Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:7-12)
There is a lot of optimism in this reading from Matthew. Ask, and it is yours. Seek, and there it is. Knock, and the door swings wide. Really?! Jesus, how should we ask, seek, and knock? Certainly not half-heartedly.
Many people ask, and there is no reply. Many people seek, and they are still looking. Many people knock, and the door is stuck closed. Frustrating. Nevertheless, we must keep on trying.
This reading focuses on love and caring with extreme examples provided by Jesus such as a father giving his son a loaf of bread, not a stone, or a fish, not a snake. Even the wicked give good gifts to their children says Jesus; therefore, he tells us our heavenly Father will provide even better gifts to those who simply ask, and seek, and knock.
Perhaps those better gifts come with time. With that understood we need to behave like the many teams of scientists and technicians who recently landed a Pixar-like “creature” on Mars: the Perseverance. In other words, never give up, and the rewards can be great: persevere. NASA asked for funds to accomplish a spectacular mission; NASA sought a flawless fight and landing of the rover; NASA knocked on the door of the fourth planet from the Sun, and it has opened a new phase of exploration and successful scientific enterprise.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” is the last line of this Gospel reading. Truly, when we do this, doors open when we knock and hand over bread and fish, never a stone or snake.
Deacon David Pierce
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