John 1:19-42; The Question

Andrew and his friend had obviously spent time with John. Their minds were already thinking about the Messiah, sin and forgiveness. They were focused on some pretty substantial issues. Then came their opportunity and they seized it.

I can imagine a giddy feeling in their hearts as they walked a short distance behind Jesus. Then Jesus spun around and asked, "What do you want?" I think it caught them off guard. All they could come up with was "Where are you staying?" Really? That's all they could ask? You get a chance to ask God anything and all you come up with is "Where are you staying?" I can only imagine Jesus got a chuckle out of it.

But what if Jesus walked in my door and asked me the same question right now? What would I say? No time to think; just answer now. Perhaps the shallowness of my answer would make Andrew look like a scholar. I think it is an awkward question because we expect God to do all the spiritual work. I think we come to him and expect him to zap us with his spiritual wand so that we automatically are different. Where does he come up with asking our opinion? That implies that I have to think, to work, to do something. No, I'm fully North American and I want God to do everything for me including tell me what it is that I'm supposed to want him to do for me.

Yet God always shows up asking questions. To Adam, where are you? To Cain, where is your brother? To the teacher, what is written in the law? To the Apostles, who is the son of man? It seems that being made in his image means he wants our intelligence and our intent involved in our spirituality.

So back to the scene, Jesus walks in the door and asks "What do you want?" The answer . . ?

Acts 21:1-16; Will of God

Lately my personal study has been on discerning the will of God. Does God have a specific will for each person and joy comes by figuring it out and living as exactly as we can? Or does God have a general moral will for all of us and we are free to exercise judgment and free will? Or does God have a specific will in some circumstances but not others? And the questions go on while the answers are slow to come. Paul, however, seems to get an "F" by most everyone's current standards of figuring out God's will.

The Holy Spirit gave him clear teaching twice (in this section, not counting previously) to not go to Jerusalem. His community begged him not go and he would not listen. So personal revelation and the community were totally ignored; that deserves an "F". However, this is God's apostle and God goes on to use him in great ways. The irritating thing about all this is the response of the community when Paul does not listen to anything or anyone. They back off and say, "The Lord's will be done." But it obviously wasn't since Paul ignored revelation and community!

So did Paul sin? Did he disappoint God? Did God just look at him the way I do my son when he makes a bad decision but then let him go in order to allow him to learn? Did God know that was a poor choice but really was OK with it?

No good answers; just questions. My leaning presently is that God lets us grow up and make poor choices along the way. He probably was not thrilled with Paul's choice but allowed it. The fascinating thing to me is to think of how Paul's story might have ended had he listened to the Spirit and to the community. I wonder what did not get accomplished that might have been? Grrr. More questions; no answers. I fear I am becoming postmodern.

Acts 2:1-13; Good Question

People in the crowd asked "What does this mean?" Great question. Some did not ask a question at all; they simply drew a conclusion. It seemed obvious to them that the apostles were all drunk; the explanation came easily. But it came too easily. They could only see what they looked for. The truth came to those who asked questions.

It was an open question that allowed for answers outside of what they expected. It was a question that a child would raise as his eyes spread wide with the wonder of a new site. Most importantly, it was a question that would allow room for God to reveal something.

I believe that God is still very much at work in this world. I don't believe that he always works in the ways or people that I anticipate. My fear is that I often see new things and respond with old explanations. Instead of questions that invite God into my worldview, I give answers that lock him out. Answers are always much more comfortable and secure. Asking a question invites change, which can often be difficult. Yet, it was only those who asked questions that eventually saw the truth. So perhaps instead of focusing upon an answer to every problem in life, the real key is to have a question for every event in life.

Mark 4:26-41; The Faith Question

The contrasting questions are interesting. The apostles ask Jesus (God), "Don't you care if we drown?" He asks them "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
"Do you care?" is answered with "Do you have faith?"

I think the same conversation is still going on today. I hear myself asking God is he cares about my friends who are suffering, my family struggles and my major decisions. I can only imagine that he is asking back "Do you still have no faith?"

The silence of God bothers us. We want answers before the problems come so that we avoid the problems. We want him to act as the problems first start to build, not wait until they are flowing in over the side and about to swamp us. We want him to act so that we don't have to have faith.

Yet if Schwietzer was right when he said that "relationship is the only thing", then instead of concern for X situation, my concern should be about God in X situation. What does he want from me in this moment? What do I need to do in this circumstance to honor him? How do I demonstrate faith in him now? How do I act so that he won't ask me again, "Do you still have no faith?"

Romans 2:12-16; With or Without

"So what happens to the guy living in the deepest jungle that never hears about Jesus? What happens to him at judgment?"

How many times have I heard that question? How many times have I even asked it myself?

Paul doesn't get too bent out of shape about it. As a Jew converted to Christianity, that question had been discussed thousands of times. The Jews had the law and the Creator would judge them by that revelation. Those who did not have the blessing of the revealed law would be judged by their consciences, hearts and thoughts.

For Paul it was daily reality. He was dealing with the people about whom the question was asked. Yet most of the times that I have heard the question it was not dealing with reality. The poser of the question had no interaction with anyone in a jungle nor any concern about them. It usually is a question posed in order to accomplish the childish goal of screaming "not fair". When caught in the act, my kids always seemed to point at each other and ask "what about him?" It is simply a smokescreen tactic for most of us. It keeps us from feeling as guilty about our own failure to obey.

Yet for me today the question needs not be "what about him" but rather "what about me?" I know plenty. I not only have the revelation to which Paul referred but also the ongoing revelation of God through New Testament men, history and the world around me. So rather than project smokescreens I should ask "what about me? Am I obedient to what I know already?"

Luke 23:1-25; Insurrection

The words insurrection and rebellion show up multiple times in this section. Jesus is accused of insurrection. Pilot questions him about it. Barabbas was convicted of it. But to be honest, it was the crowd that committed it.

How must Jesus have felt letting the events unfold? What must it have been like to be accused of a crime that you did not commit by a crowd that was in the process of committing it? As the mob took shape and organized around a theme, I wonder what went through his mind?

No matter what goes wrong today, I'm doubt I will be attacked by a rebellious mob that accuses me of rebellion. Since he held his tongue under such adverse conditions, maybe today I can hold mine under lesser ones.

Luke 22:47-53; Act or ask?

This little section seems so familiar to me; perhaps because I live it out so often.

The apostles ask a question of Jesus. "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" Then no one waited for the answer. They only had two swords among them and Peter used his to jump into action. They asked a question and then acted without waiting for the answer. It begs the question of "why bother asking if you don't really want to hear the response?"

Then I look at my life and wonder how often it looks the same. How often to I ask a heart felt question of God and them immediately jump into action. How hard it is to really listen. How hard it is to wait.

Questions; Luke 8:40-56

Questions, questions, questions. Since creation God has asked questions. "Where are you?" "Who told you?" "Where is your brother?" Here in the New Testament, Jesus keeps up the custom.

A crowd closes in but he knows what is happening with the individuals. He does not lose one in the many; each person retains significance.

Then he stops and does it. He asks a question. Rather than point out the action, he asks "who touched me?" Even to Peter it seems a ridiculous thing to do. Yet without it, she would never have had the opportunity to make a public confession. As always, Jesus used questions to pull people into his story. He used them to include.

How will I include people today?