Tag Archive | Ask-Seek-Knock

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/7): Matthew 7:7-14.

Oct7

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

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REVIEW – We saw several “Don’ts” in yesterday’s study. “Don’t judge your brother’s failings before taking care of your own.” “Don’t give holy things to dogs.” “Don’t give ‘pearls’ to pigs.” (And the day before, “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” and “Don’t be anxious.”)

No one likes to be given all these restrictions. They feel like heavy burdens, like “THE LAW.” But they are for the good of the ‘Kingdom dwellers.” Today Jesus will show his listeners on that hillside the good and better way … even if it is quite narrow.

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Matthew 7:7-8.

“ASK, and it WILL BE given to you … SEEK, and you WILL FIND … KNOCK, and it WILL BE OPENED to you.”

As if they didn’t hear correctly, Jesus repeats this. “For EVERYONE who asks receives, and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.”

Did those people sit there dumbfounded, mouths half open? Did they ask themselves if these promises were honest-to-goodness true? In our day, we (or at least kids) might ask, “Is this Man a ‘genie with three wishes to grant?’

But Jesus is speaking of the goodness, kindness, and grace of His heavenly Father to those who come into His kingdom. To those who believe His gospel. To those whose hearts have been changed.

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Matthew 6:9-11.

Jesus gives examples from THEIR world, showing how this love, to a minor degree, works in their families.

“Which of YOU, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (They look around at each other and shake their heads. Not me!)

Or, “If your son asks for a fish, which of you will give him a snake?” (Moms are aghast at THIS thought and frown at Jesus. No way!)

“No! You, who are evil (compared to the Lord God), 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?”

You can almost see hope spreading through the crowd. Yes… God might answer our prayers. Jesus says He will. Can we believe it….?

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Much later, Jesus’ brother James repeats this idea in his letter. See James 1:17 says, “EVERY good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is NO variation or shadow due to change.”

God doesn’t change His mind. He is not ‘wishy-washy’ with His promises. What He says, He does. We can trust Him. So, Jesus says, ask Him, seek Him and His goodness, knock on the doors of heaven. HE WILL answer!

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Matthew 7:12.

“The Golden Rule.” You’ve probably heard it many times. It sounds glib, easy to do… but is it?

“So, whatever you wish that others would do to YOU, (you) do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Jesus says this “rule” is the gist of all the principles in the Old Testament.

At another time, He would tell them that to “Love God supremely, and others as yourself” was ALL the Law.

Jesus puts this “rule” as a positive statement. Whatever (good) you wish to be done to you … do that to others. (Of course, it doesn’t always follow that if we treat others well, they will respond back in the same way. But we have learned that our Father, who sees our good works, WILL reward us.)

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The Golden Rule was not new. Rabbis wrote it before Christ; you can even find it in Hinduism and Buddhism!! (Whoa!) BUT they always wrote it in the NEGATIVE. “What is hateful to yourself, do NOT to someone else.”

THINK ABOUT THAT. How is it different from what Jesus said? IS there a difference?

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Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter by the narrow gate…’

“… for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are MANY, for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are FEW.”

Wide and narrow,

Easy and hard,

Destruction and life,

Many and few.

Two ways to heaven and eternal life are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, through Christ alone. This is true salvation in GOD’s way, and its reward is heaven. The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness. This is MAN’s way. It leads to hell.

Jesus emphasizes the difficulty in following Him – it’s like taking up a cross and being crucified!! (Matthew 10:38-39, 16:24-25) “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

True salvation is by grace alone, but it’s not easy. It involves knowing the truth, repenting, submitting to Jesus as Lord, and being willing to obey His word and will, wherever that leads. Not easy, but glorious.

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In this last section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will continue to show the division between true believers and those who are “just coming along for the ride.” It will get quite serious…even scary.

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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/17) Luke 11:1-13

Apr17

A 5-day per week study.

April 17 – Reading Luke 11:1-13

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Lord, teach us to pray…”  Luke 11:1

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The Gospel according to Luke

Review – Last time, Jesus visited two sisters in Bethany. Martha is anxious because there is “so much to do.” She commands Jesus to tell Mary to help her! Jesus, kindly but firmly, says no. Mary’s choice to sit and listen to his teaching was a good one. Rebuked … what did Martha do?

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Vss. 11:1-4.

We don’t know where this happened, but somewhere, the disciples quietly watched Jesus as He prayed. After He finished, they asked Him to teach them to pray.  And Jesus did.

This is a shorter version of the “Lord’s Prayer” that Jesus taught the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount. At that time, He’d instructed them…

  1. NOT to stand up to pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by others, but to go into their room, shut the door, and pray to God in secret. God will hear that prayer.
  2. NOT to “heap up empty words” when they prayed as the pagans did. God knew what they needed even before they asked.

Here, Jesus gave them a simplified version.

  • Whom to pray to: the Father,
  • Worship/adoration: hallowed (holy) is Your name.
  • Humble submission to His will: (may) Your kingdom come.
  • Looking to Him for our needs: give us each day our daily bread,
  • Confession: forgive us our sins
  • Repentance: as we forgive everyone indebted to us.
  • Dependence on Him for holy living: lead us not into temptation.

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Vss. 11:5-7.

Jesus encourages His disciples not just to recite a prayer, but to be serious and urgent in their praying. We aren’t to kneel for a 5-minute morning prayer and a few “table graces” and think that is all we need.

Jesus then tells the disciples a parable to illustrate the persistence they should have in prayer.

The scenario Jesus paints is that of a man surprised by a friend who arrives very late at night from a long journey. The man wants to feed this tired and hungry traveler, but there is nothing in the “fridge.”

Even though it is late, he goes to his neighbor, who is also a friend. And, although this neighbor and his entire family have long since blown out the lamps and gone to bed, our guy pounds on the door.

“Please lend me three small loaves for a surprise visitor!”

“What? Are you serious? We are all in bed! I can’t get up to give you any bread!”

Knock, knock, knock. “Please! Just a few loaves!”

“Go away!”

Knock, knock, knock. “Please, I have nothing to give him at all!”

Silence.

Knock, knock, knock. “Please, neighbor! I am desperate. I have nothing!”

Silence.

Then a click and a creak as the door is opened.  A basket of bread is shoved out. Our man takes it and begins to thank his neighbor profusely, but the door closes.

Nevertheless, he joyfully returns home. He has something to feed his exhausted and hungry long-distance visitor.

(No, this is not teaching us to simply “bother God” with constantly repeating requests. Or that God is begrudging with His answers.  But with another’s need in mind, and with a selfless, dependent attitude, we are to be persistent before the throne of grace.)

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Vss. 11:8-10.

So, Jesus encourages His disciples in TWO WAYS to –

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

“For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.”

That almost seems like ‘carte blanche’. But note the examples of requests that Jesus gives in the next section.

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Vss. 11:11-13.

“If a son asks for a FISH (to eat), will the father give him a snake instead?

If a son asks for an EGG, will the father give him a scorpion?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give THE HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask Him?”