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Lv 6
? asked in Society & CultureReligion & Spirituality · 8 years ago

What did Lord Jesus convey by 'Ask and it shall be given..' beyond its literal meaning?

Elsewhere Jesus recalls how the God gave beautiful wings to the short lived insects like butterflies and asks if he would not take better care of a superior creation like man? God has given the plants to feed our hunger, provide shelter and clothing, animals to serve as beasts of burden and transports. What is it we need to ask of Him after all? He knows and gives everything we need, unasked. He has also given us the wisdom to invent gadgets to serve our ever increasing newer needs for health, social growth etc!

So there is bound to be more meaning to this statement of 'Ask, it shall be given..' beyond its literal import. What is that message? Could you share with me please?

Apart from Xians, friends from other Faiths who have equal keenness and reverence for other holy scriptures, can also share their perceptions.

Thanks for sparing your times to clarify me.

Update:

Lord Jesus had spoken in parables and figurative sense and even when He appears to convey simple things (literally relating to mundane things) there always was /is further layers of messages for those who care to seek.. St Sri Yukteswar, a Kriya Yogi and mentor of Param hamsa Yogananda (Founder of Self Realization Fellowship, Los Agngeles / Yogoda Satsangh, Ranchi, India) had written the only book "The Holy Science - spiritual interpretation of the Bible" (available with SRF) unlike several spiritual books like Cosmic Chants, Autobiography of a Yogi etc by his disciple, the Param hamsa! So valuable the seemingly brief Bible (compared to hoary texts of Hindus, Chinese and Islam). So I thought people would be interested in knowing deeper imports of His divine sayings. But people here seem to be comfortable with the literal import! Someone says ''we interpret" Him, no sir, we infer the deeper messages He mercifully left in His sayings. His simple ethical messages we

Update 2:

contd..

The simple ethical messages we read in His sayings were already available in the older holy scriptures. He gave wealth of hidden treasures for the Age of Wisdom (which we now have come to) for us to dig up with devotion and benefit.

Ananth i didn't dismiss the literal meaning, but wanted to go within / deeper. When the Lord said to a hunch backed woman to straighten up (freed from the crooked back) he also gave a message to whole humanity that was crooked and confined its vision to the Earth (read: mundane matters) to look up at the vast sky of esoteric wisdom and powers and become divine like Him! Do you get it? I am just waiting for a single Xian (there is respectable sense in using X which someone finds offensive here!) desirous to know more of treasures in His holy book, wherefore I can share more. Else no use in speaking to parrots!

Update 3:

Kandasamy sir, I don't know if it was Stephen Leecock who quipped: "I wish to go for any tour along with some innocent people who would put seemingly simple silly Qs and help people like me to learn more of things we are shy to ask"! I find in your child talk in Englis, the points raised equally innocently, how secular literal meanings alone could raise doubts ad infinitum! A mother spoon feeds a child who has injury in his hand, attends to the child who needs immediate care before she turns to others...&c because she has her priorities clear. God is the Mother of all creatures, He has his time to endow us with what we need. Unless we understand the message wholistically, along with the subtler imports, we can not find clarity. The things i expected in posting this Q, are still to emerge from our brothers. Let us wait sometime.

9 Answers

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  • Vijay D
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    A beggar who had his fill and is not hungry, still begs but with a non serious tone. Another alms seeker who is starved will ask in a crying tone. The difference between the two can be easily noticed. However we in the world are ignorant and can mistake the right seeker with the wrong.

    God is Omniscient and doesn't make any mistake in judgement. He understands the honest cry of His child and delivers when we ask correctly.

    "ASK(!) AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN"

  • Artemis
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    It means this: If you ask for answers sincerely, from your heart and with the intention of achieving spiritual improvement, have no doubt that you will receive an answer.

    "Your spirit guides are always there helping you. They suggest the answers to you in a subtle way, when you have questions that you sincerely don’t know how to resolve. The trouble is that most of you have many fears and taboos inside you that it becomes very complicated for your guides to help you, because you don´t accept answers that don’t fit in with your prejudices and archetypes.

    If you ask for answers sincerely, from your heart and with the intention of achieving spiritual improvement, have no doubt that you will receive an answer. THIS IS THE AUTHENTIC WAY OF PRAYING, as opposed to repeating lots of phrases over and over again praising god, which mean nothing to you or to the spiritual world.”

    The Spiritual Laws – Vicent Guillem

  • ananth
    Lv 4
    8 years ago

    Sir, to me this statement is literally true, and also has underlying message. First why it is literally true is, it is a common experience for a true devotee that when he/she prays for an answer or help when in real need, it comes. And the devotee is bound to experience joy. So this statement is literally true. Also even you have described about humans having food to eat, brains to invent gadgets etc. But Lord doesn't want us to stop here with these temporal material things. It is as if God is asking each of us, My child I have given you food, clothes, shelter etc. ok other facilities etc are all fine. But is this all what you want? And nothing more? Are you just satisfied with the painting and don't ever want to see the painter?

    Why ask for morsel of food or for money. Somehow or other everybody will get food and enough skills to survive(generalizing it as for most of people this is true). So why ask for these little things. We only belittle ourselves by asking such cheap things. Ask for more, ask for His Vision, for His Mercy, His Presence. Ask him to reside in your Heart forever. If you ask God, will he not show His true nature to you?

    All these shall be Given, is the promise of God to us.

    2nd Response: Ok Sir, got you. Thanks. Yes this is a common problem with Christians, they have very closed view of Jesus. It is very obvious that hindu saints and sages have better view of Jesus.

  • Mu Cephei
    8 years ago

    I think peace, wisdom, courage, faith and above all the Truth, are all things we can find if we actively seek them. He's indicating that they are not beyond reach. They are not only for the high priests or philosophers or powerful people. They are there for the humble seeker. "...you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." What are "these things?" Children know. Those who ask for it know already.

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    well i don't know much aboiut christianity or their teachings

    keeping jesus as god , i try to give my opinion

    there is a proverb in tamil that the cried child alonne will get milk

    in that concept it may be correct

    then another doubt is also there

    whether un ethic matter , if asked will that also be given i wonder

    and finally one decision mother , being mother should always know that when and how much milk the child needs and she has to fed it . in that concept it seems to me that incorrect

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    Here we go again.

    What's reported to have been said by Jesus isn't good enough so lets all 'interpret it'.

    Ridiculous.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    xians?

    you suddenly run out of letters?

    The message is to rely on God

  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    "Ask and it shall be given" has the same meaning as "seek and you will find it " .Jesus said " If you look to God and faithfully ask Him anything for your need He shall provide it to you"

    Source(s): I read Bible several times .
  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    tricky stuff look on using yahoo or google this might help

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