If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

                                                                                                                       Matthew 7:11

Today: Read Matthew 7

What a privilege it is to talk to God about everything. In today’s passage, Jesus is instructing us to ask, to seek, and to knock (v 7). The tense of the verbs used in this passage refer to a continual action, so we can translate the verse “keep asking”, “keep seeking”, and “keep knocking.” The principle behind this instruction is given to us in the very next verse. Everyone who asks receives, whoever seeks will find, and whoever knocks, the door will be opened (v 8). This biblical principle informs us of the certainty of God’s response.

But our focus today is on the remainder of the passage. God’s character and nature are on display as Jesus teaches us why this principle exists. Jesus uses two examples of earthly parenting in which anyone can relate. These two examples are stated in the form of a question. If your child asks you for something beneficial (bread), you as the parent wouldn’t give them something harmful or useless (stone) would you? (v 9) Jesus follows with a second illustration. If your child comes to you and again asks for something beneficial (fish), you wouldn’t give them something harmful or unhelpful like a snake would you? (v 10) Of course, the answer is that no good parent would do such a thing. So now the character of God is compared to the earthly parenting examples. “If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more…” (v 11). It’s a comparative statement. Even fallen mankind has the God-given ability to nurture and care for their young. So Jesus says, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask.” It’s not even close. God is better at caring for us than we are at caring for ourselves.

God will give us what is good. The word “good” means that which is useful, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, and happy. This goodness is salutary, favorable in promoting health, and conducive to some beneficial purpose. And to whom is God going to give these good things? He gives them to those who ask! Now, the principle that “everyone who asks will receive” makes sense. God is a better giver than any earthly parent and is willing to gift us with things that are beneficial and promote our spiritual growth and well-being.

But there is still one more thing. The very next verse is often called the golden rule and it reads like this:

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

                                                                                                                     Matthew 7:12 

Some translations treat this verse as a separate thought, apart from the passages on asking, but the text supports the idea that the golden rule flows from the very character and nature of God (some translations us therefore, others so). So because God is a loving heavenly Father, ready to pour good things into the life of the one who asks, we are therefore to treat other people the way we want them to treat us. By treating others this way, we are fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. I believe the church has two very important obligations to exhibit to the world. (1) To proclaim the truths found in today’s passage, namely that God is a loving heavenly Father and (2) to display this truth by the way we treat other people. This positive, loving treatment of others only validates our proclamation to the wonderfulness of God. Failure to do so only confuses and causes skepticism on the part of those seeking truth.

Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking!