1

Alpharic Research Institute

Centre for Research in Philosophy, Theology and
Ethics
Email: alpharicinstitute@gmail.com
+2349066927954

EXISTENTIAL EXEGESIS AND APPLICATION OF ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK

IN MATTHEW 7:1-11 TO THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
BY
GODSWILL OME UFERE
Email: uferegodswillmatthias@gmail.com, godswillmatthias99@gmail.com; __GSM: +2347045155575
MAY, 2021

INTRODUCTION
The golden rule is a moral principle which
denotes that you should treat others the way
you want to be treated yourself. This implies
that if you would want others to treat you with
respect, then you should be sure you treat
them with respect too. It calls for a harmony
between my act towards another and my
desire about how I want to be treated. To
adequately apply the Golden Rule, we need
knowledge and imagination. We need to know
what effect our actions have on the life of
others. And we need to be able to imagine
ourselves, vividly and accurately, in the other
person’s place on the receiving end of the
action. First remove the log in your eyes
before telling your brethren to remove a speck
in their eyes.
BACKGROUND
The Gospel according to Matthew is one of
the Synoptic Gospels. It was written by
Matthew who was believed to be an
eyewitness of many of the events he recorded.
He was a tax collector before he was called by
Jesus and had scribal skills and knowledge of
Judaism. He was a competent witness of what
he has recorded. doubtless, the book of
Matthew was written in Greek as the other
part of the new testament were; not in that
language which was peculiar to the Jews,
whose church and state were near a period, but
in that which was common to the world and in
which the knowledge of Christ would be most
effectually transmitted to the nations of the
earth (Henry 1203). He emphasized Jesus’
jewish heritage and demonstrated how Jesus
fufils the Old Testament prophecies (Kapolyo
1105). Matthew’s gospel is a teaching gospel
 2
containing five blocks of teaching divided by
narratives about Jesus’ ministry activities. The
blocks are Sermon on the Mount, the mission
of the twelve, the parables of the kingdom,
and the woes of the legalistic religion and the
signs of the end.
Our text, Matthew 7:7-11 falls under the first
block which is Sermon on the Mount. Here
Jesus was teaching his disciples on judging
other persons, on persistent prayer and the
Golden Rule. Jesus in this passage taught the
disciples the Lord’s Prayer; but our
concentration this morning shall be on Jesus’
principle towards judgment of others and on
his teaching which is regarded as the Golden
Rule.
EXEGESIS:
For better understanding of our New
Testament text, Matthew 7:7-11, shall be
expounded it under the following:
1. Seeking from God (Matt. 7:7)
2. Faith in God’s Goodness (Matt. 7:9-11)
1. Seeking from God (Matt. 7:7)
In verse 7 of our text, Jesus returns to the topic
of prayer, which he has already dealt with in
chapter 6:5-15. Jesus here uses metaphors for
prayers (Kapolyo 1124). It is a precept in three
words to the same purport, Ask, Seek, Knock
(v. 7); that is, in one word, "Pray; pray often;
pray with sincerity and seriousness; pray, and
pray again; make conscience of prayer, and be
constant in it; make a business of prayer, and
be earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms. In
this sense, the idea is to represent ones wants
and burdens to God, and refer oneself to him
for support and supply, according to his
promise. Ask as a traveller asks the way; to
pray is to enquire of God. Seek, as for a thing
of value that we have lost, or as the
merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Seek
by prayer, Knock, as he that desires to enter
into the house knocks at the door." One would
be admitted to converse with God, would be
taken into his love, and favour, and kingdom;
sin has shut and barred the door against us; by
prayer, we knock; Lord, Lord, open to us
(Henry, n.pg).
Though there seems evidently a climax here,
expressive of more and more importunity, yet
each of these terms used presents what we
desire of God in a different light. We ask for
what we wish; we seek for what we miss; we
knock for that from which we feel ourselves
shut out (Hurtado 34). Of course, it is
presumed that he who asked aright-that is, in
faith-and with an honest purpose to make use
of what he receives. "If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God. But let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering (undecided whether to
 3
be altogether on the Lord's side). For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with
the wind and tossed. For let not that man think
that he shall receive any thing of the Lord"
(James 1:5-7). Hence, "Ye ask, and receive
not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3) (Cole
55). There are here three different forms
presented of seeking the things which we need
from God - asking, 'seeking, and knocking.
The latter is taken from the act of knocking at
a door for admittance. The phrases signify to
seek with earnestness, diligence, and
perseverance. The promise is, that what we
seek shall be given us. It is of course implied
that we seek with a proper spirit, with
humility, sincerity, and perseverance. It is
implied, also, that we ask the things which it
may be consistent for God to give. Man "can"
ask no higher things of God; and these he may
ask, assured that he is willing to grant them
(Martin 211). The disciples could expect
answer to their prayers not because of the
technique used but because of the God who is
being addressed (Carson 913).
Children of God, we must not only ask but
seek; we must second our prayers with our
endeavors; we must, in the use of the
appointed means, seek for that which we ask
for, else we tempt God. God gives knowledge
and grace to those that search the scriptures,
and wait at Wisdom's gates; and power against
sin to those that avoid the occasions of it. We
must not only ask, but knock; we must come
to God's door, must ask importunately; not
only pray, but plead with God; we must seek
diligently; we must continue knocking; must
persevere in prayer, and in the use of means;
must endure to the end in the duty.
2. Faith in God’s Goodness (Matt. 7:9-
11)
In verses 8 of our text, a promise is made, and
made so as exactly to answer the precept in
verse 7. The disciples are given confidence to
persist in prayer. Because human beings
respond positively to repeated appeals, they
can be certain that their heavenly father will
answer persistent prayer (Kapolyo 1124). The
faith her is, For every one who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds, and to him who
knocks it will be opened (v. 8). Ask, and it
shall be given you; not lent you, not sold you,
but given you. This implies that Jesus was
telling his disciples that “Whatever you pray
for, according to the promise, whatever you
ask, shall be given you, if God see it fit for
you, and what would you have more. It is but
ask and have; ye have not, because ye ask not,
or ask not aright: what is not worth asking, is
not worth having, and then it is worth nothing.
Seek, and ye shall find, and then you do not
lose your labour; Knock, and it shall be
 4
opened; the door of mercy and grace shall no
longer be shut against you as enemies and
intruders, but opened to you as friends and
children. It will be asked, who is at the door?
If you be able to say, a friend, and have the
ticket of promise ready to produce in the hand
of faith, doubt not of admission. If the door be
not opened at the first knock, continue instant
in prayer; it is an affront to a friend to knock
at his door, and then go away; though he tarry,
yet wait" (Henry n.pg).
Jesus made this statement to extend to all that
pray aright; "Not only you my disciples shall
receive what you pray for, but every one that
asketh, receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile,
young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master
or servant, learned or unlearned, they are all
alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they
come in faith: for God is no respecter of
persons." It is made so as to amount to a grant,
in words of the present tense, which is more
than a promise for the future. Every one that
asketh, not only shall receive, but receiveth;
by faith, applying and appropriating the
promise, we are actually interested and
invested in the good promised: so sure and
inviolable are the promises of God, that they
do, in effect, give present possession: an
active believer enters immediately, and makes
the blessings promised his own. What have we
in hope, according to the promise, is as sure,
and should be as sweet, as what we have in
hand (Henry, n.pg).
In verse 10, Jesus illustrated the situation of
doing good by a similitude taken from earthly
parents, and their innate readiness to give their
children what they ask. Christ appeals to his
hearers, What man is there of you, though
never so ill-humoured, whom if his son ask
bread, will he give him a stone? v. 9,10.
Whence he infers (v. 11), If ye then, being
evil, yet grant your children's requests, much
more will your heavenly Father give you the
good things you ask. Now this is of use, as it
tells the disciples how good God is and how
they could enjoy his goodness when they have
faith in Him. In thought, bad as our fallen
nature is, the father in us is not extinguished.
What a heart, then, must the Father of all
fathers have toward His pleading children.
Jesus is serious here that, no parent turns away
his child with that which would be injurious.
He would not give him a stone instead of
bread, or a serpent instead of a fish. God is
better and kinder than the most tender earthly
parents; and with what confidence, therefore,
may we come as his children, and ask what we
need! Parents, he says, are evil; that is, are
imperfect, often partial, and not infrequently
passionate; but God is free from all this, and
therefore is ready and willing to aid us. Faith
in God’s goodness is summarized in the truth
 5
that, every one that asketh receiveth - That is,
every one that asks aright; that prays in faith,
and in submission to the will of God. He does
not always give the very thing which we ask,
but he gives what would be better. A parent
will not always confer the "very thing" which
a child asks, but he will seek the welfare of the
child, and give what he thinks will be most for
its good.
CONCLUSION
People of God, today, Christ is telling us to
ask, seek and knock because we have the
confidence that our heavenly father is able to
provide all our needs according to his riches in
glory. Our faith is necessary to receive from
the Lord what we ask and seek of Him. also,
humility and submission should be our
attitude when we approach God for help. God
cares about us and is ever willing to help us
out of our situation, no matter how bad it is. In
doing this, we are charged with the
responsibility of putting other people’s needs
before our own. We must learn to treat others
the way we want ourselves to be treated.
Perhaps, it is only the Holy Spirit who can
give us the resources to live such a selfless
life.
WORK CITED
Brown, Lorris. Lorris’ Brown Commentary.
Nashville: Ortris Publishers, 1999. Electronic
Database.
Carson, D. A. et al. New Bible Commentary.
Nottingham: InterVarsity Press, 2011. Print.
Clark, Adams. Adams Clark’s Commentary.
Biblesoft, Inc. 2006. Electronic Database.

Cole, Alan. The Gospel According to St.
Matthe: Instructon and Commentary. Grand
Rapids: Eerdsmans, 1976. Print.
http//www.biblestudytools.com /
Guzik, David. Study Guide for Galatians.
Michigan: Blue Letter Bible Ministry, 2001.
Electronic Database.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry Commentary
on the Whole Bible. New York: Hendrickson
Publisher, 1994. Electronic Database.
Hurtado, Larry W. The Gospel of Matthew.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974. Print.
Jamaison R. and Faussett P. Commentary
Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.
Kapolyo, Joe. Matthew.” Africa
Commentary. Nairobi: WordAlive Publishers,
2006. Print.
6
Martin, R. P. Matthew. Attanta: John Knox
Press, 1981. Print.,
The Church Hymnary (Revised Edition).
London: Oxford University Press, 1927. Print.
The Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version.
(2nd Edition) New York: Harper Collins
Publishers, 1956. Print.
The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible:
Matthew. Chattanooga: Leadership Ministries
Worldwide, 1991. Print.
The Presbyterian Church Of Nigeria. The
Book of Services of the Presbyterian Church
of Nigeria. Calabar: Presby Press, 1992. Print.
Wiersbe, Warren. The Bible Exposition
Bible
Commentary. Chariot Victor Publishing, and
imprint of Cook Communication Ministries.
1989. Electronic Data.