ASK, SEEK, KNOCK
Matt. 7:7-12
1) Ask, Seek, Knock (7-8). Here we see three different words three different meanings. I think this illustrates a process; like a chain of events if you will. As the Fourfold gospel commentary puts it, “Asking is a simple use of voice, seeking is a motion of the body, and knocking is an effort to open and pass through obstacles.” People’s NT commentary, “Ask implies a simple petition. Seek indicates an earnest search. Knock shows perseverance in spite of hindrances.”
Ask-step one. It’s on the mind and heart and it prompts us to ask God.
Seek-step two. He responds with “you want this? Come after it.” He may not always do it this way. Sometimes we ask and God gives without him motivating us to seek it out. But often times he motivates us to get up and go. To seek would involve leaving something behind in order to pursue; pushing something aside in order to seek. Do we want it enough to go seeking it out? Are we willing to put in the footwork; make the sacrifices? Do we trust God’s leading in getting us there?
Knock-step three. Once we get to where God wants us to go are we willing to knock on the door? Are we willing to be persistent in knocking on the door if need be? Adam Clarke’s commentary words it like this: “Ask with confidence and humility. Seek with care and application. Knock with earnestness and perseverance.”
Persistence pays off. Luke 18:1-8. [significance of using a widow, contrast between judge and God] Why would God make us do this before giving us his blessing? To see if we are willing to pursue what we are asking for; how important is it to us. He may also hold off so that we may appreciate it more. When something doesn’t come easy it’s appreciated more. Sometimes we think God shouldn’t make us ask, seek or knock. He knows what we need so he should just give it to us. Or in the very least, when we ask for it we shouldn’t have to go through any effort to get it or we shouldn’t have to wait. Often times God does operate that way. By his greatness he answers immediately. Sometimes he gives us blessings without even asking for them. But just because he does it this way sometimes it’s wrong for us to expect or demand him to do it this way all the time. There are times when we will need to go through a process in order to receive. We might have to wait before God will answer but it’s not diabolical; it’s wise. And it’s not punishing; it’s rewarding.
“A true story: Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. She got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens. Here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn’t there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me." Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey! Any of you guys lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, until you learn why the climber saw it. An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!” Who do you think told that ant to pick up that contact lens and carry it? God, of course. Why would the ant pick it up; it’s not food. What do you think this woman gained through this experience? A better understanding of how great God is and how much he cares for her.
2) God is the great gift-giver (9-11). In each we see that if we are willing to initiate God will respond favorably. There’s significance to Jesus using the specific terms he does. There was a type of bread made in Jesus’ day that looked similar to some of the stones in that area. Hence if a father wanted to he could deceive his son by giving him a stone instead of bread. Same with the fish/snake. Jesus is referring to something that’s been cooked. Once it was cooked snake meat could resemble something else like an eel. But the problem is fish were clean animals and therefore were okay to eat while snakes were unclean animals and therefore forbidden to eat. A father with bad intentions could trick his son into becoming unclean. That’s something Satan does. Not that we’re asking him for anything but he is the deceiver; tricking us with something that appears good but isn’t. The things of the world look like they would sustain us but in the end it’s not bread. The things of the flesh might appear to be “clean” but in reality they are not. God will never trick us; he will never give us something bad.
We can take these verses the wrong way thinking God is at our mercy to give us whatever we want. God is obligated to do what I say; I’m the boss. Obviously that’s incorrect thinking. Although this may appear to imply that God is like our genie in a bottle, it’s not saying that at all. It’s clear that God wants to bless us. He knows how to bless us. And he will bless us if…we come to him. James 4:1-4. James says we don’t have because we don’t ask God. Sometimes we don’t come to him. Why wouldn’t we? One reason is because of our view of God. If we have an ill-tempered, abusive father would we go to him for anything? If we have a loving, generous, wise father we would be more apt to come to him when we wanted something. Therefore, if we see God as someone to be afraid of or someone who doesn’t really care then we won’t come to him. However, if we see God as someone who loves guides and protects, then we will have godly boldness and confidence that we can approach his throne with anything that’s in our heart.
Another reason we don’t come to him is because we are relying on ourselves to get what we want. We’re prideful and think we don’t need to ask God. We rely on our own intellect and power to secure what we want and it ends up not working out so well. Another reason we don’t ask God is because we think, “God knows what I need; I shouldn’t have to ask.” Although God does know what we need, he still wants us to ask instead of expect. If God just handed everything to us without even asking there would be no growth taking place in us; everything would come too easily. Part of the reason why we are to ask, seek, and knock is for spiritual growth to occur through the process.
James also makes it clear that another reason why we don’t have is because we have wrong motives (3-4). God will bless us if we come to him with the right motives. Are our motives pure? Are we focused only on ourselves when we are going to God? If so then we shouldn’t expect him to grant our requests.
God will bless us if we don’t doubt him James 1:5-7. First, I like how James talks about wisdom. That is the first thing we should ask for. God told Solomon to ask for anything he wished and he asked for wisdom. Because of that, God gave him everything else too. If we ask for wisdom, we will get it. And if we govern our prayer life by that wisdom God will give us everything else. But when we do ask we should believe that God is able. He might not always be willing, but he is able. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were going to be thrown into the furnace by Nebuchadnezzar they told him that God was able to save them. “But even if he doesn’t we won’t bow down and worship your image of gold.” They believed God was able but they didn’t claim to know God’s will in the matter.
God will bless us if we are obedient 1st John 3:21-23 (vs 23 connection with Matt. 7:12). We will receive from God because we are obedient to God. Why would God bless those who are living in disobedience? God removing his blessings as a result of our disobedience is actually a blessing because that hopefully would cause us to come to our senses quicker. And if we repent we can be sure that God will bless us.
God will bless us if it is his will 1st John 5:14-15. “According to his will”. We might have all the other components: we come to him in faith, with the right motives, as obedient children but still not get what we ask for. Our requests still need to be in accordance with his will. When Jesus prayed in the garden he asked that the cup of suffering be taken from him. The Father didn’t grant his request-because it wasn’t his will to. Paul asked three times for the demonic thorn in his flesh to be removed; but Jesus didn’t give Paul what he was asking for-not because he enjoyed seeing Paul tormented but because he wanted Paul to understand some things. And both Jesus and Paul had the right attitude about that. Jesus said, “Yet not my will but yours be done.” Paul said, “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God knows what’s best for us. We think we know and are confused when God doesn’t deliver on what we think is prudent for us to have. But if we don’t have it, whether it’s because it’s not his will or not the right time, we should trust his wisdom. Sometimes we think God hasn’t answered our prayer when in fact he has it’s just not the answer we were looking for (flood, guy on rooftop story).
Here’s something else that’s great about God. So often we don’t just receive what we ask for, but we receive more that what we ask for. We ask for money to pay our bills and he gives us that much and more. God rewards those who earnestly seek him, who seek first the kingdom of God, who are obedient to him, who has gratitude, contentment and thanksgiving in their hearts towards him. The following was written by an unknown confederate soldier: “I asked God for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for–but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed.” God is the great gift-giver.
3) The Golden Rule (12). This may seem like it’s a stand-alone verse but I think it goes well with what Jesus just said. In fact, the KJV starts vs. 12 by saying therefore which connects what follows with what precedes. If we, though we are imperfect, get such good and gracious gifts undeservingly from the Father, shouldn’t we treat others the same way? Shouldn’t we seek to bless others the way we have been blessed by God?
In the movie “Pay it Forward”, a boy has a social studies assignment to find a way to change the world. His idea-do something good for someone that they can’t do for themselves, then that person pays it forward. As it catches on we see people engaging in acts of kindness to others only to say, “Don’t pay me back–I’m looking for nothing in return–pay it forward.” Jesus has blessed us so we in turn pay it forward and bless others.
People’s NT commentary states, “A maxim similar to the Golden Rule is found in the teachings of various sages; Socrates among the Greeks ["What stirs you to anger when done to you by others; that do not to others"], the Rabbi Hillel ["Do not do to thy neighbor what is hateful to thyself"]. But the other teachers do not come up to Christ's standard. Their maxim is negative and passive. They say: "Do not do to others what you would not have done to you." It is a rule of not doing, rather than of doing.” Confucius, in what is called "The Silver Rule," says "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." This may well be the silver rule, but Jesus has given us the golden rule. The golden rule goes further than the silver rule. As the others have to do with refraining from doing to others, Jesus commissions us to be initiators; even if no one is initiating towards us.
“In everything”. This tells me that there is no circumstance where I am excused from following this rule. When I don’t feel like it I must follow it. When people mistreat me still I must follow it. This principle is not conditional.
Little Chad was in 2nd grade. He was a little slower than the other children and that made them reject Chad. A couple of weeks before Valentines’ Day, Chad came home and told his mother that he wanted to make cards for everyone in his class. She knew how they treated her son, but she helped him make 35 cards. On Valentine’s Day, she waited by the curb for the school bus to bring him home. When it got there, she saw all the kids laughing and getting off the bus, and then she saw Chad walking by himself near the back of the bus. When he got off the bus, he was very happy, and told his mother that he didn’t forget a single classmate, that he remembered them all. They still shunned Chad, but he remembered each one of them with a card. We once shunned Jesus but that didn’t stop him from remembering each one of us in His love. And now He wants us to show that love to other people just like Chad did–for the sake of loving, not for the purpose of receiving anything back. Chad’s classmates did not treat him very well. But Chad treated them the way he wanted to be treated; not the way he was being treated. Chad was golden.
