Ever seen a temper tantrum? A young child that is about two or three can throw awful fits when they don’t get what they want. To express their feelings, they cry and punch to the embarrassment of their parents. But parents know that the candy they desperately want needs to wait until after supper. Or that the expensive toy their eyes are on would only give joy for a short time before it is forgotten. That is the love of a parent. Not only do they give good things, but they also give the right things at the right time. And that is our next revelation in The Jesus Way.
Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:7–12, CSB)
Ask, seek, and knock. It has rightly been taught that these could be rendered as keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking – not just once, but continually. But what are we asking, seeking, and knocking for? Jesus doesn’t immediately explain what those should be. He does, however, assure His hearers that God will give good things to those that ask, just like a father to his children. Those good things may not be what we want, but they are what we need.
If I may, let me suggest some direction for “ask, seek, and knock.” I think that Jesus told us the direction of each of those earlier in the sermon. The model of The Lord’s Prayer is soaked with asking. In it, we are invited to ask for God’s Kingdom to come, for His rule to impact our world, for our daily bread, for forgiveness, and for God to lead us away from evil. I can’t think of a better ask.
Jesus also told his hearers to “seek first the Kingdom of Heaven.” Seeing the Kingdom expand into our hearts, lives, and world is a lifetime pursuit. It essentially means that God’s rule is increasingly reigning in us and in those around us. There are many things we could seek in this lifetime, such as wealth, pleasure, and power, but seeking the Kingdom outshines them all in ways that we can’t even imagine.
Knock, what did Jesus mean here? Unlike asking and seeking, I don’t find a direct correlation with knocking. It could mean any door that is locked or closed to us. But knowing Jesus, what is the one door that He desires that we open? May I suggest that it is the door to the heart of those who don’t yet know Christ? “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20, CSB) Don’t give up. Keep on knocking on the door of their heart.
Jesus concludes, “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” In many ways, I see this as a closing summation for everything since the beginning of Christ’s sermon. Following this rule, often called the Golden Rule, avoids all the traps of hypocrisy and lawlessness Jesus had previously warned about. This isn’t the end of His sermon, but it does mark a shift of focus. This simple rule answers all the questions about “how” that were left unanswered in all that proceeded.
For instance, how do we turn off the anger that burns in our souls? By treating others the same way that we want to be treated. We want understanding, mercy, grace, and love when we make a mistake. And that is what we should give to others instead of our anger.
The key to this is understanding that God is a Good Father and will give good gifts to those that keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking. The gift, the answer, the door, may not be what we want, but it will be what we need. This is The Jesus Way.
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