POSITIVE
ANSWER TO PRAYER
LUKE
11:11-13
(See
also Matthew 7:9-11)
Luke
11:11-12 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give
him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if
he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Susie: Most
modern translations omit the reference to the bread and stone. It was included
in two early manuscripts and is definitely included in Matthew’s account. That
said, small loaves of bread greatly resembled stones in Israel. One is reminded
of Satan tempting Jesus to turn the stones to bread in Matthew 4. However, a
child would break a tooth trying to bite into a stone. Nor would a man give his
child a snake on the plate rather than the fish the child asked for. That would
scare the child and potentially harm him if the snake were alive. We read that
a white scorpion in the Holy Land could resemble a small egg if its legs were
tucked under, but it was venomous enough to kill a child! The answer to these
rhetorical questions is that not even the worst father would dream of doing
such things!
Luke
11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him?
Susan: All
people sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) because all are
born with a sin nature ever since Adam made the choice to disobey God’s direct
command.
Susie: Therefore,
Jesus calls us “evil,” having a natural inclination toward sin.
Susan: Even
though as humans we are far from perfect, we nurture and care for our children.
Susie: Matthew’s
Gospel differs slightly in Jesus’s next comment saying “good things” rather
than “the Holy Spirit”:
Matthew
7:11b how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to
them that ask him?
Susan: The
good things are the spiritual qualities we need, and the Holy Spirit within us
is the provider and nurturer of those characteristics. The heavenly Father is
the giver of all good gifts and particularly what we need in order to serve Him
more effectively.
James
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
2
Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called
us to glory and virtue:
Susie: The
point Jesus is making is that we imperfect people want what is best for our
children. Therefore, we can be certain our Father will not withhold what is
best when we ask according to His will.
Ponder
this and Apply it: For what, then, are we to keep asking, keep
seeking, and keep knocking? We are to ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit’s
nurture in our lives, for all the character traits of Christlikeness to grow in
us. When we ask for this, the best of all gifts, God will not shortchange us or
give us something harmful. We can trust our Heavenly Father to lovingly and
perfectly provide all we need to be who He has called us to be. Spend some time
in prayer asking for spiritual blessings rather than just the necessities of
our earthly life. I am reminded of a song by Jimmy and Carol Owens with the
line, “Lord, make me like you.” May that be our prayer today. Listen to the
song here: https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hsimp=yhs-att_001&hspart=att&p=Make+me+LIke+You+by+Jimmy+and+Carol+Owens#id=1&vid=9a57a96325d4333bca4a5ca5013d7759&action=click
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