A Father's Gifts

Quis vestrum habens filium, et si petat ab eo panem, numquid lapidem porriget ei. Aut si piscem petierit, numquid serpentem porriget ei? Vide quomodo nos ad spem divinae bonitatis inclinat, ne forte aliquis considerans, quanta est differentia inter Deum et hominem, et ponderans peccata sua, dum non sperat impetrare, nec incipiat petere: ideo patrum et filiorum similitudinem introduxit, ut etsi propter peccata nostra desperemus, propter paternam veritatem, bonitatem Dei speremus. Panis est verbum de notitia Dei Patris. Lapis est omne mendacium, et quicquid illud habet in se scandalum offensionis ad animum. Unde dicit Propheta ad justum: In manibus portabunt te, ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. Omnis enim justus custoditur ab angelis, ne forte in occasionem offensionis incurrat pes convesationis ipsius. Piscem autem intelligere possumus verbum de Christo: serpentem autem ipsum diabolum. Ut ergo impetremus quod desideramus, duo haec convenire debent. Unum quidem, ut petas oratione, et quaeras studio, et pulses operibus: alterum autem, ut panis aut piscis sit, quod petis. Si autem quae non expediunt petis, hoc est, carnalia, quae nocent animae tuae, quasi lapis aut serpens, non tibi praestat, etiamsi petas, qui pater benignus est. Alioqui si praestat nociva petenti, non est pater, sed inimicus. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XVIII Petite et dabitur vobis, quaerite et invenietis: pulsate et aperietur vobis Source: Migne PG 56.732-733

Which of you having a son, who asked for bread from him, would give to him a stone? Or if he asked for a fish, would offer him a serpent? 1 See how we should incline to the hope of Divine benevolence, lest perhaps someone, considering how great is the difference between the Divine and the human, and pondering his sin, while he does so, does not hope to ask, nor begin to seek; therefore He introduced the similitude of the father and the son, that even if we despair on account of our sins, because of paternal truth, we should hope in the benevolence of God. The bread is the word of the knowledge of God the Father. The stone is every lie, and whatever has in itself scandal that harms the soul. Whence the Prophet says to the righteous man: 'In His hands he will carry you, lest your foot strike against a stone. 2 Every righteous man is guarded by angels, lest perhaps the foot of his conduct stumble into an occasion of offence. The fish we can understand to be the word of Christ, the serpent is the devil. That, therefore, we ask for what we should desire, these two things befit: one that you ask in prayer and seek with zeal, and knock with works; and then that you ask for bread or a fish. For if you do not ask for what benefits, that is, if you ask for something worldly which harms the soul, as the stone or the serpent, it shall not be given to you, even if you do seek it, by the father who is benevolent. For if someone were to give something harmful to him who asks for it, he is not a father but an enemy. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 18, Ask And It Shall Be Given To You, Seek And You Shall Find, Knock And It Shall Be Opened To You. 1 Mt 7.9 2 Ps 90.12