“Then He asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’”-Matthew 16:15
Have you ever taken time to reflect on the fact that Jesus asks a lot of questions? Here are some of the many questions He asked just in the book of Mark:
“Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign?” (Mark 8:12)
“You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?” (Mark 8:18)
“What were you discussing out on the road?” (Mark 9:33)
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?” (Mark 9:50)
“Why do you call me good?” (Mark 10:18)
“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)
“Why are you trying to trap me?” (Mark 12:15)
Why does Jesus ask so many questions? We know He doesn’t ask questions because He needs further understanding of a person or a situation. After all, He’s the Lord! He's completely supreme, The Creator of everything and The One who holds all creation together (Colossians 1:15-17). So why does He ask questions? We can bet that Jesus is purposeful in all He does. No doubt He masterfully asks questions to teach, to draw out, to make a point, and to help people think more deeply. But, let’s not miss this as well: He also asks questions because He cares about people. Take that in. He cares. He cared about people when He was living here on earth, and He continues to care about us here and now. What if we followed Jesus' lead and got better ourselves at asking people questions? What if we learned to think more often about others and what's going on in their lives? What if we learned to more readily ask about what’s on someone else’s mind and heart, rather than being quick to talk about ourselves?
Philippians 2:4 tells us, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” One of the great ways we can take an interest in others is to ask them questions. Might we grow in asking questions such as, How are you doing, friend? What's new in your life? How are things for you? Are you still enjoying your job, school, your hobby…? How is your family? What do you feel God has been teaching you lately? How can I help you? Asking others questions and then listening to their answers is a great way to stop thinking only of ourselves. The truth is, if all we are interested in doing is sharing about ourselves, let’s just call it what it is — selfishness. And selfishness is anything but Christ-like.
Let me ask one more question: Why would we not want to grow in loving others better? The reality is, asking others questions and listening well is loving. And we are to do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:14)! So let’s love more like Jesus. How? One way is to ask about others. Listen to others. Be interested in others. It’s who Jesus is. It’s how we must grow.
Cheer up, friends!
-Scott