Sermon Notes for February 12th
February 12, 2006
Mathew 7:1-8
“The door will be opened for you”
1. Did any of you watch the Super Bowl last Sunday. Well, it wasn’t too exciting – was it? In fact, with all the hype it was pretty much just another football game. They always seem to be that way.
But I thought that watching the Rolling Stones at the half time was pretty amazing! Just when you think the l960’s are a thing of the past … here are the Rolling Stones still at it. Amazing! How old are those guys?
Well, while they did sing “I Can’t get no Satisfaction” they didn’t sing my favorite which is:
You can't always get what you want.
You may remember the words …
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need
2. Well, in a way it has always seemed to me that this was a kind of a reflection of sorts on Jesus words Mathew 7:
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Not that Mick Jagger was necessarily thinking about Jesus … he was probably just trying to express, back in the l960’s, the frustration that all young people feel about life sometimes. For the truth is -- No, we can’t always get what we want.
This frustration over not getting what we want starts very early. Almost everyone has been in a supermarket or a store and observed some parent telling a small child that they can’t have something – and the child is crying or upset. We have all seen it. In fact, as parents we have all been there ourselves.
Not only that, but once upon a time, I suspect, we were actually that child ourselves and it was our parents who were saying “No! You Can’t Have it!” I can clearly remember my parents saying “No” to me – and making me very unhappy.
Well, growing up is a hard thing at times. For it involves trying hard to get our needs met on the one hand … and at the same time finding out that not everything turns out the way we want. In fact, I think that process goes on pretty much all throughout our whole life. Only, as adults, I suppose, sometimes we are the ones who have to say to ourselves, “No, I don’t need that” or “No, I shouldn’t do that.” It used to be called “self-control.” Funny, now that I think about it, we don’t hear that word much any more, do we? Is it because we as a society are used to getting everything we want whereas our parents and grandparents had to do without a lot of things? Interesting thought …
3. So, anyway, the big question is “what is it that we need and what things don’t we need.”
Well, for starters, in Mathew 6, Jesus tells us that we should ask God for several things. What are they?
That God’s kingdom comes and His will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus also tells us to ask for our daily bread.
And for forgiveness for our mistakes
And lastly to not be led into temptation
That is kind of a short list, isn’t it? Down to the basics.
4. But what about the thousand other things we want in life? What about praying for healing, or for a decision we need to make, or for our neighbor, or for peace and justice in the world? Are these not things we should pray for?
And when and how should we expect God to answer our prayer …? Will we really GET WHAT WE WANT …
And if we don’t get what we want … is it because WE DON’T DESERVE IT or because we are not WORTHY for some reason or because WE DIDN’T PRAY HARD ENOUGH or SINCERELY ENOUGH? These are often questions that go through people’s minds when prayers seem not to be answered. Isn’t that right? My prayers weren’t answered – therefore I must have done something wrong. So maybe I should pray longer and harder.
It’s kind of like the common situation we sometimes get into when someone doesn’t listen or doesn’t agree with us … what do we do? Well, WE OFTEN TALK LOUDER AND LOUDER as if that will make a difference!
Well, the message of Jesus in today’s reading is that we don’t have to pray loudly … for God is fully capable of hearing us in any tone of voice.
5. The other idea that this passage is trying to get across is that prayers do not have to fulfill all kinds of conditions to WORK.
This is in answer to the common idea that if I only were more religious or did more good works … God will reward me.
In fact, this was a very common practice in Jesus’ time -- as well as today. In fact the Lord’s Prayer was given to counter the tendency among many people in His day to display their piety and religiosity in public for all to see and to be impressed by … and to impress God.
1"Be careful, Jesus said, not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
And he also said: 2 when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And lastly, he said …
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
That’s pretty clear – isn’t it?
6. But still, the question nags us … If we pray … will we get what we want? After all -- if we won’t get what we want … why pray in the first place, right?
To which Jesus, responds:
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Which is to say … that God will treat us just like a parent – a good and wise parent … giving us what we need and what is helpful … and withholding things that are not helpful or are hurtful.
So, we must understand just who God is … for sometimes we may have unrealistic expectations or we manage to somehow construct God out to merely be something we want Him to be … which can ultimately lead to false hope and frustration.
7. For instance, back in ancient times, the Greeks had many gods … to whom they prayed … but these gods weren’t always so helpful … as in the case of Aurora, the goddess of the dawn, who fell in love with Tithonus a mortal youth. Now Zeus, the king of the gods, offered Aurora any gift she might choose for her mortal lover. Naturally, she chose that Tithonus might live forever; but she forgot to ask that Tithonus might remain for ever young; and so Tithonus grew older and older and older, and yet could never die, and, as a result, the gift became a curse.
What’s that old line about “Be careful what you ask for … because you just might get it!”
Well, Jesus is saying that God is not like that. God does not play tricks or deceive us. For God - who is Jesus’ father - is also our father and acts with patience and generosity as well as discipline.
8. So, maybe it is all just about timing – do you suppose? This is because, of course, when we pray … we always WANT IT NOW or so it seems.
Instant gratification …. it’s kind of like Fast food for the soul.
Now, in business and marketing there is a well known concept which goes like this:
There are three things involved in product sales or service:
Fast --- Good --- and Cheap.
And, in most cases you can only have two out of the three.
If you want something fast and good - it won’t be cheap. You will likely pay extra.
If you something good and cheap – it won’t be fast. You have to wait for it.
And if you want something cheap and fast - it won’t be good!
In fact, sometimes, if you go to a fancy restaurant … especially if the food is very good but it won’t be fast or cheap.
9. What if, in a way, we applied this to prayer? What if we asked the following questions:
What is it we want from God?
How fast do we want it …
and is it really good – or good for us?
And one other thing which we should realize is that it is probably for certain that is that God is not cheap … isn’t that right?
And sometimes, when we pray … the answer may actually be that we are the ones who have to do something to make it happen. For we need to remember that prayer is not the same as magic … and God often requires us to participate in achieving some total end result.
For instance … when I was trying to decide whether to go back into the ministry I certainly prayed about it … in fact, that is where the idea probably originated … but I also had to take the necessary steps to proceed.
First, I met with two different friends who were both ministers just to see what they thought of the idea and they both said “this was a good time to come back?” -- for I had heard rumors that the previous Bishop was not well liked and had not made good appointments.
Then I started talking to the appropriate people and filling out the paper work and all the rest. And, in the middle of all this -- I went on a weekend prayer retreat which ended up confirming my decision.
10. So, in a way, it was just like what Jesus says in verse 8.
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
I knocked and the doors opened. Which was important because, at any time, if someone had said “No, you can’t come back” or “I don’t think it is a good idea” -- I might have changed my mind.
Now, not everything works out that way, of course.
Like many of you, perhaps -- I have prayed for lots of things which never happened. Or didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
As a child I prayed for my mother’s mental illness to go away – but it never did. Which, of course, didn’t mean I couldn’t pray for it to happen.
And, it was years later that I realized that even in that situation, while I didn’t get what I wanted – I did get what I needed. Which was the faith and hope to go on believing in what was a hopeless situation -- at least until I got older and was on my own and could understand what was going on. Which is what happened.
11. Sometimes, then, this is what we need in certain situations … which is the faith and hope to go on loving and caring about ourselves and others even when things seem most troubling.
For the loss of a loved one or other traumatic events can even cause us to question or lose our faith – isn’t that right? Most of us --- a least temporarily --- have probably experienced this at one time or another.
But for some people it can be much worse … as in the case of the famous author C. S. Lewis (who wrote the Narnia books). His mother, who he loved, died when he was eleven. Naturally, as a child he prayed and prayed that she would live and when she didn’t -- it destroyed his faith in God. And it was not until many years later he regained it and went on to be a well known Christian writer and lecturer.
Then, it happened all over again, when, late in life, Lewis finally got up the courage to get married – and she died, too, of cancer and once again he was plunged into despair. It is all written in the remarkable book A Grief Observed. (And is portrayed in the excellent film Shadowlands starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.)
So, we have to understand, that while God will always answer our prayers – He will do it in His own way and in his own time -- with wisdom and love … and when we trust God with our lives -- while we can't always get what we want
if we try (to pray)--- sometimes we just might find that we will get what we need
NOW, LET US ALL PRAY
Mathew 7:1-8
“The door will be opened for you”
1. Did any of you watch the Super Bowl last Sunday. Well, it wasn’t too exciting – was it? In fact, with all the hype it was pretty much just another football game. They always seem to be that way.
But I thought that watching the Rolling Stones at the half time was pretty amazing! Just when you think the l960’s are a thing of the past … here are the Rolling Stones still at it. Amazing! How old are those guys?
Well, while they did sing “I Can’t get no Satisfaction” they didn’t sing my favorite which is:
You can't always get what you want.
You may remember the words …
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need
2. Well, in a way it has always seemed to me that this was a kind of a reflection of sorts on Jesus words Mathew 7:
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Not that Mick Jagger was necessarily thinking about Jesus … he was probably just trying to express, back in the l960’s, the frustration that all young people feel about life sometimes. For the truth is -- No, we can’t always get what we want.
This frustration over not getting what we want starts very early. Almost everyone has been in a supermarket or a store and observed some parent telling a small child that they can’t have something – and the child is crying or upset. We have all seen it. In fact, as parents we have all been there ourselves.
Not only that, but once upon a time, I suspect, we were actually that child ourselves and it was our parents who were saying “No! You Can’t Have it!” I can clearly remember my parents saying “No” to me – and making me very unhappy.
Well, growing up is a hard thing at times. For it involves trying hard to get our needs met on the one hand … and at the same time finding out that not everything turns out the way we want. In fact, I think that process goes on pretty much all throughout our whole life. Only, as adults, I suppose, sometimes we are the ones who have to say to ourselves, “No, I don’t need that” or “No, I shouldn’t do that.” It used to be called “self-control.” Funny, now that I think about it, we don’t hear that word much any more, do we? Is it because we as a society are used to getting everything we want whereas our parents and grandparents had to do without a lot of things? Interesting thought …
3. So, anyway, the big question is “what is it that we need and what things don’t we need.”
Well, for starters, in Mathew 6, Jesus tells us that we should ask God for several things. What are they?
That God’s kingdom comes and His will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus also tells us to ask for our daily bread.
And for forgiveness for our mistakes
And lastly to not be led into temptation
That is kind of a short list, isn’t it? Down to the basics.
4. But what about the thousand other things we want in life? What about praying for healing, or for a decision we need to make, or for our neighbor, or for peace and justice in the world? Are these not things we should pray for?
And when and how should we expect God to answer our prayer …? Will we really GET WHAT WE WANT …
And if we don’t get what we want … is it because WE DON’T DESERVE IT or because we are not WORTHY for some reason or because WE DIDN’T PRAY HARD ENOUGH or SINCERELY ENOUGH? These are often questions that go through people’s minds when prayers seem not to be answered. Isn’t that right? My prayers weren’t answered – therefore I must have done something wrong. So maybe I should pray longer and harder.
It’s kind of like the common situation we sometimes get into when someone doesn’t listen or doesn’t agree with us … what do we do? Well, WE OFTEN TALK LOUDER AND LOUDER as if that will make a difference!
Well, the message of Jesus in today’s reading is that we don’t have to pray loudly … for God is fully capable of hearing us in any tone of voice.
5. The other idea that this passage is trying to get across is that prayers do not have to fulfill all kinds of conditions to WORK.
This is in answer to the common idea that if I only were more religious or did more good works … God will reward me.
In fact, this was a very common practice in Jesus’ time -- as well as today. In fact the Lord’s Prayer was given to counter the tendency among many people in His day to display their piety and religiosity in public for all to see and to be impressed by … and to impress God.
1"Be careful, Jesus said, not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
And he also said: 2 when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And lastly, he said …
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
That’s pretty clear – isn’t it?
6. But still, the question nags us … If we pray … will we get what we want? After all -- if we won’t get what we want … why pray in the first place, right?
To which Jesus, responds:
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Which is to say … that God will treat us just like a parent – a good and wise parent … giving us what we need and what is helpful … and withholding things that are not helpful or are hurtful.
So, we must understand just who God is … for sometimes we may have unrealistic expectations or we manage to somehow construct God out to merely be something we want Him to be … which can ultimately lead to false hope and frustration.
7. For instance, back in ancient times, the Greeks had many gods … to whom they prayed … but these gods weren’t always so helpful … as in the case of Aurora, the goddess of the dawn, who fell in love with Tithonus a mortal youth. Now Zeus, the king of the gods, offered Aurora any gift she might choose for her mortal lover. Naturally, she chose that Tithonus might live forever; but she forgot to ask that Tithonus might remain for ever young; and so Tithonus grew older and older and older, and yet could never die, and, as a result, the gift became a curse.
What’s that old line about “Be careful what you ask for … because you just might get it!”
Well, Jesus is saying that God is not like that. God does not play tricks or deceive us. For God - who is Jesus’ father - is also our father and acts with patience and generosity as well as discipline.
8. So, maybe it is all just about timing – do you suppose? This is because, of course, when we pray … we always WANT IT NOW or so it seems.
Instant gratification …. it’s kind of like Fast food for the soul.
Now, in business and marketing there is a well known concept which goes like this:
There are three things involved in product sales or service:
Fast --- Good --- and Cheap.
And, in most cases you can only have two out of the three.
If you want something fast and good - it won’t be cheap. You will likely pay extra.
If you something good and cheap – it won’t be fast. You have to wait for it.
And if you want something cheap and fast - it won’t be good!
In fact, sometimes, if you go to a fancy restaurant … especially if the food is very good but it won’t be fast or cheap.
9. What if, in a way, we applied this to prayer? What if we asked the following questions:
What is it we want from God?
How fast do we want it …
and is it really good – or good for us?
And one other thing which we should realize is that it is probably for certain that is that God is not cheap … isn’t that right?
And sometimes, when we pray … the answer may actually be that we are the ones who have to do something to make it happen. For we need to remember that prayer is not the same as magic … and God often requires us to participate in achieving some total end result.
For instance … when I was trying to decide whether to go back into the ministry I certainly prayed about it … in fact, that is where the idea probably originated … but I also had to take the necessary steps to proceed.
First, I met with two different friends who were both ministers just to see what they thought of the idea and they both said “this was a good time to come back?” -- for I had heard rumors that the previous Bishop was not well liked and had not made good appointments.
Then I started talking to the appropriate people and filling out the paper work and all the rest. And, in the middle of all this -- I went on a weekend prayer retreat which ended up confirming my decision.
10. So, in a way, it was just like what Jesus says in verse 8.
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
I knocked and the doors opened. Which was important because, at any time, if someone had said “No, you can’t come back” or “I don’t think it is a good idea” -- I might have changed my mind.
Now, not everything works out that way, of course.
Like many of you, perhaps -- I have prayed for lots of things which never happened. Or didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
As a child I prayed for my mother’s mental illness to go away – but it never did. Which, of course, didn’t mean I couldn’t pray for it to happen.
And, it was years later that I realized that even in that situation, while I didn’t get what I wanted – I did get what I needed. Which was the faith and hope to go on believing in what was a hopeless situation -- at least until I got older and was on my own and could understand what was going on. Which is what happened.
11. Sometimes, then, this is what we need in certain situations … which is the faith and hope to go on loving and caring about ourselves and others even when things seem most troubling.
For the loss of a loved one or other traumatic events can even cause us to question or lose our faith – isn’t that right? Most of us --- a least temporarily --- have probably experienced this at one time or another.
But for some people it can be much worse … as in the case of the famous author C. S. Lewis (who wrote the Narnia books). His mother, who he loved, died when he was eleven. Naturally, as a child he prayed and prayed that she would live and when she didn’t -- it destroyed his faith in God. And it was not until many years later he regained it and went on to be a well known Christian writer and lecturer.
Then, it happened all over again, when, late in life, Lewis finally got up the courage to get married – and she died, too, of cancer and once again he was plunged into despair. It is all written in the remarkable book A Grief Observed. (And is portrayed in the excellent film Shadowlands starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.)
So, we have to understand, that while God will always answer our prayers – He will do it in His own way and in his own time -- with wisdom and love … and when we trust God with our lives -- while we can't always get what we want
if we try (to pray)--- sometimes we just might find that we will get what we need
NOW, LET US ALL PRAY
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