Exposition
Why is our human drive for things so strong? It is strong because we believe that things will satisfy all our basic needs. The common problem of humankind, however, is that in our efforts to meet our needs, we spend all of our time, energy, and resources pursuing things that will never bring the happiness we seek. Why? Most people go for the wrong things and look for satisfaction in the wrong places. The Kingdom of God is the vital response to our needs. It satisfies our longings and answers all our problems. Everything we seek is found in the Kingdom of heaven.
Let me use this analogy: The Kingdom of God is the tree and the needs of people are the fruits. If you want the fruits, you go to the tree. Most people buy fruits at the grocery store or from a market. That’s fine as long as the supply lasts. What happens if the supply line is cut or a shortage occurs? Suddenly, access to the fruits is cut off. If you want to ensure a stable supply of fruits, wouldn’t it be better to own your tree? That way fruits would be available whenever you want them. In the world’s system, the world is like the grocery store where we all must strive for limited resources.
There is no competition in the Kingdom of God because its resources are unlimited. Every Kingdom citizen can have his or her own tree with an unfailing supply of fruit. When Jesus said, “Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or wear for clothing,” He was asking, in effect, “Why run after the fruit and compete with everybody else when you can have the tree? Seek first the tree and all of the fruit will come with it.” In a similar analogy, the Kingdom of God is the source and “all these things” are the resources. Never try to live for or depend on resources because resources run out. Get connected to God, the Source, because His resources never run out.