TEACHING NOTES Introduction Last week Jesus taught us not to condemn others and not use unreasonable standards against others. He also taught us to deal with the log in our own eyes before we try to help people with their sawdust. A big part of that teaching is that we will reap what we sow. Today’s teaching is going to continue that context further and end with the warning that most people will not do what Jesus is teaching. ​ Matthew 7:7–8 ESV 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Context Matters: We must remember that Jesus is primarily talking about human-to-human relationships. The previous six verses (Matt. 7:1-6) speaks of how we treat each other and how that will determine how God treats us. Therefore, the “ask, seek, knock” teaching follows the same principle. In other words, this passage is NOT teaching that God will give you whatever you ask! Ask, and it will be given to you = If what you ask for will be given, you should be very careful what you ask for. In the same way, your should be careful what you sow because that is what you will reap. Seek, and you will find = We should be careful in choosing what we seek after, because we will find what we seek. Seeking is about direction and effort. What we pursue will be found. OT Connection: In the Old Testament, God promises that those who seek Him diligently will find Him (1 Chr. 28:9; 2 Chr. 15:2; Prov. 8:17; Jer. 29:13; Isa. 55:6). Knock, and it will be opened to you = This speaks of persistence and perseverance. In Luke’s account, Jesus also told a parable about being persistent by knocking until you get an answer (Luke 11:5-13). This could also be seen as a warning: Be careful what doors you try to open. ​ Matthew 7:9–11 ESV 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 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! Which one of you would harm your son? = Jesus uses an exaggerated illustration to make the point that even most humans, even though they are sinners, want the best for their children. How much more will your heavenly Father give good things = If evil humans know how to give children what they need, God knows how to do it at the greatest level. Note: In Luke’s account of this teaching, the last line reads “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). This tells us that the Father eagerly desires to give His Spirit to those who ask. ​ Matthew 7:12 ESV 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. The Golden Rule: There have been other famous religious leaders in history that have said a similar statement. However, all the others are stated in the negative as “don’t do to other what you don’t want done to you.” Jesus teaches that whatever good things we would want done to us, we should go first. This is the Law and the Prophets = This is Jesus’ way of saying that loving your neighbor as yourself fulfills all the scriptures. An important principle about the Bible is revealed here. The Bible is not limited to telling us how to relate to God. Actually, the Bible spends most of its literary real estate on how we treat each other in service to God. ​ Matthew 7:13–14 ESV 13 “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. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Don’t miss the context: Many people interpret this passage as speaking of eternity (heaven & hell). But the context of this entire section is about how we treat people in this life. This passage can be applied to salvation, but that is not its primary meaning. Many enter the wide/easy gate = It’s easy to live like everyone else. It’s easy and popular to live for yourself and be greedy. That it how most people live. And that’s why there is so much destruction in the world. The narrow gate = Treating others the way you want to be treated is the kingdom way of life. This is called “the narrow way” because most people refuse to live this way. Few people actually want to live the kingdom life, even those who claim to be Christians. Why? Because it’s not easy to die to yourself for the sake of others. Conclusion Treating others the way you want to be treated is rare in our culture. However, this is precisely what makes the people of God stand out as unique. If you are on the wide road to destruction, today is the day to confess and repent. If you are on the narrow road to life, pray for the wisdom, power, and courage stay on that path.