MATTHEW CHAPTER 7-Part 2

� 2001 William R. Cunningham
May 6, 2001

PURPOSE AND INTRODUCTION

Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount are invaluable for the Christian to understand the Kingdom of God.� Jesus reveals the operation and conduct in the Kingdom of God to all those who would listen.� The information that can be acquired here will help the Christian to know for themselves what the Kingdom of God is like and therefore how to conduct themselves as God's people.

The purpose of this study Guide is to present to you the teachings of Jesus Christ found in Matthew chapter 7.� It is recommended that you read Matthew chapters five through seven for a more complete picture of these teachings.

CONTEXT

Jesus dealt with conduct within the Kingdom of God for the most part in chapter six.� He continues his teaching on conduct in the Kingdom of God and applying it to a lifestyle and basic social operations. The context here is the Kingdom of God and should not be applied to worldly concepts.

Asking and Receiving (Verses 7-8)

Matthew 7:7 through Matthew 7:8 (NKJV) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

It is important to understand that this scripture is not in any way a guarantee that God will give you whatever you ask for.� Let's look at this verse carefully.� Also, there are other principles that are assumed, which I would like to bring out.

First, there are three modes of inquiry given here, namely, asking, seeking, and knocking.� Let's examine these carefully to see if there is any significance in using those three words.

The word "ask" comes from a Greek word that means ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.� The application here might be that of desiring something from God and therefore you ask for it (pray perhaps).

Asking implies a sense of dependence because you ask God for what you want.� That means that you depend on God to give it to you.� If you didn't depend on God for what you wanted or needed then you wouldn't ask Him for it and instead pursue those things yourself.

The word "seek" comes from a Greek word that means:

1. To seek in order to find
2. To seek a thing
3. To seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into
4. To seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after
5. To seek, i.e. require, demand
6. To crave, demand something from someone

This word gives the impression of someone that is pursuing what they desire or ask for.� Seeking implies a sense of yearning for something.� Not only do you merely want it but also you yearn for it to such an extent that you begin a pursuit for it.� This is a very important concept when combined with asking and knocking, which we will discuss shortly.� A desire alone will not produce the thing desired.� Desire is now followed by an active pursuit, which I believe is the work that we have to do in order to accomplish our goals and fulfill our desires.

The word "knock" comes from a Greek word that means to rap as in knocking at a door.� We get the picture of someone wanting to gain entry into a room or the like so they knock on the door.� The knocking is a way of getting the attention of those inside so that he or she might be allowed inside.� This is also a form of request but seems to be a later stage then the asking and seeking.

Knocking implies a degree of persistence in a sense.� You are where you want to be, so to speak, and yet the door is closed.� You knock on the door until you are allowed to enter or, in our case, your desire is fulfilled.� This is important because it shows that God does not necessarily magically grant your desires.� Sure we have to ask and pursue but we also have to be persistent in what we want and therefore in what we pray for.� See Luke 18:1-8.

Summary of Verses 7-8

We should ask, pursue, and persist in getting the things that we want.� If we do these then God will grant us our desire.� However, this principle must be taken in context with the rest of Jesus' teaching, especially as it applies to the Sermon on the Mount.� It is implied that the desires here are consistent with those who are on the narrow way (see Matthew 7:13-14).� Also consider that it is God who decides what is right and therefore what he will give us.� This will become more clear when we examine the verses nine through twelve.

So here we ask, seek, and knock (persist) and God will give us what we want assuming certain principles along with God's will.

The Illustration of Parents (verses 9-11)

Matthew 7:9 through Matthew 7:11 (NKJV) Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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 good things to those who ask Him!

Who would give their children something bad when the children ask for something?� Would you give your child a stone when he or she asks for bread?� Would you give your child a snake if he or she asks for fish?� No good parent would do such a thing.� A good parent (one that considers the welfare of their children) would attempt to give the child what he or she asks for but with certain understandings. For example, a parent would not blindly give a child whatever he or she asks for.� That would spoil the child and teach the child things that would not ultimately be good for him or her.� The parent would not give the child something if it will harm him or her regardless of how bad the child wants it.

The same holds true for God.� God will give us what we want and need but according to His will and according to our well being.� For example, do you think that God would grant you wealth when you can't manage the little that you have now?� That is unlikely.� If we are faithful over what we have now then we will tend to be faithful on more.� Therefore, we cannot assume that God will give us whatever we want merely because we ask and that the Bible says that we will receive.� There are many other things that are involved in receiving from God, namely His will and your benefit.� After all, why would God give you something that would hurt you or that you are not ready to receive?� Perhaps this is why there is a time of pursuit and persistence instead of instant gratification.

Notice that the scripture mentions "good things."� This is consistent with what I just pointed out.� What we might consider good might not be good at all.� What we consider a need might not be a need at all-just our perception of such.� However, it is God that ultimately determines what is good for us and what is not.� It is God that ultimately determines or knows what we really need.� It is also God that knows what is ultimately good for us.

Consider the contrast of verse eleven in Matthew and in Luke.

Luke 11:13 (NCV) Even though you are bad, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Note that Luke replaces "good gifts" with "the Holy Spirit."� This is also consistent with Jesus' teaching of heavenly treasures.� We should not be too quick to assume that whenever the Bible speaks about receiving or prosperity that it is referring to material things.� Far more important are those things that are heavenly oriented and pertain to eternal life.� All material things are temporal though not absolutely unimportant (when time is considered).

The Golden Rule?

Matthew 7:12 (NKJV) Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

This rule was usually given in the negative in Jewish teachings.� That is, it was said that you shouldn't do to others what you don't want them to do with you.� Jesus, on the other hand, stated this principle in a positive sense.� He says that we should do to others what we want them to do to us.� My perception of this, based on other teachings regarding relationships and interaction among people, is that Jesus is giving us a way to know how to treat others.� How should I treat a person?� Think of how I would want to be treated.� That is how to treat the other person.� Therefore, however I want to be treated is how I should treat others.

Also note that this verse is part of what Jesus said before because of the use of the word "therefore."� We can apply this by concluding that people will play a part in us acquiring the things that we pray for.� God will not drop things from the sky for us.� Other people will be involved in the pursuit of our dreams, goals, and desires.� Therefore, it is in our best interest to treat others with the same respect and dignity that we would like to be treated with.� It is also a major concept in regards to loving your neighbor.

The Two Gates (Verses 13-14)

Matthew 7:13 through Matthew 7:14 (NKJV) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

There are two ways of life.� There is the narrow way and the broad way.� The broad way leads to destruction and the narrow way leads to life.� Now there are a couple of important points that I would like to make about this scripture.

The broad way implies a way with no restrictions (do what you want).� The narrow way implies a defined path.� Consider a typical road.� That road defines a path for you to walk or drive your car.� You are restricted from walking or driving outside of that path to some extent, though not absolutely because we can break the boundaries.� However, the path is defined and therefore we cannot merely walk or drive wherever we so please.� We should stay within the defined boundaries.� The broad way either has no such boundaries or the boundaries give us a substantial amount of freedom to do what we want.

Many live life with little restrictions and therefore guidance.� However, there are a relatively few who will find the narrow way and walk on that.� Perhaps we should relate the asking, seeking, and knocking to this narrow way, which would be appropriate given the context of the scripture.� Perhaps the thing that we should really be asking for, seeking after, and persisting at are those things that pertain to the Kingdom of God (not that we don't need or want other things).� We should seek God and His Kingdom, which is the narrow way.

Which path are you on?� Are you on the path that will lead to life or are you on the path that will lead to destruction.

I think we should clarify the use of the word life in this scripture (Matthew 7:13-14).� The word life here refers to the idea of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God.� Also to life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ.� Life here can therefore be thought of fulfillment according to God's Way.

Conclusion

Those who ask will receive.� Those who seek will find.� Those who knock the door will be opened to them.� These principles should be understood in the proper context of the Sermon on the Mount and according to God's Kingdom.� God will give us good things and most importantly those things pertaining to life.� We should therefore journey on the path that leads to fulfillment in life and not the one that leads to destruction.� Only with Christ can we truly be fulfilled.

Therefore, ask God for heavenly things (as well as day to day things).� Pursue the things that you desire and persist in prayer about them.� God will grant your prayers.� However, keep in mind that God ultimately determines what we need and what is good for us.� Amen.