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It was a sticky August day as the Johnsons waited in helmets and life jackets, paddles in hand. As their whitewater rafting guide, Steve, described the Class 4 rapids of the Upper Ocoee River, Deborah began to have second thoughts. How could she possibly survive hydraulics with names like “Godzilla” and “Roach Motel”? Terrified, Deborah announced she would not be joining the family, when Steve addressed her directly: “Don’t worry! I’m an expert guide; if you do everything I say, you will be fine. In fact, you can sit close to me, and I will always have my eye on you.”
This story echoes the context of today’s reading. The Sermon on the Mount begins in Matthew 5. Jesus invites His disciples to embark on a perilous mission full of persecution, reconciliation, love of enemies, prayerfulness, and peace. The journey seems impossible, yet Jesus anchors hope for survival in the goodness of our heavenly Father.
Verse 7 presents the main idea of today’s passage. “Ask” occurs five times in five verses. “Ask,” “seek,” and “knock” all refer to prayer. Jesus’ message is that when His disciples beseech the Father through prayer, they will receive “good gifts” (v. 11).
Two illustrations shape the context of prayer and clarify the essence of Jesus’ words. The context is a loving relationship between God the Father and his children. Prayer is not a fanciful cry to a capricious or disdainful deity, but rather intimate communication with our heavenly Father. Jesus juxtaposes an earthly father and God the Father. If earthly fathers are sinful, yet respond to their children’s requests with good things, “how much more” will God—who is holy, righteous, and loving—do the same.
Today’s passage is about God’s love as a good Father. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount reveals the difficult life of a faithful disciple. But His message here is one of encouragement. God the Father cares for His children, and He will give all that is needed for this journey to all who rely on Him through prayer.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s passage heartens us, yet we cannot help but wonder about unanswered prayer. New Testament scholar Dale Allison reminds us that Jesus experienced a divergent answer to His prayer in Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matt. 26:39). This teaches us two points about prayer. First, prayers will be answered only in accordance with God’s will. Second, all prayers must be offered with the same qualification Jesus prays: “yet not as I will, but as you will.”
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