The Real Source of Righteousness – Matthew 7:7-11

I literally used to believe that God had a cosmic balance scale in heaven on which my good deeds and bad deeds would be measured. What is even more ridiculous is that I actually believed that my good deeds would outweigh my bad. I didn’t understand what a rebel I was to the law of God and to God Himself. Of course, I hardly ever even thought of God.

Jesus’ sermon on the mount explodes our crazy notion that we could ever be measured by God and found satisfactory in regards to righteousness. Jesus’ sermon explodes the view of every other religion on the face of the earth, all of which, except Christianity, teach the way to God’s favor is by being righteous enough. Every religion thinks humans are basically good enough to fill that bill. Not Jesus.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)

Jesus has been preaching, like Moses, the righteousness required by God. He has shown the true interpretation of the Law and applied it with clarity and insight into the human condition. And the upshot is he has described a righteousness that none of us can attain. But, he has said, if our righteousness does not attain this level we will not enter the kingdom of heaven (5:20).

But the perfect righteousness required by God of kingdom followers is not found by our tireless efforts or innate ability but by prayer to the One who loves us more than our earthly parents ever could.  And that is why Jesus speaks next in his sermon about praying. Righteousness does not come by our ability but by hungering and thirsting for it and seeking it from God. Jesus does not describe how he must die as a sacrifice for us in order to acquire the forgiveness we need and make possible a crediting of righteousness to our account. He focuses on dependence on God.

If we ask, it will be given to us, that is, the righteousness we need.  There are no if’s, and’s or but’s.  Seeking means we are genuine in our desire for this righteousness, not making some flippant request. Knocking suggests that we will keep on knocking until He comes to the door, not because He is hard of hearing or reluctant to respond to us, but because this is our lifelong pursuit.  We won’t attain perfect righteousness in this life (see Philippians 3:12).  But what is attained will be in dependence on the supremely righteous One.

Jesus’ analogy of what parents will do for their children is an argument from the lesser to the greater.  Even we evil human beings (Jesus did not consider humans basically good nor capable of attaining righteous) who are capable of the most abhorrent behaviors toward our children and others, have in many cases, nevertheless, shown great love.  How much more so our loving and perfect heavenly Father.  He will give us what we need when we ask Him.  Why do we need to ask?  It is for our benefit that we enter into this kind of relationship with Him, seeing Him respond to us when we sincerely pursue relationship with Him.