Luke 11:13
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While Matthew’s version speaks of "good things," Luke specifically highlights the gift of the Holy Spirit. This isn't just about receiving any good gift, but the very presence and power of God dwelling within us, which is the ultimate expression of the Father's love and the necessary equipment for His work.
Jesus has just finished telling the parable of the persistent friend, encouraging his disciples to boldly ask, seek, and knock in prayer. He then uses the analogy of earthly fathers to assure them that their heavenly Father is infinitely more willing to give good things to those who ask Him. This leads into the specific assurance that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
We know how to be decent parents, right? So why does God seem so distant sometimes?
Jesus uses a powerful comparison here, highlighting the vast difference between human love and God's perfect love.
Imperfect Love
He says, 'If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children...' (Luke 11:13a). Even the best parents are flawed. We are 'evil' in the sense that our goodness is tainted with sin and selfishness. Yet, despite our imperfections, we still instinctively want to provide for and protect our children. We know what it means to give gifts – a toy, a meal, a word of encouragement.
Unbounded Love
But then Jesus pivots: 'how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!' (Luke 11:13b). The contrast is staggering. If our flawed, sinful nature can prompt us to give good things, imagine the boundless, pure goodness of our Heavenly Father. He doesn't just give 'good things' like earthly parents; He gives the ultimate gift – His very Spirit. This isn't about God being 'more' good like a bigger version of us; it's about His goodness being in a different, infinite category.
What's the one thing Jesus says God loves to give? It's not what you might expect.
The verse specifies what the Heavenly Father gives: the Holy Spirit.
More Than Just 'Good Things'
While the parallel passage in Matthew 7 speaks of 'good things' – which could encompass all sorts of blessings – Luke's Gospel zeroes in on the most precious gift: the Holy Spirit. This isn't just about receiving favors from God; it's about receiving God Himself, in the person of the Spirit, to dwell within us.
The Earnest of Our Inheritance
The Holy Spirit is God's presence, power, and guidance made accessible to us. He empowers us to live like Christ, convicts us of sin, comforts us in trials, and seals us as God's children. He is the down payment, the guarantee, of all the good things God has planned for us, both now and in eternity. Asking for the Spirit is asking for God's very essence to transform our lives from the inside out.
Understand the original words
ponēros · Greek Adjective
In a moral or theological sense, this refers to being depraved, corrupt, or lacking inherent goodness. It denotes the fallen nature of humanity that is alienated from God's holiness.
pneuma hagion · Greek Noun phrase
The third person of the Trinity, the promised Comforter, Counselor, and Presence of God who dwells within believers, empowering them for service and guiding them into all truth.
This passage from Matthew presents a very similar argument, contrasting human fathers' ability to give good gifts with the Heavenly Father's even greater generosity, though it uses the broader term 'good things' instead of the specific 'Holy Spirit'.
Romans 8:32This verse powerfully echoes the logic of Luke 11:13, stating that if God didn't withhold His own Son, He is certainly able and willing to give us all things, including the indwelling Spirit.
Galatians 3:2Paul references the Galatians' initial reception of the Spirit, highlighting that it wasn't through legalistic works but through hearing and believing the message, underscoring the Spirit as a gift received by faith through asking.
1 John 4:13This passage affirms that we know we abide in God and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit, connecting the gift of the Spirit to an intimate, abiding relationship with God.
vincentLuke 11:13: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
Being (ὑπάρχοντες)See on James 2:15.Heavenly FatherLit., the Father, he who is from Heaven,
calvinLuke 11:5-13: "And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;"
- Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9. Is there any man among you, who, if his son shall ask bread, will give him a ston? 10. Or if he shall ask a fish, does he offer…
While Matthew’s version speaks of "good things," Luke specifically highlights the gift of the Holy Spirit. This isn't just about receiving any good gift, but the very presence and power of God dwelling within us, which is the ultimate expression of the Father's love and the necessary equipment for His work.
Jesus has just finished telling the parable of the persistent friend, encouraging his disciples to boldly ask, seek, and knock in prayer. He then uses the analogy of earthly fathers to assure them that their heavenly Father is infinitely more willing to give good things to those who ask Him. This leads into the specific assurance that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
Jesus has just finished telling the parable of the persistent friend, encouraging his disciples to boldly ask, seek, and knock in prayer. He then uses the analogy of earthly fathers to assure them that their heavenly Father is infinitely more willing to give good things to those who ask Him. This leads into the specific assurance that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
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Does God really want us to ask? And will He actually give us what we need?
This verse isn't just a theological statement; it's an invitation and a powerful motivation for prayer.
God Invites Our Asking
Jesus frames this exchange around the act of asking. The implication is clear: God desires for us to come to Him. The contrast between imperfect human parents and the perfect Heavenly Father is meant to remove any hesitation we might have. If earthly parents respond to their children's needs, how much more will our Father in heaven respond to our prayers for His Spirit?
Persistence and Faith
The context surrounding this verse (in Luke 11:5-10) emphasizes persistence in prayer. Jesus uses parables to show that even human beings respond to persistent requests. This doesn't mean we have to wear God out, but rather that our persistent asking demonstrates our deep need and faith. It’s an encouragement to believe that when we ask for the Holy Spirit – the greatest gift – our Father is eager to give.
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”" — While Matthew’s version speaks of "good things," Luke specifically highlights the gift of the Holy Spirit. This isn't just about receiving any good gift, but the very presence and power of God dw…
