Muse: Asking, Seeking, Knocking

The Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5-7.

It defines God's Kingdom at hand - its blessings, and yet, the implications for its people. Priorities, prohibitions, cautions and instructions.

I have been dwelling on Matthew 5-7 lately. It shocked me to realise that Matt 7:7-11 is too, part of the great Sermon. You know... "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you...." And so on.

Guess I've often read Matt 7:7-11 out of context. Oops.

And by doing so, I make God a sort of Genie. Grant me my three wishes. My wish is Your command.

Abomination of abominations.

There, I've confessed.

Anyway, here are two thoughts about Matt 7:7-11:

First, according to the general flow and theme of Matthew 5-7, I think what we are to ask for, seek and knock to be opened unto us is no other than Christ's Kingdom - rather than focusing on our needs and wants. We are to desire the Kingdom and God's righteousness... and God delights to give it to us as a lavish gift, along with all that He knows we need, even those we are unaware of (cf. Matt 6:25-34).

Of course it is not wrong to ask God to provide us our daily needs. It is not wrong to lay our cares and wants at His feet. However, Matt 7:7-11 is not the passage that we should misuse to back us up in these pursuits. Rather, it underscores particularly Christ's Kingdom.

Secondly, desiring God's Kingdom... asking for it, seeking it and knocking that it might be opened unto us does not ignore the fact that a big part of it will also mean death for us in the now-but-not-yet. Until the Kingdom consummates upon the second coming of the King Himself, Jesus Christ, death and its related sorrows/sufferings will continue to test us on both individual and Body-wide levels.

If you have asked for God's Kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is on Heaven, you should know what this really means.

You know what this means, don't you?

I personally think that it is a terrifying prayer to pray. But is there anything else that would bring us as much life as desiring and expecting God's YES to such a prayer... as well as surrendering to all that it encompasses?

It is such comfort that Jesus Christ has left the Holy Spirit with us - He who meets us where we are and empowers us to take one day at a time. We are not alone.

And for those of you, grains of wheat who have fallen into the earth and died with that first Grain (John 12:24-25), know for sure that your tears are not in vain.

You have at least inspired some of the rest of us to let go and take that leap of faith.