Matthew 7:9

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? OR WHAT MAN IS THERE OF YOU, WHOM IF HIS SON ASK BREAD [ arton (G740 ), 'A LOAF,'] WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE? - round and smooth like such a loaf or cake as was much in use, but only to mock him....

9._Is there any man among you? _It is a comparison from the less to the greater. First, our Lord contrasts the malice of men with the boundless goodness of God. Self-love ( φιλαυτία) renders us malicious: for every man is too much devoted to himself, and neglects and disregards others. But this vice yields to the stronger feelings of a father’s love, so that men forget themselves, and give to their children with overflowing liberality. Whence comes this, but because God, of _whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, _(Ephesians 3:15,) drops into their hearts a portion of his goodness? But if the little drops produce such an amount of beneficence, what ought we to expect from the inexhaustible ocean? Would God, who thus opens the hearts of men, shut his own? Let us also remember that passage of Isaiah, “Though a mother forget her childr

7-11 Prayer is the appointed means for obtaining what we need. Pray; pray often; make a business of prayer, and be serious and earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms. Ask, as a traveller asks the way. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost; or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door. Sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer we knock. Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, shall be given you, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? This is made to apply to all that pray aright; every one that asketh receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or unlearned, all are alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith. It is explained by a comparison taken from earthly parents, and their readiness to...

Verse Matthew 7:9. _OR WHAT MAN IS THERE - WHOM IF HIS SON_] Men are exhorted to come unto God, with the persuasion that he is a most gracious and compassionate Parent, who _possesses_ all heavenly and earthly _good, knows_ what is necessary for each of his creatures, and is infinitely _ready_ to communicate that which they need most. _WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE?_] Will he not readily give him bread if he have it? This was a proverb in other countries; a benefit grudgingly given by an avaricious man is called by _Seneca, panem_ _lapidosum_, stony bread. Hence that saying in Plautus: _Altera_ _manu, fert lapidem, panem ostentat altera_. - In one hand he brings a stone, and stretches out bread in the other....

ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU ... - 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. See Luke 13:25; Revelation 3:20. 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 - that is, things which he has promised to give, and which would be best for us, and most for his own honor, 1 John 5:14

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 7:1 (2) As anxiety about the things of this life hinders us Godwards (Matthew 6:19), so does censoriousness manwards (Matthew 7:1), our Lord thus tacitly opposing two typically Jewish faults. Censoriousness—the personal danger of having it (Matthew 7:1, Matthew 7:2), its seriousness as a sign of ignorance and as a hindrance to spiritual vision (Matthew 7:3), even though there must be a r

OR WHAT MAN IS THERE OF YOU,.... "That is a father", as in Luke 11:11 that is, is in the relation, and has the affections of a father; and indeed is a man, and has the nature and passions of a man; unless he is become a mere brute, and devoid of all humanity, WHOM IF HIS SON ASK BREAD, WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE? No, by no means; no man can act such a merciless, cruel part as this to a child: for though he might impose upon him by the likeness of some sort of stones with bread; yet could not hope to satisfy his hunger, or stop his mouth this way; but must expect to hear from him again with bitter complaints....

While we are reading, let us also be adoring at the same time, for the. words of Christ have a gracious divinity about them; they are infinite; they are omnipotent. There is a kind of life in them; a life which communicates itself to those who hear them. Our Saviour did not preach sermons: he preached texts; all his sermons are full of golden sentences, not hammered gold leaf, like those of men, but they are ingots of solid gold, and the gold of that land is good, the most fine gold; there is none like it. Thus he preaches in the seventh chapter of Matthew. Matthew 7:1. _Judge not that ye be not judged._ Set not up for critics, especially in the act of worship. Probably there. is no greater destroyer of profit in the hearing of the word than is the spirit of carping criticism. Mat

CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The Judgment of Righteousness.(Matthew 7:1 .) 2. Warning against False Prophets.(Matthew 7:15 .) 3. Warning against False Professors. (Matthew 7:21 .)_ The chapter which follows contains the last words of the great discourse of our Lord. The contents of this chapter are very instructive and form a most fitting end of the declaration of the King. The first few verses contain a warning against judging. We have in the beginning of the chapter something which is altogether different from the last section of the sixth chapter. There we saw the heir of the Kingdom in the midst of the world, how he is to trust in and depend on the Father and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, h

THE VALUE OF PRAYER. An interpolation with no relation to the context. It is more suitably placed in Luke 11:9. The emphasis is on asking, seeking, knocking; no conditions or limitations are mentioned, but we must perforce understand Not as I will, but as Thou wilt. SEEK and KNOCK are pictorial illustrations of ASK. Fish was, next to bread, the commonest article of diet round the Sea of Galilee; stones on the shore and perhaps water-snakes suggested themselves as substitutes. Lk. adds an egg and a scorpion. EVIL is not simply stingy (Matthew 6:23 *); compared with God even loving parents are evil. GOOD THINGS is more original than Lk.'s Holy Spirit; it includes material as well as spiritual blessings....