Theme: Questions
There are no stupid questions. We all know that's not true! Yes, the phrase is kind, but not true. You want an example of a stupid question? Here is one, "Why is it called 'shipping' if it goes by truck?" If someone actually asked that, then you will agree with the next phrase.
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people. We all know that's true even though it's not kind. If it weren't true, people wouldn't surf YouTube for the next hilarious video of stupid people doing stupid things.
When I think of people asking Jesus questions it seems like a stupid idea. What do I mean by that? Like in chapter two of the Gospel according to Mark when the Pharisees start peppering Jesus with questions about his authority, grace, and practices. Humans questioning the Son of God? Come on, man! These interactions would have made great YouTube videos, they would have gone viral for sure.
Yet we all do it. We, humans, question God. No matter how long you have known Jesus, you do it. People all throughout the Bible did it. And the questions we ask reveal our concerns. I am not going to list any questions, you can think about your own. But I know I have asked God some pretty stupid questions out of some pretty silly concerns.
So what do we do when we find ourselves asking stupid questions? How about stop? And then start asking some different questions.
A good practice might be to ask questions centered on the words of Christ. For example, Jesus said to the Pharisees, who had questions about His Sabbath practices, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath." So a good question would be, "Why was the Sabbath made for man?" That may be a good question to pray and meditate on for some time. Not 30 seconds, like a good amount of time. Maybe in that time of prayer and meditation the Holy Spirit will speak. And maybe a life of questions centered on the words of Christ will help us avoid the stupid ones we tend to gravitate towards.
Scripture: Mark 2:27-28
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Prayer
"Father, the questions the Pharisees asked Jesus make it clear what was in their hearts. They had made the judgement on Your Son, Jesus and decided to kill him. They had hearts that had completely been hardened to You. Wow, that is frightening. I pray the questions I find myself asking are not like the Pharisees. I pray I don't question Your power, grace, presence, or purposes. But I know I have. I confess missing the mark, falling short in my questions to You. So many times my questions are not about You and Your Kingdom, but me and my kingdom. Give me the concerns of Your heart. Give me the cares of Your heart. Mold me more into the image of your Son Jesus Christ. I want to both love You and fear You. And in the process, learn to ask the right questions, questions, that will help others who are in need. In the name of the resurrected One, Amen."