ASK, SEARCH, KNOCK, DO
Matthew 7:6-12
Rev. Paul Wrightman 1/15/23
WE CONTINUE OUR EXPLORATION
OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
WE GET OFF TO A RATHER ROUGH START
WITH THE FIRST VERSE:
DO NOT GIVE WHAT IS HOLY TO DOGS;
AND DO NOT THROW YOUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE,
OR THEY WILL TRAMPLE THEM UNDERFOOT
AND TURN AND MAUL YOU.
THE WORD DOGS IS A JEWISH REFERENCE AT THE TIME
FOR GENTILES IN GENERAL, “GENTILES” REFERRING
TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT JEWISH.
THE “GENTILES,” SPECIFICALLY THE GREEKS AND THE ROMANS,
HAD THEIR OWN TERM OF CONTEMPT FOR THOSE
WHO WERE NOT GREEK OR ROMAN, NAMELY “BARBARIANS.”
THIS GENERAL REFERENCE TO GENTILES BECOMES
MUCH MORE SPECIFIC IN THE SECOND PART OF THE TWO-PART
STRUCTURE OF THIS VERSE, THE SECOND PART
FURTHER DEFINING WHAT WAS MEANT BY THE FIRST PART.
HERE JESUS MAKES A REFERENCE TO “SWINE.”
MOST BIBLICAL SCHOLARS TAKE “SWINE”
TO BE A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE LEGIONS
THAT MADE UP THE ROMAN ARMY.
WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO ALL THE SCHOLARLY
REASONS HERE, BUT WE GET A GOOD GLIMPSE
INTO THE MIND OF JESUS WHEN WE REMEMBER
THE INCIDENT OF HIS CASTING OUT A MULTITUDE OF DEMONS
AND SENDING THEM INTO A HERD OF PIGS.
THE WORD TRANSLATED “HERD” IS ACTUALLY THE WORD
“LEGION,” AND JESUS INTENDED THIS AS A SPECIFIC REFERENCE –
AND A SPECIFIC PUT-DOWN – OF ROME’S RUTHLESS USE
OF MILITARY MIGHT.
“KILL FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER,” WAS OFTEN
THE METHOD OF OPERATION OF THE TYPICAL ROMAN LEGION,
ESPECIALLY IN “DIFFICULT” AREAS LIKE JUDEA AND GALILEE.
I THINK WHAT JESUS IS SAYING HERE IS THIS:
“DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME – OR YOUR LIFE –
TRYING TO COMMUNICATE MY TEACHINGS TO A SYSTEM
WHICH IS OPPOSED TO EVERYTHING I STAND FOR.”
FOR ME, THESE RATHER HARSH WORDS OF JESUS ARE A REALISTIC
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT SOME SYSTEMS AND SOME PERSONS
ARE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT UNIVERSE THAN THE ONE
THAT JESUS INHABITS.
THEY ARE NOT ONLY UNWILLING, BUT ACTUALLY UNABLE,
TO HEAR WHAT JESUS HAS TO SAY.
THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE,
EVEN IN JESUS’ OWN MINISTRY, LIKE WHEN HE HEALS
THE ROMAN CENTURION’S SERVANT.
BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IN THIS CASE
THE ROMAN CENTURION WAS THE ONE WHO APPROACHED JESUS.
THERE IS NO KNOWN INSTANCE OF JESUS
EVER TURNING ANYONE AWAY.
“SOME GROUPS AND SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE IRREVOCABLY
CLOSED TO MY MESSAGE,”
JESUS IS SAYING IN THE FIRST VERSE
OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING.
“DON’T WASTE MY TEACHINGS; DON’T WASTE YOUR LIVES,
ON TRYING TO GET THROUGH TO THEM.
BUT IF THEY COME TO YOU, THAT’S ANOTHER MATTER.”
# # #
LET’S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION OF OUR READING,
THE PART THAT BEGINS WITH ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN YOU;
SEARCH, AND YOU WILL FIND; KNOCK, AND THE DOOR
WILL BE OPENED FOR YOU.
WHEN WE REALIZE THAT THE CONTEXT OF THIS SECTION IS PRAYER,
WE REALIZE THAT THIS PART OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
IS JESUS’ ANSWER TO THE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION:
“WHAT KIND OF GOD ARE WE PRAYING TO?”
ARE WE PRAYING TO A GRUDGING GOD OUT OF WHOM
EVERY GIFT HAS TO BE SQUEEZED AND COERCED?
ARE WE PRAYING TO A MOCKING GOD WHOSE GIFTS
MAY WELL BE DOUBLE-EDGED?
OR ARE WE PRAYING TO A GOD WHOSE HEART IS SO KIND
THAT THIS GOD IS MORE READY TO GIVE THAN WE ARE TO ASK?
JESUS’ ARGUMENT IS VERY SIMPLE:
IF NO DECENT FATHER EVER ARBITRARILY REFUSES
THE REQUESTS OF HIS BELOVED CHILDREN,
HOW MUCH MORE WILL GOD OUR FATHER NEVER
ARBITRARILY REFUSE THE REQUESTS OF HIS BELOVED CHILDREN.
JESUS’ EXAMPLES ARE CAREFULLY CHOSEN.
NOTICE HOW THEY ARE EXAMPLES OF BASIC NEEDS,
NOT EXTRAVAGANT WANTS.
IF A CHILD ASKS FOR BREAD, WILL A DECENT FATHER
GIVE A STONE INSTEAD?
THE RATHER SMALL, ROUND, LIMESTONE ROCKS ON THE SHORE
OF THE SEA OF GALILEE WERE EXACTLY THE SHAPE AND COLOR
OF LITTLE LOAVES OF BREAD.
IF A CHILD ASKS FOR BREAD, WILL A LOVING PARENT
MOCK THAT CHILD BY OFFERING A STONE, WHICH LOOKS LIKE
BREAD, BUT WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EAT”?
THE ONLY CORRECT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS
“OF COURSE NOT!”
IF A CHILD ASKS FOR A FISH, WILL A LOVING PARENT
GIVE THAT CHILD A SNAKE INSTEAD?
ALMOST CERTAINLY, THE “SNAKE” REFERRED TO IS AN EEL.
ACCORDING TO JEWISH FOOD LAWS, AN EEL COULD NOT BE EATEN,
BECAUSE AN EEL WAS CONSIDERED TO BE AN “UNCLEAN” FISH.
IF A CHILD ASKS FOR A FISH, WILL A LOVING PARENT
GIVE THAT CHILD AN EEL, A FISH, BUT A FISH WHICH WAS
FORBIDDEN TO EAT?
WOULD A LOVING PARENT MOCK A CHILD’S HUNGER LIKE THAT?
ONCE AGAIN, THE ONLY CORRECT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS
“OF COURSE NOT!”
JESUS’ TEACHING HERE IS THAT GOD WILL NEVER REFUSE
OUR PRAYERS, AND GOD WILL NEVER MOCK OUR PRAYERS.
THE GREEKS HAD THEIR STORIES ABOUT THE GODS
WHO ANSWERED PEOPLE’S PRAYERS,
BUT WHOSE ANSWER WAS AN ANSWER WITH A BARB IN IT,
A DOUBLE-EDGED GIFT.
AURORA, THE GODDESS OF THE DAWN, FELL IN LOVE WITH
TITHONUS, A MORTAL YOUTH, SO THE GREEK STORY RAN.
ZEUS, THE KING OF THE GODS, OFFERED HER ANY GIFT
THAT SHE MIGHT CHOOSE FOR HER MORTAL LOVER.
AURORA VERY NATURALLY CHOSE THAT TITHONUS
MIGHT LIVE FOREVER --
BUT SHE NEGLECTED TO ASK THAT TITHONUS
WOULD REMAIN FOREVER YOUNG.
SO THE ANSWER TO HER PRAYER BECAME THE CURSE
THAT TITHONUS GREW OLDER AND OLDER AND OLDER
BUT COULD NEVER DIE.
WHEN JESUS TELLS US: HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER
IN HEAVEN GIVE GOOD THINGS TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!
HE IS SHARING WITH US THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD
WILL NEVER MOCK US, LIKE ZEUS, BUT WILL ALWAYS ANSWER US
WITH WISDOM, COMPASSION, AND LOVE.
THIS PART OF OUR TEXT DOES LAY ON US A CERTAIN EXPECTATION.
ASK, SEARCH, AND KNOCK SHOULD ACTUALLY BE TRANSLATED
GO ON ASKING; GO ON SEARCHING; GO ON KNOCKING.
IN OTHER WORDS, OUR OBLIGATION IN PRAYER
IS TO NEVER GIVE UP.
IF WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS A REAL NEED,
AND NOT A FRIVOLOUS WANT, OUR CHALLENGE –
LIKE THE PATRIARCH JACOB IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES –
IS NOT TO LET GO OF GOD –
IN OUR CASE, NOT TO STOP PRAYING UNTIL GOD HAS BLESSED US.
JESUS IS TELLING US NOT TO BE AFRAID OF BEING BOLD WITH GOD,
TO BE PERSISTENT IN OUR PRAYER,
AND TO NEVER GIVE IN TO RESIGNATION OR DESPAIR.
# # #
THE LAST PART OF OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT CONSISTS OF WHAT
WE HAVE COME TO CALL “THE GOLDEN RULE.”
LET’S BEGIN OUR EXPLORATION OF THE GOLDEN RULE
WITH A STORY:
A COLLEGE PROFESSOR HAD HIS SOCIOLOGY CLASS GO INTO
THE BALTIMORE SLUMS TO GET CASE HISTORIES OF 200 YOUNG BOYS.
THEY WERE ASKED TO WRITE A PREDICTION OF EACH BOY’S FUTURE.
IN EVERY CASE THE STUDENTS WROTE, “HE HASN’T GOT A CHANCE.”
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER ANOTHER SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR
CAME ACROSS THE EARLIER STUDY.
HE HAD HIS STUDENTS FOLLOW UP ON THE PROJECT
TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE BOYS.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 20 OUT OF THE 200 BOYS WHO HAD
MOVED AWAY OR DIED, THE STUDENTS LEARNED THAT 176
OF THE REMAINING 180 HAD ACHIEVED MORE THAN ORDINARY
SUCCESS AS DOCTORS, LAWYERS, BUSINESSPEOPLE,
AND SOCIAL WORKERS.
THE PROFESSOR WAS SO SURPRISED THAT HE
DECIDED TO PURSUE THE MATTER FURTHER.
FORTUNATELY ALL THE MEN WERE STILL IN THE AREA
AND HE WAS ABLE TO ASK EACH ONE:
“HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR YOUR SUCCESS?”
IN EACH CASE THE REPLY CAME, WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF FEELING,
“THERE WAS A TEACHER. . .”
THE TEACHER WAS STILL ALIVE, SO THE PROFESSOR SOUGHT HER OUT
AND ASKED THE ELDERLY BUT STILL ALERT WOMAN
WHAT MAGIC FORMULA SHE HAD USED TO PULL THESE BOYS
OUT OF THE SLUMS INTO LIVES OF SUCCESS AND FULFILLMENT.
THE TEACHEER’S EYES SPARKLED AND HER LIPS BROKE INTO
A GENTLE SMILE.
“IT’S REALLY VERY SIMPLE,” SHE SAID.
“I SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE GOLDEN RULE AND LOVED THOSE BOYS.”
IT IS EASY TO FIND RABBINIC PARALLELS
TO QUITE A FEW OF JESUS’ TEACHINGS.
BUT THERE IS NO REAL PARALLEL TO THIS SAYING, IN EVERYTHING
DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU.
THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN SAID
JUST THIS WAY BEFORE.
IT IS A NEW TEACHING AND A NEW VIEW OF LIFE,
AND OF LIFE’S CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES.
IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO FIND MANY PARALLELS
TO THIS SAYING IN ITS NEGATIVE FORM.
IN THE JEWISH TRADITION, RABBI HILLEL STATES:
“WHAT IS HATEFUL TO YOURSELF DO TO NO OTHER.”
WE ALSO FIND NEGATIVE PARALLELS TO THIS TEACHING
IN GREEK AND ROMAN PHILOSOPHY, IN CONFUCIUS,
AND IN BUDDHIST TEACHING.
MANY VOICES HAVE GIVEN US A VARIATION OF: “DO NOT
DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THEM DO TO YOU.”
BUT NO VOICE HAD EVER SAID, UNTIL JESUS, IN EVERYTHING
DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU.
TO DISCOVER WHY THE POSITIVE FORM OF THE GOLDEN RULE
IS SO TERRIBLY IMPORTANT, WE NEED FIRST TO LOOK
CLOSELY AT ITS NEGATIVE FORMULATION.
THE NEGATIVE FORM OF THE GOLDEN RULE
IS NOT IN ANY SENSE AN EXTRA;
THE NEGATIVE FORM OF THE RULE INVOLVES NOTHING MORE
THAN NOT DOING CERTAIN THINGS;
IT MEANS REFRAINING FROM CERTAIN ACTIONS.
NOW, IT IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT OR CHALLENGING
NOT TO DO THINGS.
THE NEGATIVE FORM OF THE GOLDEN RULE
CAN BE SATISFIED BY SIMPLE INACTION.
WHEN THE RULE IS PUT POSITIVELY, WHEN WE ARE TOLD
THAT WE MUST ACTIVELY DO TO OTHERS
WHAT WE WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO US,
A NEW PRINCIPLE ENTERS INTO LIFE,
AND WITH IT A NEW ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS.
IT IS ONE THING TO SAY: “I MUST NOT INJURE PEOPLE;
I MUST NOT DO TO THEM WHAT I WOULD OBJECT
TO THEIR DOING TO ME.”
IT IS QUITE ANOTHER THING TO SAY: “I MUST GO OUT OF MY WAY
TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE AND TO BE KIND TO THEM, AS I WOULD
WISH THEM TO HELP AND TO BE KIND TO ME.”
THAT, ONLY LOVE CAN INSPIRE US TO DO.
THE ATTITUDE WHICH SAYS “I MUST DO NO HARM TO PEOPLE”
IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE ATTITUDE WHICH SAYS:
“I MUST DO MY BEST TO HELP PEOPLE.”
TO MAKE A SIMPLE ANALOGY:
IF WE OWN A CAR, THE LAW CAN COMPEL US TO DRIVE IT
IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE DO NOT INJURE ANYONE ELSE
ON THE ROAD.
BUT NO LAW CAN COMPEL US TO STOP AND GIVE A LIFT
TO SOMEONE WHO IS OBVIOUSLY IN NEED OF HELP.
IT IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE THING
TO REFRAIN FROM HURTING AND INJURING PEOPLE;
IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT TO RESPECT
THEIR PRINCIPLES AND THEIR FEELINGS.
IT IS A FAR MORE CHALLENGING THING TO MAKE IT THE CHOSEN
AND DELIBERATE POLICY OF OUR LIFE TO ACTIVELY BE AS KIND
TO OTHERS AS WE WOULD WISH THEM TO BE TO US.
TO LIVE THE GOLDEN RULE AS FORMULATED BY JESUS
WE MUST BECOME NEW MEN AND WOMEN
WITH A NEW CENTER TO OUR LIVES.
IF THE WORLD WAS COMPOSED OF PERSONS WHO SOUGHT
TO FOLLOW THIS RULE, WE WOULD HAVE A NEW WORLD.
JUST THINK OF THE TRANSFORMATION THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE
IN OUR WORLD IF MORE OF US WERE LIKE THE KID
DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING STORY. DAN CLARK WRITES:
“A FRIEND OF MINE NAMED PAUL RECEIVED AN AUTOMOBILE
FROM HIS BROTHER AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT.
ON CHRISTMAS EVE, WHEN PAUL CAME OUT OF HIS OFFICE,
A STREET KID WAS WALKING AROUND THE SHINY NEW CAR,
ADMIRING IT.
‘IS THIS YOU CAR, MISTER?’ HE ASKED.
PAUL NODDED. ‘MY BROTHER GAVE IT TO ME FOR CHRISTMAS.’
THE BOY WAS ASTOUNDED.
‘YOU MEAN YOUR BROTHER GAVE IT TO YOU
AND IT DIDN’T COST YOU NOTHING?
BOY, I WISH. . .’ HE HESITATED.
OF COURSE PAUL ALREADY KNEW
WHAT HE WAS GOING TO WISH FOR.
HE WAS GOING TO WISH HE HAD A BROTHER LIKE THAT.
BUT WHAT THE KID SAID ROCKED PAUL
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HIS HEELS.
‘I WISH,’ THE BOY WENT ON,
‘THAT I COULD BE A BROTHER LIKE THAT.’
MAY GOD BLESS EACH OF US WITH THE DESIRE
TO BE A BROTHER OR SISTER LIKE THAT.
AMEN.