7 “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Following his teaching on forgiveness, where Jesus cements the notion of God’s justice. He continues to illuminate essentially the hidden realities of that justice. In the context of judging others, Jesus makes it that if you do not judge, you will not be judged. This is an invitation to be like God and it requires you to “desire all men to be saved” and not usurp God’s authority of Judgement.
Elsewhere Jesus has spoken about the hypocrites, how they receive, as according to God’s justice, exactly what they want. They pray publicly specifically in order to be praised in by others in public, they receive their reward but are denied the actual fruits that true prayer is for, intimacy with God. It is rooted in intent of your heart. This context helps explain todays readings. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. It’s rather simple but if your hearts intent is truly God you will receive him. This is where the importance of purging ourselves of earthly desires comes from. Sometimes in order to correct out hearts intentions we have to sever things out of our life that draw us to earthly attachments.
8 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Jesus continues his point, elaborating on it. This repetition is common of rabbinical teachers. Saying the same thing multiple times and even adding real world subjects or frameworks to further concretise the meaning of the teaching. This Jesus will do later. The key again, is intent of heart, saying words idly, as Jesus warns against, will get you know where.
9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
Now Jesus provides a normative natural framework that his audience can easily understand. With this as a the frame of reference, his lesson should be easier for them. Everyone understands familial relationships so the framework Jesus sets up is one of a father and son. If the son is hungry and asks for bread, you understand full well that you would give him bread to eat and not something ridiculous like a stone. The same goes if he asked for a fish, you would not offer him a snake that could kill him instead. This is simple but this normal natural framework is required for the grander, divine invisible mysteries of God. Something our senses cannot comprehend.
11 If you then, who are 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!
If they as fallen human beings riddled with concupiscence can understanding feeding your children when they need it, is God, the all-powerful Father of all not going to do better? Is it such a stretch to see that reality? Of course it isn’t it is completely logical despite our senses screaming the opposite at us sometimes.
12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Jesus ends on the Golden Rule, something that even secular people who have never read the Bible seem to understand, although not always put into practice. Treat others as you would want to be treated but Jesus also does another thing in this statement. He says that this Golden Rule is the entire summary of the Law, that being the Law of Moses and the preaching of the Prophets.
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