“How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?”

“How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Again I tell you, 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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, , how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:9–13).

 

 

 

(1)   As I meditated on today’s passage, Luke 11:9–13, I made an interesting observation regarding the context of these verses.  That observation concerns the phrases “Jesus said” (v. 2), “He said again” (v. 5), and “I tell you” (v. 9).

 

(a)    In verse 2, what Jesus said was the Lord’s Prayer (vv. 2–4), the words He spoke again in verse 5 were the Parable of the Persistent Friend (vv. 5–8), and the words Jesus spoke again in verse 9 were the famous statement: “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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (vv. 9–10).

 

(i)      As we have already meditated on, the Lord’s Prayer (vv. 2–4) addresses the content of prayer, and the Parable of the Persistent Friend (vv. 5–8) addresses the attitude of prayer.  So, what does today’s passage, Luke 11:9–10, teach us?   It speaks precisely of the attitude of prayer and the certainty of an answer—or, in other words, Jesus’ promise.

 

·          Here, the attitude of prayer is expressed through Jesus’ imperative verbs—“Ask,” “Seek,” and “Knock”—which are all in the present imperative tense in Greek grammar.  This indicates that the attitude of prayer Jesus teaches us is to “keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.  This implies not a single act, but the meaning of repetition and perseverance: ‘Keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking (Internet).

 

-      Progressive Deepening (meaning that the stages of prayer deepen from simple requests to more earnest actions):

 

Ask: The stage of recognizing our lack and pleading with God.

 

The Gentiles seek “what they shall eat, what they shall drink, and what they shall wear,” but our heavenly Father knows that we need all these things (Mt. 6:31–32).

 

  Therefore, Jesus tells us, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 33).

 

                                         Seek: The stage of translating prayer into action and discovering God’s will.

                                     

Just as faith without works is dead faith (Jam. 2:17, 26), we can also say  that prayer without action is dead prayer.

 

This verse from 1 John 2:17 came to mind: “And the world is passing away, and its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”

 

                          As I meditated on “the will of God,” Colossians 3:1 came to my heart: “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

“Knock”: This refers to the earnest stage of persistently clinging until the door of response is opened (internet).

 

                                                   The spiritual meaning of “knock”

 

                                                   Biblical interpreters explain “knocking” as follows:

 

               An expression of earnestness: It goes beyond merely “asking” with words or “seeking” with the eyes; it is an earnest attitude of physically engaging so that the door may actually be opened.

 

               The final stage: After the processes of asking and seeking, when one finally arrives at the destination (the door), it is the last step of acting in trust so that the door will be opened.

 

               Assurance that it will be opened: The very act of knocking presupposes the faith that “someone is inside, and if I knock, He will open it.”

 

               Ultimately, the command “knock” teaches that prayer must not remain merely as thoughts or wishes, but must become action that does not give up until the very end toward God’s answer (Internet).

 

·        Here, the certain answer to prayer, or Jesus’ promise, is found in the three statements that begin with “then”: (1) “Then it will be given to you,” (2) “Then you will find,” (3) “Then it will be opened to you” (Lk. 11:9).

 

-        The promise of “ask”

 

John 14:13–14: “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it… If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

 

John 15:7: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

 

John 16:24: “Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

 

James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

 

-        The promise of “seek”

 

2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

 

Amos 5:4: “For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: ‘Seek Me and live.’”

 

Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

 

-        The promise of “knock”

 

“It will be opened to you”: The most direct promise is that the door will be opened.

 

Greek meaning: “It will be opened” is in the future passive form, promising that it is not I who break the door down and enter, but that God Himself will open it.

 

Assurance of response: It guarantees that the act of knocking is not in vain, but will surely accomplish its intended purpose (entering through the door or meeting the one inside).

 

The promise of giving “the best thing” (Mt. 7:11)

Looking at the concluding part of the command “knock,” God not only opens the door but also promises to give the best things to those who ask (Mt. 7:11).

 

The promise of the Holy Spirit: In Luke’s Gospel, this “best thing” is specifically identified as the Holy Spirit (Lk. 11:13).  It is the promise of God’s presence (the Holy Spirit), which is greater and more essential than the “reward beyond the door” that we might have expected (Internet).

 

-        In today’s passage, Luke 11:10, what is important is not so much the persistence and patience of the one who prays, but rather the absolute trust that God will surely answer, and the confidence that what is asked will certainly be received (Hochma).

 

n    The basis of that confidence is never our act of praying, but the One to whom we pray—our “Heavenly Father”: “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (v. 13).  Matthew 7:11 says: “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.”

 

#   “Matthew 7:11 is the concluding portion of Jesus’ teaching that promises answers to prayer, and it is a passage that affirms the Fatherhood and goodness of God. The main interpretive points are as follows.”

 

1.      The logic of “how much more”

 

This verse uses a Jewish form of reasoning that argues from the lesser to the greater (a fortiori).

 

Contrast: “evil earthly fathers” vs. “the perfectly good Heavenly Father”

 

Core point: Even sinful human parents instinctively desire to give good things to their children—so how much more would God, who is perfect love itself, not ignore the prayers of His children? This is a powerful rhetorical question.

 

2.      “Though you are evil” (Being evil)

 

Here, “evil” does not mean being a violent criminal, but refers to the total depravity and limitation of humanity when seen in light of God’s absolute holiness.

 

Human love is selfish and imperfect, yet even within such limitations, parental love still functions.  This is used to highlight and magnify the incomparable love of God.

 

3.      “Good things” (Good things, ἀγαθά)

 

This expression parallels the “Holy Spirit” in Luke 11:13.

 

Discerning response: God does not simply give us what we ask for; rather, He gives us what is truly “good” for us.  When we ask for something harmful (like a snake or a scorpion), God, in His love, may refuse or replace it with something better.

 

Blessing for body and soul: The “good things” in Matthew includes comprehensive blessings—from daily bread (Mt. 6:11) to spiritual grace.

 

4.      Theological point: The basis of prayer

 

This passage makes it clear that answers to prayer do not come because of “my earnestness,” but because of “God’s good character.”  Prayer is not a process of persuading a reluctant God, but an act of opening, by faith, the storehouse of a generous Father.

 

Conclusion: Matthew 7:11 exhorts us to confidently come before God, trusting Him as “a reliable Father who has prepared the very best things” for us.