Jesus, Ask and Receive

Back in Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The Kingdom of God and righteousness of God are not mystical entities. They have content, they have substance. They look like something in particular and Jesus has been pointing that something out.

The Kingdom of God is the sphere of His rule and reign and it is manifest wherever there are faith and obedience towards Jesus Christ.

So, it is geographic. The kingdom of God is that area of creation over which God rules. And, since it involves rulership or “kingship”, it’s also political. It is the kingship of God, who is Spirit, and so it’s also spiritual and it includes His special creation—mankind—and so the kingdom is also a social entity. It involves people over whom He rules.

Moving into Matthew 7:7-12 brings us to the conclusion of Jesus’ teaching on life in that Kingdom.

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)

This verse takes our minds back to the phrase in Matthew 5:17 where Jesus says, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” It strongly suggests a rounding off of His teaching on living by the righteousness of God in His Kingdom.

Jesus begins these concluding remarks with a word about prayer in verse 7,

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew:7:7)

Notice that the emphasis on Jesus teaching here is not what our duty is—to pray—but the assurance that our prayers will be heard.

Jesus has given us His teaching on the content of true righteousness, one that exceeds that of the scribes, and now, we must put it into practice.

And that is where we find ourselves with a problem. How can sinful man be righteous, be perfect (Matthew 5:48) in the way that Jesus has outlined? (Matthew 7:7-11)

The answer is, they are to ask their Father in Heaven. And since this asking is an asking of what God wants them to be, they can come to Him with full assurance that He will supply all their needs.

He will provide for us, all the righteous requirements of living in His Kingdom.

Do you need grace? Ask and it will be given to you. Do you desire His righteousness? Seek and you will find. Are you longing to enter the Kingdom? Knock and the door will be opened.

No ifs, no buts. Ask, seek, knock.

Faith is not believing I can make it if I try, faith is believing God can and will supply all that He commands.

It is God’s desire to save, supply and justify and sanctify. (2 Peter 1:3) And again, what He wills, He provides.

If you 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! (Matthew 7:10)

The phrase, “How much more….”, reminds us of Jesus’ words about the fact that the God who cares for sparrows cares for us “so much more” (Luke 11:13).

Jesus finishes by saying that whatever you would have others do for you, do unto them. This is the sum of the law and prophets. And that’s what Jesus is doing now. Summing the whole thing up.

In summing things up, Jesus has taught us to love God, not money. How do we do that? By loving our neighbour with our money.

Do you value mercy? Then be merciful. Do you want a fair and favourable judgement? Then be fair and favourable.

Do you value love? Then love others, as Christ has loved you. If your enemy is hungry, feed him and pray for him.

All these words would fall flat if Christ had not Himself acted righteously and lived what He preached.

Jesus could say these things because He knew He was about to demonstrate them in the ultimate act of love for His neighbour. His Death on the cross.

And so, the great struggle in life is not our poverty, our education or our home loan. Our struggle is that apart from Christ we are in exile from life in the kingdom of God. Our great blessing in the gospel is not material wealth, but our welcome and reception in the Fathers house.

If we get the order right, all these things will be added to us.