BY DANIEL ROWLANDS | Some people think being repetitive in prayer is unnecessary—doesn’t God hear us the first time? What does the Bible say about persistent prayer?
Recently my wife looked at these verses (in context) from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Whilst, like you, I have always heard and imagined these verses to be about prayer, she came across Dr Charles Quarles notes in these verses in her Bible (CSB Study Bible). Very interestingly, he interprets these verses as relating to entrance into the kingdom of God. He has a fairly compelling argument, and the more I reflect on these verses now, the more convinced I am that he is on the right track. I encourage you (and anyone else) to take a look at these verses again, in the context of Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom (and the Lucan version of this teaching which cites the Holy Spirit - the illuminator - as the gift given to the ‘asker, seeker,knocker).
Hi Warrick, thank you for your thoughtful comment. This article is about persistent prayer and cites a passage from the Sermon on the Mount in making a general point about how we should pray. Certainly, Matthew 7:7 also applies to God's free offer of the gospel (John 6:37; Rev. 22:17). Theologian Herman Ridderbos has an excellent essay on the significance of the Sermon on the Mount and the kingdom of God at Monergism.com. Here is a brief quote from it: "...the Sermon on the Mount is based, from beginning to end, on the concept that whoever has a share in the grace and wealth of the Kingdom must look upon this worldly life in a different and freer way. And the sacrifice which the commandment of God calls for should be brought without hesitation" (https://www.monergism.com/significance-sermon-mount). So, yes, we certainly must read the Sermon on the Mount in context of what it means to enter and live as citizens of the kingdom of God on this earth. In Christ, BCL
Recently my wife looked at these verses (in context) from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Whilst, like you, I have always heard and imagined these verses to be about prayer, she came across Dr Charles Quarles notes in these verses in her Bible (CSB Study Bible). Very interestingly, he interprets these verses as relating to entrance into the kingdom of God. He has a fairly compelling argument, and the more I reflect on these verses now, the more convinced I am that he is on the right track. I encourage you (and anyone else) to take a look at these verses again, in the context of Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom (and the Lucan version of this teaching which cites the Holy Spirit - the illuminator - as the gift given to the ‘asker, seeker,knocker).
Thanks for your reflections
Also, thanks, Warrick, for letting us know about Charles Quarles's work on the Sermon on the Mount! 😊
Hi Warrick, thank you for your thoughtful comment. This article is about persistent prayer and cites a passage from the Sermon on the Mount in making a general point about how we should pray. Certainly, Matthew 7:7 also applies to God's free offer of the gospel (John 6:37; Rev. 22:17). Theologian Herman Ridderbos has an excellent essay on the significance of the Sermon on the Mount and the kingdom of God at Monergism.com. Here is a brief quote from it: "...the Sermon on the Mount is based, from beginning to end, on the concept that whoever has a share in the grace and wealth of the Kingdom must look upon this worldly life in a different and freer way. And the sacrifice which the commandment of God calls for should be brought without hesitation" (https://www.monergism.com/significance-sermon-mount). So, yes, we certainly must read the Sermon on the Mount in context of what it means to enter and live as citizens of the kingdom of God on this earth. In Christ, BCL