Good things or the Holy Spirit? (Luke 11:9-13)

Matthew and Luke remember Jesus' emphasis slightly differently.

Matthew 7:7-11  7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone?  10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?  11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Luke 11:9-13   9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?  12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?  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!"


Why did Matthew remember Jesus saying that God would give those who ask good things, but Luke remembered him saying the Holy Spirit?  Are they one in the same?  Is the Holy Spirit the "goodest" gift of all? The ultimate gift from God?  Is it the gift where all other gifts originate?  It the very life and power of God.

Most people think of God's best gift as being eternal life in a place called heaven - a place where the dead believers go and they have everything they want.  Not entirely scriptural.  But many people think that is what getting saved is all about... so that when you die you go to this place called heaven instead of hell.

But what if God's best gift was himself... the gift of his Spirit.  And that when we put our faith in Christ, his Spirit enters into relationship with us in the here and now.  And our eternal life - living in relationship with God - begins right then?  What if from that point forward we have the very life and power of God giving us wisdom and empowering us to do God's mission - and this will be true not only in this life, but the next?  Wouldn't that be the greatest gift of all?