The Gospel According to Matthew
(Matthew 7: 7-11)
This past weekend was Academy Days at Mount Pisgah Academy. I was in charge of the entire weekend. As I awoke Sabbath morning the rain was falling. I looked at the forecast on my phone and was disappointed to see rain the entire day. My mind was whirling with how I could restructure the day. What we could do for every activity that I had planned for outside. My tired mind and body seemed to fail me and I couldn't seem to find answers. Then almost flippantly I said, "Jesus, don't you want to send your angels to encamp around us and blow the weather around MPA?" As soon as I said it I realized the lack of sincerity bordering on disrespectful. I immediately started to recant my statement and instead, prayed with a sincere heart that God would give me clarity about what to do for the day, or he would provide a weather miracle and blow the weather around MPA. Our theme for the weekend was "For His Glory". I added in my prayer that if it would bring glory to His name, then I am asking, PLEASE, don't let it rain.
I went onto church, in the rain, made the announcement about the new location to meet at 2 after lunch, and tried to keep my mind on church. Our students and staff were giving their mission report and they kept talking about all the miracles that they personally experienced. As I walked out of church with a full heart and renewed admiration for the greatness of our God, I walked right into the most glorious day. It wasn't just not raining, it was full sunshine, with just a few beautiful white clouds. I wanted to drop to my knees right there, but just smiled at the heavens and said, "For His Glory!"
A miracle, YES! Is that what this passage is talking about... perhaps...yes? Or is it something else. Is it more.
READ: Matthew 7:7-12
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
So let's break this down.
I remember as a mother trying to train our children to say "please" and "thank-you". One way was that when they asked for things without saying "please" I acted as if I didn't hear them. Then when I heard "please" I immediately responded. Is that what God is doing when we don't receive what we ask? Is He waiting for us to do or say something, and if so what?
Dylis Brooks when speaking on this passage talks about the garden of Eden and how the relationship between God and man had been so intimate and so beautiful, with face to face conversation and now on the side of the mountain Jesus is telling them how to pray, and that prayer can be a way to right now reopen that line of communication. So if this is about the prayer, perhaps this is not so much about the rain or about our purpose, or what to eat or drink or where to live. After all He told us not to worry about those things right? No what He is talking about is asking for THE ONE. Asking for Him. If that is the case. We ask for Him and we receive Him, EVERY TIME!
Do you ask for Him? Or do you just ask Him for things?
Asking is a very important part of our relationship with Jesus. I remember a guy who was interested in being in a relationship with our Sarah. He hung around, talked, texted, but never asked if she would be in a relationship with him. That was just too much. Asking to know someone, asking to be in relationship with shows a definite interest. Even though this great guy kept hanging around Sarah was never quite sure of His intentions. He never expressed a desire to know her.
I know it isn't exactly the same thing, but close. God wants us to ask for Him.
SEEK: When you read on perhaps the questions about asking are cleared up. After all, we know what the seek is right. I have always read this passage, and believed the seeking was not about seeking for my lost keys, but the seeking was about seeking my Lord.
How is seeking different from asking?
What does it look like to seek God?
KNOCKING: Dylis in her sermon asks where the door came from? Have you ever wondered that? I'm going to ask what do you think the door is?
Is this door or barrier something that God put there? Is it something we put there?
I don't believe that God puts barriers between us and Him, so then if it is something that we have put there what could it be?
Our resentments?
Our lack of faith?
Our rebellion?
Our pain?
Our hurts?
What is in between us and God?
We are knocking on what?
Some of us have very thick doors that have lots and lots of build up on them. They maybe huge but there is no door to heavy for Jesus to open. No door that can keep us away from him if we will, simply knock.
On the TV show the Big Bang Theory, when Sheldon knocks he knocks three times saying the persons name with each knock. It is annoying.
When Chris and I would try to have some alone time when the kids were little their knocks we accompanied with whines and a persistence that drove us crazy.
Knocking is again an action on our part. If we just stand outside a door and never knock will it ever be answered? Knocking is important if we want in.
What does knocking look like with God?
READ: Matthew 7: 9-12
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
So what about this last part you ask. Does it not also mean that if we ask for the rain to stop that he will stop the rain. If we ask for healing he will heal. Isn't it saying ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened unto you?
Oh He knows how to give good gifts to you. He just asks that if we need Him to ask, seek, knock.
Do I think Jesus blew the clouds away last Sabbath? YES!
Is that only what this passage is talking about, NO! Jesus wants to give us great gifts to those who ask, and the greatest of those gifts... really the only gift that matters...is HIM! Last Sabbath rain or shine, what I needed is to know that I was in relationship with Jesus, that I have a relationship with God. What I needed was Him! That's all I needed. No matter rain or shine, I need Jesus! In your life, during rain and during sunshine you need Jesus! The beautiful fact is that if you ask for Him, seek Him, and knock, He will answer and you will have exactly what you need!
Who are you?
Who am I? Who am I because of who He is?
I am spoken for! I am in a relationship! I am loved by someone who desires me! I am loved by someone who gives good gifts everyday!
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