Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Why Does Jesus Ask Obvious Questions?

Why does Jesus ask obvious questions?

He asks a blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) Duh. Isn’t it obvious Jesus? I want to see.

He asks a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years, “Do you want to get well?”( John 5: 6) Who wouldn’t want to get well? Of course, Jesus. I want to walk.

At times it seems like Jesus ask not only obvious but downright ridiculous questions.

“How many loaves do you have,” he asked his disciples when faced with thousands of hungry people. (Matthew 15:34) What difference does it make Jesus how many loaves we have? Even a year’s worth of wages wouldn’t be enough to feed all these folks. Or he asks Mary and Martha, “Where have you laid him?” (John 11: 34) What difference does it make Jesus? He stinks by now. Lazarus has been dead for days. You’re too late. If you had been here he wouldn’t have died. But it’s too late now Jesus.

Maybe Jesus asks what seems like obvious or ridiculous questions for the same reason we ask our children questions. Sometimes I will ask my children something that I already know the answer.

“Did you clean your room?”

“What happened in school today?”

“What do you want?”

“What did you say?”

I want to see if they are going to tell the truth. Are they going to be honest? Are they trying to fool me and themselves? I might ask them a question already knowing what they need but I want to see where their head is at and what’s on their mind. Do they really know what they want and what it might entail or the responsibility that goes along with it? Why do they want it?

We ask our children obvious questions because we want them to recognize who they are talking to. We are their parents. We love them. We want what’s best for them. Most times they have come to us because they believe we have the power to grant or deny their request.

Unlike us as human parents, Jesus has the power to not only grant our requests but to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we can ask or even think. Before he left this earth, Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28: 18) He already knows what we need, but are we going to be honest and come clean about where we’re really at in our situation. And if he says he has something else for us or tells us to wait, are we willing to accept his authority? We want blessings but are we willing to accept the responsibility. We want the promise but are we willing to go through the process.

Jesus has the ability to make something out of nothing. He can supply our needs according to his riches in glory. He can bring life to dead situations in our lives. But he wants us to recognize who he is. He is God. He has the power. He just asks another question, “Do you believe?”

1 comment:

Lisa Maria Carroll said...

The Word says that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. And that we should also make our requests known. Jesus asks questions because He wants us to tell him what we want. But, we think we're being super spiritual by simply praying, "Lord, let your will be done." His will is for us to tell him that my body is sick and I want to be well. His will is for us to tell him that we've strayed and want to come back home.

How often do you hear people complain about their lives, and then when you ask them what would it take to make it better, they say they don't know? Well, if they don't know, how are you supposed to? For all they know, the person inquiring may be in a position to give them what they need, if only they knew what it was.

It's the same with God. When we pray, we cannot pray amiss. I can remember going shopping for a suitcase, and telling the person I was shopping with that I wanted a black suitcase with purple trim. I had never seen the one that I wanted before, but I had a clear picture in my mind. We found that suitcase in the FIRST store we went in. The same thing for the last two cars I bought, down to the year, miles, and color. Some people would call that being greedy and self-centered. But, N-O-O-O-O, I'm operating outside of the Word when I don't ask.

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