How many of us don’t feel a little disappointed after reading Luke 11, 9-13?
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Emphasis mine)
Reading the first for sentences of this very oft quoted passage, we start to get excited. We start to think something like
“All I have to do is ask, knock, and/or seek and I will get what I want? Wow! Money, fame, a McMansion, a nice car are mine for the asking? Okay, okay, maybe I’ll ask for something more noble: health for me and my family, wisdom, respect, okay, maybe even something really admirable for world peace. Hey, it can’t hurt to ask for something like that if I want to get what I really want, right? But this is great…Jesus says all I have to do is ask! Hand me that Lexus full line brochure!”
Then it hits us
“…how much more will your Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
The holy Spirit? Is that what the Father will give us if we ask Him? The holy Spirit? This is like the kid who asked for the train set for Christmas and got a football, a few books, and some socks instead. He’s really disappointed because he didn’t get what he wanted, but he acts excited, or at least contented, because he didn’t get what he wanted. So, yeah, the holy Spirit; that’s good, that’s cool. Thanks. But how about that couple million bucks, the nice place downtown, and the Lexus?
There are plenty of people out there, maybe some of you, who would say something like
“ I am overjoyed to receive the holy Spirit. That was, after all, Jesus’ promise to His disciples at the Last Supper and, ultimately, it was all that they needed and more than they could ask for. So how could I possibly ask for more? Thanks, God, for sending me your Spirit.”
If indeed that is your attitude, congratulations. You are a close follower of Christ and an exemplary Christian. Seriously; I’m not being sarcastic here. If you were given the chance to ask for anything in the world and genuinely and honestly would ask for the holy Spirit in response, you have genuinely opened your heart to Jesus.
Yours truly, on the other hand, would like to think that I would ask for the holy Spirit rather than money, power, or something more noble, like health and prosperity for my children. But, even though I’m working on it, I’m not there yet.
