Question on Matthew 7:11-12

"11 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!
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

I do not understand what the "therefore" is there for. :) How are these things tied together?

11: God gives us good things when we ask Him
12: FOR THIS REASON, do onto others as you want them to do to you.

Any thoughts will be welcome.

Blessings.

Natalie

I believe that the "therefore" tells us that He is summing up the previous verses in chapter 7 with a principle. The principle is the so called "golden rule" and if applied diligently then we won't judge others and we can have a confident expectation that our prayers will be heard.

In Christ,

So is Jesus saying that our prayers being answered is conditioned on us doing unto others as they do unto us?

Ask, seek, knock- is the answer to that conditioned on verse 12- therefore, if do unto others as you want them to do unto you?

Just pondering here; Jesus talks about how our earthly father being evil gives good things to his children. Is that not the hope that He is giving us, that God our Father is pleased to give us good gifts if we ask? And then Jesus is saying, but only if you do this?

Maybe that is the truth and I need to accept it if it is, but is doesn't sound exactly right to me. I feel something is missing.

Blessings.

Just pondering here; Jesus talks about how our earthly father being evil gives good things to his children. Is that not the hope that He is giving us, that God our Father is pleased to give us good gifts if we ask? And then Jesus is saying, but only if you do this?

Maybe that is the truth and I need to accept it if it is, but is doesn't sound exactly right to me. I feel something is missing.

I believe that Scripture would teach us that we can't really expect good things from God if we don't deal rightly and honestly with others. To ask, seek, and knock with that kind of heart would be hypocrisy.

In Christ,

Hi Natalie-

I think the "therefore" in this verse can be read as "because of this." In other words, because our heavenly Father gives us good gifts, whether we deserve them or not, we should treat others in the same way.

At least that is how I have always read this.

Because we have received good things from God we can enter into a spiritual law where our interaction with all of mankind on an individual basis activates a sowing and reaping effect:)

I think Ron tied it into prayer and judging others but while I understand his position I do not believe our righteous judgements toward others actions or character will hinder our prayers as long as we are using the over riding heart of love and prayer for those outside Christ. The Prophets in the OT were those who stood between God s justice and judgement of men and the very men/women who were under God s wrath. It is almost but not exactly the same as the intercession of Christ for us, the difference is that we as Christians are already saved and spared from the wrath of God where as lost humanity is not, but they need us to stand in the way of God s judgement/justice much like Mose did Israel in Num 11 and several other places in the OT.