Matthew 7:7-12 (KJV)
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
I can only see one sense for the ‘therefore’:
Our Heavenly Father wants us to do good things to our children. That’s why He did good things to us, His children.
In the same way, if we want others to do good things to us, we should do good things to them.
I cannot see any other connection from the structure of this passage.
Matthew Henry suggests that the connection goes go back to verse 1 of judging ourselves before judging others and casting out the beam from our eyes, before pointing out the mote in others eyes.
From Kenneth Wuest’s expanded Translation:
Therefore, as for you, in view of the fact that though being those who are evil, actively opposed to that which is good, you know how to be constantly giving good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him for them? Therefore, all things whatever you may be desiring men to be doing to you, in the same manner also, as for you, you be doing to them, for this is the law and the prophets.
Any thoughts?