Matthew 7:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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!

NIV: If 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!

NASB: So if you, despite being 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!

CSB: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.

NLT: So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

KJV: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

NKJV: If you then, being 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!

This powerful verse reveals essential truth about both the nature of people and the nature of God.

Jesus is explaining why God stands ready to hear and answer every prayer from His people. Jesus asked His listeners in the previous two verses if they would ever give a stone or serpent to a child who asked for food? The implied response was that no good parent would ever do such a thing (Matthew 7:9–10).

Now Jesus drives the point home: God is a father—your Father in heaven—who gives good things to those who ask because that's what fathers do. It is in the nature of God to give good gifts to those who make their requests in humility and sincerity. Of course, Jesus will also clarify elsewhere that nobody can come to the Father in this way except through Jesus, Himself Him (John 6:28–29; 14:6).

Jesus also reveals something about human nature. He begins by saying, almost as an aside, that even good parents are evil. This is one of the strongest evidences and clarifications of what is called the doctrine of human depravity. In short, this is the idea that human beings are sinful by nature and incapable of true righteousness or goodness. By definition, Jesus says, we are evil in our hearts. Paul says the same when quoting Psalms 14 and 53 in Romans 3:10–12, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

The fact that humans are naturally evil, compared to God, does not mean we're incapable of doing any good, of any kind. Most human parents provide as best as they can for their children. Some even give themselves sacrificially to meet the needs of others. What none of us are naturally capable of is true, Christlike goodness, selflessness, or righteousness.

Matthew 7:7–14 describes God as a generous Father eager to give good gifts to His praying children. Jesus commands His followers to continually ask and seek, with confidence that they will receive and find. Christ summarizes the intent of God's commands in the Old Testament: doing for others what we want done for us. This is commonly referred to as "the Golden Rule." The way of Jesus begins by entering a narrow gate and continues down a hard path that leads to life. He commands His followers to take that path instead of the easy road that leads to destruction.

Matthew 7 is the last of three chapters that record what is now known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands His hearers not to pronounce shallow or hypocritical judgment. He describes God as a generous Father eager to give good things to His children when they ask. He commands His followers to enter the narrow gate and walk the hard road to life. False prophets can be recognized by their fruit, meaning their actions and choices. At the same time, good deeds are not absolute proof that someone has true faith. To live by Jesus' teaching is like building the house of your life on a solid foundation instead of shifting sand.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5, discussing the Beatitudes and the idea that inner thoughts are very much part of sin and righteousness. Chapter 6 denounced hypocrisy, modeled prayer, and opposed anxiety. Chapter 7 discusses the proper manner of judgment, including how to gauge the teachings of others. Jesus also warns against spiritual self-deception. He concludes with an analogy about foundations and storms. The crowd's amazement at Christ's teachings leads into the miracles and encounters of chapters 8 and 9.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.