Questions and Answers

Devotionals: by Rev. Andrew JJ Paton .....Questions!

I hated those exam papers with the bold heading demanding that I attempt an answer to all the questions. The multiple choice section was better. I hoped the right answer might jump out at me.

When you get married and start raising kids you have to answer many important questions not least of which is "do you take.. to be your lawfully wedded..?"

At 2 my kids asked questions from science to philosophy and from astronomy to history. "Daddy why does the sun shine?" "Because its on fire" " Who started the fire?" "God did" "How did he do that?" By then you realize that short answers aren’t going to cut it, so you launch into your most detailed explanations of extreme gravity, nuclear reactions and radiation. When you take a breath or pause at the outer limits of your knowledge the child hits you with another question. Off you go again on a whole new subject.

The question and the answer reveal a great deal about the participants.

During a car journey my grandaughter inquired why the sun & moon seem to follow them no matter how fast they drive.

That my son & daughter-in-law hadn’t listened one day in high school when this subject was explained became very obvious.

How about you reader? Can you answer in language that a 4 year old comprehends?

Then there’s the little child’s ploy whereby they respond to all your answers with "but why?" It takes adults a while to realize that the yougster is playing a game with you. Junior realizes what a pleasing thing this is. An adult will give long answers requiring great effort in response to a very easy question. This is fun and you can stay the center of attention to boot!

Sometimes its that way with the questions Jesus asked in the New Testament. They were not trick questions, yet in answering them you had to think where your reply led you. Consider three examples:

A wealthy young government official addressed Jesus with the title "Good Master". Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? There’s none good but God." The man was not a fool. He could see the goodness. Yet the question comes back to us over the centuries. Was Jesus just uneasy with his words? Did He know that deep down there was some evil habit lurking in His temperament - or was He leading the seeker to life’s greatest revelation: That God took a body and lived here among us? A disabled beggar came pleading with Jesus to have mercy on his illness. He heard about the healer from Nazareth. Jesus’ question to the poor man still raises eyebrows today. "What do you want Me to do for you?" Those blinded eyes should have made such an inquiry superfluous. Yet there was more to it. The receiving of sight meant he had to return to normal life with all its responsibilities. Going to find a job would ensue. Once, after a few shallow crowd opinions about his life & mission, Jesus asked his disciples the most important question of all. Who do you say that I am? Peter answered that "He was the Son of God".

You could answer that you thought Him a good man, a great teacher or even a martyr. It would mean you could do well to take one or two of his teachings to heart, You’d be the better for it.

But what if you, like Peter, answered that He was God on earth? That changes everything!

His words are no longer up for optional choice. Suddenly His teachings become more vital than this life.

You have been asked..heaven awaits your answer.