Note: Yes, this is being posted on August 20th. A double attack of malaria plus typhoid hit me somewhere between Rome and Chicago, leaving me feverish and weak. I’m getting better, thanks to lots of prayers.
Matthew 7:7-12 Ask, Seek, Knock (Luke 11:5-13)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.”
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Here Jesus is speaking to his disciples standing before him, but he is also speaking to us as well. Some people who claim to be Jesus followers seem to feel they must walk around with gloomy faces, as if they were always suffering. Such people are lousy advertising; most of us have plenty of trouble with taking on a religion that only promises more gloom and doom. But when Jesus was here on earth, he was probably the most joyful man ever known. Part of Jesus’ secret was simple: he was in constant contact with his Heavenly Father, and therefore in constant contact with the joyful praise around His throne. It is from this perspective that Jesus is giving this advice to all his disciples, present and future.
“Ask and it will be given to you…” My parents came out of the Great Depression, and for years, my dad was a tenant farmer. As a child, I learned not to ask for anything, because the money would not be available and I would embarrass my parents. But Jesus is speaking of his Heavenly Father, the Creator and Ruler of the entire universe. God the Father says of himself in Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me?” God wants to give us Himself and His Holy Spirit first and then provide our needs. Notice, needs, not wants. And we must trust God’s timing, for we want assurances ahead of time while God plans to provide just as we need something. Part of becoming a disciple is learning to trust God’s provision and timing.
“Seek and you will find…” Yet another part of discipleship is being willing to seek and to seek hard enough and long enough to secure our goals. Today so many of us are addicted to cell phones and televisions that give instant gratification that we have become quite lazy. The very idea of a spiritual quest is abhorrent-ooh! Suffering! Who needs it? Yet, if we really want God’s best, we must get out of our comfort zones and search actively. A song from The Sound of Music tells us to “Climb every mountain. Ford every stream. Follow every rainbow till you find your dream.” And we must ask God the Father to give us the dreams He wants us to seek and guide us in the search.
“…knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” What a simple statement-right? No. Sadly, many people have had doors slammed in their faces or have been denied simple things, particularly in their families of origin. Childhoods cursed by denials, criticism, resentment, and abuse have left many fearing to attempt to ask or to seek or to knock for fear of further rejection and pain. But abusive families have existed since the beginning of time, and Jesus knows there are those in the crowd who want to believe but who are fearful.
What Jesus is saying here is simple: Never mind your previous experiences! My Heavenly Father is NOT like your earthly fathers have been. My Heavenly Father WILL give generously and completely, and He WILL open the door when you knock, even if you are using your last breath to do so.
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” One thing we must realize is that fatherhood in Jesus’ day was respected far more than it is in contemporary America, although that depends on the culture in which you have been raised. In Jesus’ day, fathers were expected to provide well for their families, and the idea of substituting something harmful or hurtful would be unthinkable. Many cultures expect fathers to give nothing but good things to their children. Some of the most common names in the Konkomba tribe begin with the phrase “Nte” meaning “My father.”
What Jesus is advising us here is simple: The Heavenly Father is far more perfect than any earthly father can possibly be. God can give good things to those who ask Him because He understands their needs perfectly. Our task as disciples is to continue to ask and then to expect God to answer; however, we must recognize that sometimes God’s answers are different from the ones we have been expecting. We must allow God plenty of “wiggle room” and keep an open mind if we are truly to receive from Him.
I am currently recovering from typhoid/malaria that began manifesting in the middle of our transcontinental journey. I began having shaking chills in the airplane between Rome and Chicago. Could God have prevented this? Of course. But God has allowed these illnesses for some reason that will become apparent eventually. Prior to leaving Ghana, we tried to think about scheduling; however, something prevented us. Now we realize that we would have committed to a schedule that I would have been unable to keep. We know that God’s timing is perfect, so we are simply waiting on Him and trusting He will open doors for us.
“In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.” Why does Jesus add this as a tag end to his teaching about asking, seeking, and knocking? Sometimes we disciples get so caught up in OUR ministry, OUR goals, OUR needs, that we lose sight of those around us. Jesus wants us to remember that we should receive with open hands, ready to pass on blessings to those around us and not grasping those blessings with clenched fists. As long as we keep our hands open, God can continue to pour out blessings and those blessings can also flow to all those around us. When we receive freely, we must also give freely, trusting that God the Heavenly Father will continue to pour out blessings to us for us to pass on to others.
Jesus is inviting all who want to be disciples to trust in his Heavenly Father. This invitation is as much for you as it was for those who first heard Jesus teach these things. From our experiences, we can say, “Come on in! The water’s fine!”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust that when we ask, seek, and knock, that You will answer us in ways far better than our original requests. Help us also to receive with open hands so that the blessings will flow to all around us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment