that, the moment the Lord knocks according to the figure, they or may open to Him immediately—without distraction having to get ready. Their hearts are waiting for Him, for their Lord; they love Him, they are waiting for Him. He knocks, and they open to Him immediately. Such is the normal position of the Christian, as waiting for Christ the only true object of hope. “Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them.” Here their blessing as waiting for Him is shown. We shall find another blessing a little later on; but the blessing here is the watching—not so much working as watching. That is, it is not so much occupation with others as watching for Him, and assuredly this is of some importance to feel. Watching takes precedence even of working. There is no doubt that working has no small value and that the Lord will remember it and reward it, but watching is far more bound up with His person and with His love. Hence it is said “blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them.” All the activity of His love is shown, and His gracious condescension. “And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.” There is intentness therefore upon it. It is not vague; it is sustained; it is carried through the night. They are looking for Him from first to last— “Blessed are those servants.” “And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” It is not the Messiah taking the throne of His father David, but the rejected Son of man who is coming in glory; and blessed are those who are thus waiting and watching for Him. “Be ye therefore ready also.”