Taken as it first seems, our text presents a mystery. Anyone of us would wish that we could ask God for something, no matter what it is, and he would grant it to us. Spiritual common sense tells us that this is not the way it works. God is not looked at us as dealing with spoiled children to pacify. It would be heresy for us to view God as our butler to fetch something at a whim. However, Jesus did make a bold statement for us and promise what we wish it will be granted.
Any of us would want to ask anything and receive it. In our text Jesus did not define what is permissible to ask. It would appear that all Jesus said was for us to ask and we will receive it. There must be some better explanation of what Jesus meant. Could it be that Jesus is allowing us to define parameters of what is acceptable to ask? I think not. Surely, he is not signing a blank check for us to get anything we want. Without a better explanation, it can be depressive and confusing to ask Jesus while trying to believe, but then not receive it.
I must confess that this whole concept of asking and receiving was confusing in my earlier years. Then when I read further in the entire context of this discussion that Jesus had with his disciples, I came to realize there was a major stipulation. Chapters 14, 15, and 16, when taken as a whole, they help us immensely. In fact, a particular word stands out as a condition for what we can ask expecting to receive.
In these chapters, that word takes various forms. It can be abide, abode, or in some translation, it is the word remain. The Greek language helps us immensely to understand what Jesus meant. The Greek root word under our consideration is menw. Depending on how this word is used, the grammar will change but will have the same central meaning. Throughout these chapters this word came to be, “stay, continue, dwell, lodge, sojourn, remain, rest, settled, continue unchanged, permanently close or settled, union, and mansion.” Note that all of these words in their various grammatical translations basically mean the same thing; a place to be.
Chapter 15 in eight versus compose themselves to help us understand that if we do abide/stay in Jesus without distractions away from loyalty, our will then become his will or, better put, his will becomes our will. If we are so tightly bound to Christ, we know what to ask because we are merely requesting what his desire has already come to be. So, if we abide in him and his words (his Spirit) abide in us, we are simply asking what he wants to give. This is not something that can be done at the wave of a hand. It is a lifelong ambition to have a close, ongoing close, union with how Jesus thinks.
Out of his mercy and grace Jesus will answer our prayers. Out of his love he will have compassion on us. It is in that mercy and grace and love that we need better enlightenment. This speaks of an ongoing spiritual growth that develops from the influence of the Holy Spirit. It speaks of our desire to be submissive to; however he chooses, will be his response. These three chapters do repeat the theme over and over of dwelling in Christ and his Spirit dwelling in us. This is a separation from natural worldly thinking. If we abide in him and his Spirit abides in us, our requests are better qualified to receive a positive answer.
