Seeking Good Things from a Good Father
Matthew: The Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
There is a certain danger in asking God for things. Our flesh desires all kinds of things and it is often difficult for us to rightly discern which of these things are good and which are the fruit of idolatry or otherwise harmful.
It is easy to want things from the Lord and yet not want the Lord Himself; as though the gift could ever be preferable to the Giver.
Augustine of Hippo
But there is a hope, and that is that we have a good and loving Father who is able to give us gifts that are good for us. More than that, he longs and eagerly desires to give good things to those who seek him. I emphasize those who seek him not those who seek gifts. True faith longs for God, and the gifts are merely an expression of his loving kindness towards us. John Piper writes,
In the end the heart longs not for any of God’s good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul’s final feast.
John Piper
Today, we will look at the way we should ask God for good gifts, the kind of gifts God is willing to give, and why God should be viewed, not as a stingy giver, but as a generous Father who loves those who trust him.
What are we Asking For?
What are we Asking For?
The content of the asking is never addressed in this passage, and some may take it as an open-ended invitation to ask anything our flesh may desire of God and it will be given to them. Similar verses are often interpreted this way, especially by those who have a theology of Health, Wealth, and Prosperity in this life.
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Is it true that we can ask for anything, a million dollars, a yacht docked at Queens Quay, a long, healthy, and financially successful life, and God will just give it to us?
There is a key word that is often misunderstood when reading these texts: faith. Faith is necessary in all these texts. Matt 21:22 says you will receive if you have faith. The other passages I just mentioned also have similar requirements, Marks says believe that you have received it, John says we must abide in Christ, God must be glorified, and they must be asked in Christ’s name. All of these point us, either directly or indirectly, to the concept of faith.
To those who believe the false teaching of the Prosperity Gospel, faith is simply believing really really hard that you will get it. This interpretation places the faith, not in God and his revealed Word, but in the things themselves. It treats God like a holy slot machine or ATM, and not with the glorious majesty that he is due. This idea of faith does not come from Scripture or historic Christian teachings, but from Eastern mysticism that has been westernized to fit the American dream of earthly prosperity. It comes from similar teachings as The Secret which is purely pagan and worldly. To understand the Faith that is implicit in our text and explicit in others, let us consider a few points.
Faith is defined by things we are promised but cannot see. Faith is not fulfilled in the here and now, but in the future as God works out his plan of salvation.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Consider the faith of Abraham, who left his country and family to wander in the wilderness by faith in God’s promise of a future Kingdom for his descendants. He did not personally receive anything God promised except a burial ground for his wife and one son. However, Hebrews 11:10 goes on to explain the nature of his faith.
For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
Or what about Moses? Hebrews tells us that
He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
This leads us to our next point.
Faith is in the things God promises, not in the things that we, in our flesh, want.
When we define what faith is, we have to understand that we cannot be the origin of what we have faith in. Faith is belief, and this belief is in what God promises.
Faith gives glory to God. It cannot be motivated by selfish ends, but only by God’s glory. God cannot and will not be treated as an ATM. The Prosperity Gospel is most popular in poor countries, and the people that take it in remain poor while the teachers get rich off of their sacrificial givings which, they are wrongly told, are the seed of faith. Faith that treats God like a servant rather than a Lord is no faith that God is interested in.
Faith causes our desires to change. True faith does not have this world in mind, but the next. It does not desire things, but glory. It desires better things, heavenly things. In our context, Jesus has just told us in
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
If Jesus just taught this and intends that we believe him, how could he possibly mean that the subject of these prayers be physical riches? To pray this way would be against what Jesus is telling us, and therefore against faith. You cannot pray for something in true faith if you are not praying for what God says is good for us.
Faith believes God, and when Jesus tells us that our daily bread is what we should ask for in terms of worldly goods, trusting him would mean believing that our daily bread is what is good for us and thus should be asked for. Asking for more violates Scripture and wisdom.
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
We can therefore conclude that the things Jesus is telling us to ask for, seek for, and knock for are not worldly goods, but treasures of a heavenly nature.
Our context continues to enlighten us. Notice that the word give is used here right after the same word was used to refer to giving holy things to dogs. It is a natural transition Jesus is making between the things we are not to give to dogs and the things we are to ask our heavenly Father for. There is a contrast between the reaction of the dogs and the reaction of the Blessed Ones. The dogs reject and attack when given holy things, not the text tells us how Blessed Ones react. They not only receive what is holy, the pearl of great price, but they ask for it. They want it, they search for it, and God is good in giving it.
So what are we asking for? In context, we are asking for the Kingdom of Heaven.
An inheritance in this Kingdom.
The Blood of Christ, which makes us holy unto salvation.
The Holy Spirit, who brings us into this Kingdom by sanctifying our lives.
The Word of God and instruction from other believers whom the Spirit uses to make us holy.
The Glory of God.
“Hallowed be your Name, your Kingdom come, your will be done”
The souls of the lost to the glory of Christ.
It is possible to pray this without faith, that is, to pray it humanistically rather than in a Christ-centred way.
In the context, and in the contexts of these other verses, the clear meaning is not that we can ask anything our flesh desires and get it from God like we would order something on Amazon, but that if we are trusting God, believing his promises, and seeking first the Kingdom of God, then the prayers that naturally flow from this faith will always be answered because God loves to give good gifts to those who ask in faith.
Whom are we asking?
Whom are we asking?
Now that we know what we are asking for, we should ask of whom we are asking. Of course, I’m not looking to define who God is entirely, that would take a lot more time than we have this morning, but who he is here in this text.
He is a willing hearer.
The text encourages us to ask, seek, and knock with expectation. Jesus uses a similar idea in the parable of the widow and the judge. Earnest prayers for good things are heard by our Father.
One problem we may need to address here is the need of asking. Some have come to this text and complained that a good father does not need his children to ask for bread or a fish, but will just give it to them. How are we to understand this? Is God being cruel by depriving us until we beg him for something?
God does look after those who are not his children.
God’s children are defined as those who seek righteousness and look to Christ with faith for that righteousness.
Asking is what separates us from the pigs. It shows that we desire the good things of God and i
t displays faith which God rewards. Since faith is the mark of a child of God, exercising that faith through prayer is rewarded since is shows we are God’s children.
God does give to his children without them asking, but they will ask because of their faith and God will hear them.
He is a generous giver to those who ask.
Every prayer is an inverted promise … If God teaches us to pray for any good thing, we may gather by implication the assurance that he means to give it.
Charles Spurgeon
The text makes it clear what God’s attitude towards those who ask is. He is generous in his giving, generous in his attitude towards those who ask in faith. He loves to give good gifts to his children.
He is willing to give. Many often feel that God will only give them good things if they can persuade him, or that he is able to give good things but only does if we are doing well, or that God simply doesn’t care how we are. The truth is that God is willing and able to give us good gifts. If this were not so, he would not have sent Christ to give us a way to enjoy eternal bliss for all eternity.
But, one may say, if God is so willing to give me good things, why is my situation so hopeless and bad? Why doesn’t God fix what is broken in my life?
Answer: It is true that God deprives us of many things in this life in order to turn our eyes from this mortal and fallen realm to the next. A state of poverty or sickness is a hard state to be in, I acknoledge that and so does God. Think of the poor state ouur Saviour had coming into this world. He was “with a place to lay his head”. He was mocked, he was disbelieved, he was often persecuted, and he was tortured and killed horrifically for your sin. If anyone knows your bad state in life it is him. He has sympathy for you, and you can take comfort in that. But he is also wise and knows what you need when you need it. Sometimes I go to the store and see all the fun toys I could get for my kids, things that would make my heart leap to see them watch me bring in the door. But I know that it would not be for their good, in fact it would bring the harm of spoiling them and teaching them to value getting as much fun stuff in this life as possible, when I know that this is not good for them. Our time in eternity is a never-ending Christmas morning where gifts of delight will be showered on us from a loving Father, without sin and idolatry which often get in the way of God’s good gifts. He is willing, but would have you wait until that glorious morning.
The gifts he gives are good gifts. Sometimes they don’t appear to be. Our hearts are so tainted by the world we often see what is good as evil, and what is evil as good. What if a child wanted a snake instead of a fish? Would a good father give it to them? The gift you may want may be something that you are not able to have without hurting your faith. But the good things he gives, things that draw you closer to him, things that challenge the sinful nature, are indeed good. They are preparing you for an eternal Kingdom of joy. God also gives gifts that do soothe our way through this world. He gives us the Comforter who is well named. He gives us a family of Christian fellowship where we are loved and belong. He gives us our daily bread, deliverance from temptation, a heart of faith, Spiritual discernment, the Word. He clothes us with the heavenly armour of Eph 6, and arms us with the Sword of the Spirit. He gives wisdom and faith to those who ask, strength in the day of battle, rest for our souls in the eternal Sabbath of Christ. If he gives these good gifts now, what will be our experience when we are given his very real, very near presence in eternity where his own fingers will wipe away our tears.
But, someone may say, the gifts God has given me so far are not good. He has given me hard labour, many temptations, uncertainty about the future, trials and tribulations, poor health, and suffering. How are these good gifts?
Answer: There is no way to answer these complaints without a lot of sympathy, and again it is sympathy with which God looks upon you in your sufferings. Nevertheless, I want to give some answer to this for the sake of your faith, that you may hang onto the promises of God during such times.
Many of these things are not from God, but simply the result of living in a fallen world. That is not to say God is not sovereign over them, but they are not his gifts. If anything, they remain to remind you not to put your trust in this world, but to resign yourself and your well-being completely to the next. God means to save your from the evil effects of an evil world, and that salvation will come at death. Until then, God will graciously keep you through them. A Father may take his son through a hurricane in order to place him in a safe place of refuge, and God takes for a few years through the storm of this world to the safety of the next.
God disciplines those he loves. “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons…For (our fathers) disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in holiness.” Heb 12:7;10. Discipline is not a fun experience, but it is a necessary one. God may bring trials into your life to point out particular sins, or he may do so simply to draw you to rely more on him and less on the security of this world.
God tests those who are his through trials. The difference between you and a deceiver or apostate is that you will endure to the end, if indeed you pass the tests. God shows those who are truly his through trials, just as he did with Job. And just like Job, there are more bountiful rewards waiting at the end. This is why the Apostle James even goes so far as to say we should count our trials a joy (James 1:2). They are the battle scars that glorify God and make you worthy of eternal life. Not worthy in the sense of something earned, but worthy in the sense that you have been tested and found faithful.
Evil Fathers and a Good Father
Evil Fathers and a Good Father
Again, colourful illustration comes with Jesus teaching. He is no high-minded philosopher, but a practical teacher who wants his audience to understand these principles in a real world context. So he introduces the illustration of the evil father. The evil father is not the neglectful, drunken, abusive father that we might have mind when we hear that, but it is us who are fathers but are not God. This illustration could easily apply to mothers as well. Jesus calls us evil because of our inherently evil nature in sin, and also because in comparison with God even the best parent is evil. So the illustration’s purpose is a lesser to greater argument once again. If evil, sinful people are able to get this right, giving their children good things when they ask them, how much more will a heavenly Father who is perfect, sinless, and good in his nature, give good gifts to those who ask him.
Our answer to this question has a lot to do with the fundamental state of our faith. Either we believe there is no God, that he is not good, that we are not his children, or that we are the children of a good God who does answer our requests for good things. And if we believe the latter, are we putting it into practice by asking for good things? Some orphans in third world countries will continue to steal or beg for food after they have been adopted by a loving family. This is because, due to the poor child’s past experiences, he believes no one loves him and he must fend for himself. Once he begins to trust his adopted parents, he will no longer go looking for food on his own but will ask his loving father or mother for something and they will give it to him.
I would venture to guess that some of you, though you are adopted into the family of God, are acting like you are still spiritual orphans. In fact, I would guess that all of us, myself included, act like this from time to time. Faith reaches out to God and says, “I am not an orphan, I know what you have promised to those who humbly trust you, I have a need and I know that if I come to you that you will give me good things, so instead of trying to get what I need my own way, I’m going to rely on you to give me what I need.”
Are you acting like an orphan today? Or perhaps some of you are orhpans, having never trusted in Christ by faith for the forgiveness of your sins. Either way, the exhortation of the text is the same, and it is echoed in Isaiah 55:1-3
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Do you believe that God loves you? Does the cross scream at you the love of a good Father? Have you laid aside your anxieties and cares and trusted him to be good in giving good things to those who ask him? Have you humbled yourself to become a Blessed One, and if you have, do you have the confidence of a child of God before the thrown of Grace?
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Trusting God like this implies a great level of humility.
God gives his gifts where he finds the vessel empty enough to receive them.
C. S. Lewis
You must see yourself as a child and him as your Father. You must acknowledge your complete inability to do anything for yourself and thus your complete reliance on God. If God gives you something, it is good and profitable for you. If God withholds something, assume it is a spiritual rock or snake which you, in your ignorance, are asking for. Trust God, that is the only way to know God. Being a child is the only relationship we can have with God, embrace it with humility and lay those cares of yours upon him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we conclude, we see that this text differentiates the dogs and pigs from true children. The dogs and pigs have no care for the things of God. They, like dogs, prefer to eat their own vomit, the works of their owns hands, rather than the good fruits from God’s hands. They prefer the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the ability to design their own destiny, rather than the fruit of life whose roots are nourished in the pure waters of the blood of Christ and whose leaves heal the nations. Those who are truly his are asking him for good things. Things like:
Salvation
Sanctification and instruction
A closer walk with Christ
A clearer view of his glory
The ability to show the glory of Christ in our lives
The salvation of the lost
Spiritual gifts to help the church
Our daily needs and the help we need physically while we are in the world (health, soundness of mind, housing, food, clothing, enough money to give, and other needs). I do not believe praying for more than we need is a good gift to ask for.
The well-being of our brothers and neighbours, especially their spiritual well-being.
Wisdom and discernment
Protection from sin and forgiveness for the sin that remains
Endurance to go through difficulties and persevere until the end.
These are good things to pray for, and God will answer them because he is a good Father. Some of you are waiting on prayers and God is testing your faith. Persevere in those prayers and in the faith that backs them. Some of you are praying wrongly, for gratification of your flesh.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Repent and seek the things that God says are good and needful. Some of you are not praying much at all, or your prayers are cold because you have lost your joy in coming before our God. Repent and see the danger you are in of losing your faith! Humble yourselves and seek the fervency, the earnestness that God is pleased to see in his children. Some of you may not know God, and I hope this picture of God as a loving and generous Father causes you, a spiritual orphan, to pursue the status of a Blessed One. God is a God to the fatherless and the distressed, the disenfranchised and the weak. Humble yourself before God, seek repentance from sin, cast your eyes upon Christ and believe that his blood was shed so you too can be called a child of God. Enter the baptism waters and end this pitiful existence you are caught in. God will not cast out any who come to him in faith. He washes them, clothes them, sets his family name and Spirit upon them, and makes them his Beloved Children who may ask him for any good thing and know that he will give it.