Isn't it bizarre that Jesus usually always answers a question with a question of his own? Jesus was not just the master of story-telling and truth-living...he was also the master of question-asking.
"Have you not read what David and his companions did when they were hungry?"
"Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?"
"Can a blind person guide a blind person?"
"What is written in the law? What do you read there?"
"What do you want me to do for you?"
"Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"
It is too easy to settle into the mode of "answer-giving." Our pursuit for the answers to our questions is not a bad thing. It is part of the journey of faith. However, it becomes a very dangerous thing when our spirituality consists of having all of the right answers. This desire leads to naivety, pride, and Phariseeism.
You've seen the stats--Christianity in America is declining by the minute. Our younger people are fleeing from the institutional church by the droves.
Here's my observation...and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong...but most of these people are not looking for a church that has all the answers. They are looking for a church that is asking good questions about what it means to live a life of faith.
For example:
The question, "If you died today, would you go to heaven?" is a decent question.
But a better question is, "If you were to live forever, what kind of person do you want to be?"
The question, "How can we stand for peace?" is a good question.
But a better question is, "How are we going about making peace?"
The question, "What must I do to be saved? is a good question.
A better question is, "What does it mean to live as a saved person?"
The question, "How can we care for the poor?" is a good question.
A better question is, "How can we get to know the poor?"
The question, "What will this nation look like if Christianity continues to decrease?" is a decent question.
A better question is, "Do we believe that the same power that lifted Jesus up out of the grave is still alive in this world...and if so...what does that mean for us?"
Thoughts?
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Excellent thoughts. The last one hit home because my sermon for Easter Sunday will be about the resurrection power that is not only alive in the world today, but alive in us!
ReplyDeleteGreat questions! Really different from those I grew up with.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. I used to be quick with the pat answers, the responses I had been taught from early on. Today, I'm waiting on God to fill me with what He wants me to know and do. I can tell people what God's word means to me but I realize they have to own their own decisions, not mine. My answers will never be sufficient if the person asking the question doesn't seek a personal, intimate relationship with God. AND, when they do, they will begin to find the answers He has for them, not the answers I have.
ReplyDeleteI used to ask the question "what does God want me to do about this situation?" Today my question is "God, where do you want to lead me today?" I hope in all that I do, I am seeking His will instead of offering up my good idea as what He should want to do.
I love today's thought.
As a 50 year old Christian with two grown children who both stand as believers I would say from my own observations that many, many young people frankly couldn't care less. In my travels to Europe I see the direction that America seems to be headed toward. Pretty much all the people there have abandoned not just formal religion, but the practice of Christianity in general. Asking better questions might help. We certainly need to do something different. We do have our work cut out for us don't we?
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