Sermon on the Mount. Stones and Serpents.

Matthew 7.7-11

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be given to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  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!”

Ask Seek Knock.

Here we see a section of scripture where Jesus repeats himself twice within the same breath.  This asking, seeking, and knocking seem to be tied to good gifts, since Jesus continues with an analogy about gifting.  But to what end?  What are we being given?  What are we finding? What should we be asking our Father in heaven for?  The promise seems so inclusive and absolute.  It cannot be speaking of us asking for our whims and desires.  Why is there no clause directing our requests?  Kids don’t know what to ask for.  The analogy he continues with evinces a child asking for food.  Maybe that is a clue.  The child is not asking for a Play Station.  He is asking for the simple groans within him for sustenance and life.  Maybe if our heartbeats were more attune to its needs, our requests would look different?

Stones and Serpents.

Can you imagine?  Going to a café and ordering a turkey club, and getting a pile of rocks instead; or coming together for a family Easter feast to find snakes as the main course?  Can you imagine a parent completely contrary to their child’s needs?  Even bad parents tend to feed their children.  So what is the promise herein?  God is far better at providing for us then we are for ourselves.  And if parenthood is a shadow of God’s love and care for us, wont he be far better at providing for his children their needs?  If that is true, why do we worry?  Kids generally don’t worry about being taken care of.  And we have a perfect Father in heaven doing the care.  This stuff links together in the Sermon on the Mount, and this section seems to link quite well with the anxiety and prayer section.  Both subjects are laced within.