What Would Jesus Ask?
Good Morning Friends,
During the last few weeks I have been quietly addressing the issue of how to reconcile the reality that there are people in this world who are not Christians and those who do not even believe in God with the reality that there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians and do not act like it. The author of Ozymandias,Shelly and the author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams advocated atheism.
They surround themselves with liars who told them they were good. I have not been hitting the issue head on because, well frankly I have not figured out the right approach. I thought I would write about it to help sort it out. I thought I would start with Jesus who knew from the beginning the hearts of those who believed and knew who wanted to talk and those who did not. Friends, when it comes to people’s beliefs being developed in the right way, I am convinced the key is to ask the right questions at the right times. It shows we are listening. So, this morning we pose the question, What Would Jesus Ask?
Scripture:Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9 (NRSV)
Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?
John 8:46 (NIV)
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Matthew 16:15 (NIV)
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
John 1:38 (NIV)
Message: Ok the list is way too big so I have culled a few of the questions that Jesus asked of others and that people asked of Jesus. Here goes… Do you wish to get well? Do you love me? What do you want me to do for you? What do you think? Why are you afraid? What do you believe? What do you seek? Why do you doubt? Who is a good neighbor? How has this man been educated? Are you the one? Friends, maybe people who are empty and aching and do not know why, need to be introduced to a relationship that can over time answer their questions and change their lives forever. Friends, there is a God shaped hole in each of us and either we fill it with God or it gets gummed up with gunk. So what are you doing to nudge others to health? What are you doing to share the power and purpose of Christ? Have you learned to ask the right questions?
Pray we recognize what we are learning. Pray we love those we are teaching. Pray we learn that contentment is a learned behavior. Pray we realize that to die right we need to live right. Pray we learn that if we do not like what we are getting, we need to change what we are giving. Pray we learn that blaming others is not at all smart. Pray we learn that good can come out of bad. Pray we help others develop short term strategies to discover love. Pray we realize that two people can look at exactly the same thing and see something totally different. Pray we realize that these same people can both be right or both be wrong as well as divided. Pray we realize that believing is only the beginning….that forgiveness is very powerful. Pray we realize that God is already wherever we might think we are bringing the Gospel. Pray we realize that most people who deny Jesus have never given him a chance to change their lives.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 