ZETEO (To Seek)

WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ

What is the Word?

For many of us, spirituality is the realm in which we search for meaning, beauty, goodness, and, most importantly, truth. Thus, to pursue truth is to seek it out in every facet of our lives, to yield nothing to it as we strive to learn about our reality and about our creator. This is a very common theme in the New Testament as well, as Jesus points out all those who are seeking and have “ears to hear” and “eyes to see” to himself. The word most commonly used for “seeking” in the New Testament is Zéteó.

How does the Bible use this word?

With around 117 occurrences in the New Testament, Zéteó is a verb that cannot be overlooked when we speak about our spiritual formation and our fostering of relationships with one another. Yet, this verb has a slightly more nuanced flavor than we might find with our English word “seek.” In the Greek, it has a bit more of a sense of resolution or completion in that we not only seek out the matter but reach a firm understanding, getting to the bottom of that which we are investigating. It is a search for which there is no rest until it is resolved. 

Where in the Bible?

An excellent example of this word in action is in Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 7:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek (ζητεῖτε), and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks (ζητῶν) finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

Jesus teaches us here that our spiritual longings always reflect the condition of our hearts. If we are open to truth and searching out God’s presence, his presence will be made manifest to us through his word and spirit. 

Notice also that it is not just we who are the subject of this verb. In several instances, God is the one who is seeking something in us:

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking (ζητεῖ) such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:23

So often we don’t tend to think about whether or not our worship of God is sincere. However, Jesus warns us that not all worship is necessarily honoring God. We must heed his warning to ensure that we are seeking to worship God genuinely, in spirit and in truth. He and he alone can discern the inclinations of the heart.

Seek Ye First

Because we are made in the image of God, it is normal for us to be natural seekers of goodness and truth. Made in God’s image, we were instilled with a heart that is pulled in by the quest for the presence of God. Jesus reminds us that the only resolution to this seeking is himself. He is the water from which we drink to never thirst again. Because of this, he tells us to seek his kingdom first, and everything else will be taken care of.