O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...

done.The word “first” can be used either chronologically or in the sense of primacy(Schmidt 1988:177). Proton which translates as “first” is used twenty five times inMatthew: twenty three of the other twenty four times being used in a chronologicalway. The implication for Matthew 6:33 would then be that the disciple “gives time tothe work of the kingdom before giving time to the work of material provision.” Thiscould, for example, be a disciple giving a period or periods of her or his life to thework of the Kingdom and then returning to her or his respective trades.However proton should be considered as primacy of priority and not in achronological way (Schmidt 1988:177). Matthew 6:33 is similar in structure andtheme to Matthew 23:26, which clearly has primacy in view. The question thatfollows is can a disciple then put aside the work of the Kingdom for even a second inorder to make material provision?If this is the case it is doubtful that many of the twelve or even the apostle Paul wouldqualify as a disciple, due to the fact that they had occupations which yielded anincome (Schmidt 1988:178). Resolving the conundrum would be the fact that thedistinction between holy and secular in Matthew is found in the motive (Matt 23:26).Thus it would not matter what the outward activity is, so long as the inward desire isprimarily focused on God’s Kingdom (Schmidt 1988: 178).The promise related to the command is found in verse 33b (Talbert 2006:126). Thepromise is seen by Jesus saying, “and all these things will be added to you.’ Powell(2000:877) indicates that this verse teaches that if a disciple puts “God’s kingdomand God’s righteousness first in their lives…” they will be provided for and so do nothave to worry about tomorrow.If that is the teaching, that is, that if a disciple who prioritises God’s Kingdom aboveall else, will find that she or he will not be found wanting, what is to be made of thepassages of scripture which commends people for radical discipleship and describesthem as “destitute” at the same time (Heb 11:37)? Further, there is evidence from63