7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
We saw yesterday that when we love someone we don't treat them with a judgmental and criticizing spirit. That's the "negative" side of love. When we love someone, we don't do certain things to them. But there's also the "positive" side of love - when we love someone, we do do certain things to and for them. And we see that in v12 which really is one of the most important verses in all the Bible - So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
But let's back up just a bit before discussing that because the illustration in v7-11 is actually a bridge between the two, between the negative and positive side of love. The illustration works for both.
If we're unsure who the dogs and pigs are (from yesterday's passage), what should we do? Who is able to discern and discriminate justly? God. Ask God! He knows. And when we ask, seek and knock, He reveals to us.
MacArthur says...
What He wants is a relationship. And so He gives us enough truth so that we're responsible, and enough mystery so that we're dependent.
God helps us root out our own sin, He gives us the right heart in order to deal justly and compassionately with a sinning brother, He gives us the wisdom to discern who the dogs and pigs are and to be careful not to give them holy things.
That's how the illustration deals with the preceding passage.
And it also deals with the positive side of love because we can act out of love towards other people, meeting their needs the way we would want ours met, knowing that God will meet our needs if we only ask Him.
I can do unto others what I would do for myself without fear of having nothing left, because all I have to do is turn to my loving Father, who gives me bread for every day and takes care of me in every way, and I shall never do without that which I need.
The truth is, we are selfish people. Without God's power we are unable to love others the way v12 describes as a way of life. We may doing loving things occasionally for the right motive, but without God's power at work within us, it is impossible to love this way.
Love is selfless. We are selfish. Love determines what we would love to have done for us, and does it for someone else instead, even if it means sacrificing what we wanted.
Do we love like that? As a way of life?
Regretfully, no, I do not. But I can. With His power. Knowing that He has commanded it. And knowing that He has promised to provide for my needs if I but ask.
Now, we don't just get anything we ask for. First, we need to be a child of God. Then we need to be an obedient child of God. And then we need to ask with a totally selfless motive for asking. And we need to ask with the goal of glorifying God.
That's not a blank check. It's just that when the conditions are right -- you're His child, you're His obedient child, you're His unselfish child, and you ask according to His will, in order that He may be glorified -- He'll do it.
Ask, seek and knock also point to a great and great persistence in our asking. Asking it simple. Seeking requires effort. Knocking implies persistent effort.
Why does God want us to persevere? Beloved, it's so simple. Not because we have to bang away to get God to act, but because the more we're involved in the process, the greater the relationship becomes. You see? The deeper, the richer, the more meaningful my communion with Him.
We love this way because God has commanded it. We love this way knowing that God has promised to meet our needs. And we love this way out of gratitude for what God has done for us. And we love this way because it's the way God loves and we want to be like Him.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
If you really think about it, the entirety of the Bible rests on this verse. First, the verse says so itself ;)
It's repeated elsewhere in similar fashion...
James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Mark 12:28b-31 “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
All the Ten Commandments is is an expansion of two principles. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. Therefore, you will not have any other gods before Him. You will not take His name in vain. And you will not desecrate the Sabbath Day. Because you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Second is love your neighbor as yourself. Therefore, you will not kill, you will not covet, you will not lie, you will not steal. You see? Commit adultery. All that does is expand that. And then the rest of the Bible comments on those things and expands those things.
When we truly love God then we desire to get to know Him better. We will read, study, memorize and meditate on His Word. We will worship Him. We will praise Him. We will thank Him. We will honour Him. And we will desire to be like Him, and we will pursue holiness.
When we truly love each other selflessly we will help those in need, we will give out of right motive, we will share, we will be hospitable, we will be generous, we will encourage, we will build each other up, we will hold each other accountable, we will be merciful. And on and on it goes.
Love God. Love each other. In His name and through His power. Amen.
Tomorrow's scripture focus: Matthew 7:13-14
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