March 1

Matthew 7.7-12

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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your 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.

Verse 12 being connected with these others seems a bit odd.  First we see that we are to ask God for all things needed in life.  Then we see that we do this with our children, so God will do even better for us.  An encouragement to ask God for what we need with confidence as we see that we would do well with our own children.

Then as we see that we find this statement that we are to do for others what we would have them do for us.  Not a manipulative act, but acting like we want to be treated.  It seems to take the asking and receiving that goes between us and God to being about how we make sure others have what they need, no asking mentioned.

It turns out, that the verse 12 connection is not odd.  Its exclusion might be odder.  If we think that it is normal and right for us to be receiving good things from God, then it makes sense that we turn that receiving of good things into doing good things for someone else.  If it was good for me to receive it, it would be good if another could receive it from me.

Now I am thinking these three things:

1. What have I asked for?
2. What have I received?
3. What will I give?

Song – Good, Good Father

Prayer

God of all nations, God of all children, we ask for your mercy on behalf of all the children who do not run in the sunshine but live out their lives in dark corners.  Forgive us for not seeing; forgive us for not looking.  Be with us as we search for new beginnings in caring for these children.  We pray that one day every child might sleep through the night in peace.  Amen.