The Right Gift

Scripture/Bible:  "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man 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! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Matt 7:7-12

Reflection:  “Ask”, “Seek”, “knock”, and it all seems like an open invitation from the Lord. In real life this never seems to be a reality. 

In fact in real life what Jesus says, if taken in isolation, is not a fact; for not everyone who asks receives, neither everyone who seeks finds, nor him who knocks it is opened.

When a statement does not stand the test of truth, one shouldn’t immediately jump to judgments, more so with God’s word. Maybe the statement was quoted in isolation and out of context. The then the next best thing to do is to test it in its proper context and see if it means something else or if need be then read the subsequent statements and see how it qualifies the statement. 

Here we need not go far, but the subsequent statement of Jesus seems to qualify what he has to say:  “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!”

It can now be safely assumed that God gives to everyone who asks, seeks and knocks in order to have the good things.  Not the good things according to how we see but good according to what God thinks to be good for us.

In a similar passage in Luke we learn that one of the best thing to ask and which is good for us and our salvation is to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Lk. 11:13)

Prayer:  Lord as I knock at your door, after seeking in various pastures, I ask of you to give me your Holy Spirit, that I may never thirst again.

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Seek Him in Faith

Today’s Gospel: And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. 25 But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." 30 And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone. Mark 7:24-30

Reflection:  Many of us spend some time in prayer and we often find God hiding from us his presence or consolation.  Especially when we are disturbed then we could lose faith in God and wonder whether he really exists. 

Faith conquers everything! And we see this in the Gospel of today that though Jesus hid himself in a house and did not want anyone to know about it yet those who sought him diligently, those really needy who were perseverant found him and ultimately, even though they were not worthy and fit to receive such a blessing, received the blessing and healing from our beloved Lord.

Need accompanied by faith can overcome any obstacles.  Who then are not needy in the eyes of the Lord? Except the person who is blind to the eternal longings of his heart and the one who is dead in his conscience to seek the highest truth.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, make my heart alive by the out pouring of your life that I may recognize my maker and saviour.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us