I can only imagine Jesus’ inbox. Every day, people like you and me pepper Him with messages, as well we should. We’re usually asking, occasionally sending Him a thank-you note or a praise report. Sometimes, we send Him questions of the “why” variety, particularly when things aren’t going well. And, as we’ve noticed before, real disciples are not only those who keep in regular communication with their Leader, but also those who ask Him good questions, questions which enable us to go deeper with Him as He shares with us some of His secrets.
However, there are those questions that aren’t really questions. The questions which are meant to stop communication, or to tell the one we’re questioning that we’re not willing to go any further with them. Such were the questions which the religious people of Jesus’ day brought to Him: Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority? (Luke 20:2). These questions represented, not so much an inquiry, as an inquisition: these people were upset with Jesus, and they thought their questions would stop Him. Not a chance. As we’ve seen elsewhere, when people bring this kind of question to Jesus, they end up only being afraid to ask Him any more questions like this.
For Jesus Himself has questions, of us. He did of those who questioned Him. He aked them, Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? (Luke 20:4). He knew that they had been out to see John, and so He wanted to know their true motivation, not only in that, but also in the questions they were asking Him. After politically deliberating their possible answers among themselves, they lied to Him: they answered that they did not know where [John's baptism] came from (Luke 20:7). They knew that Jesus was on to what was going on their insides, and they wanted nothing of it. In this, they manifested that they were not true disciples of His, nor of the Father either.
I believe that Jesus has questions today for you and me. Why do we do the things we do, particularly those things we do for Him and with Him? Why do we pray the way we do? Why do we question Him the way we do? Perhaps we will offer clear answers to His questions, answers that reveal our true discipleship. Or perhaps we will be tempted to dodge such questions.
Today, will you allow Jesus to examine you, to ask you questions? A time-honored discipline among followers of Jesus is the “daily examen”, a time when we allow God to ask us questions about the day ahead, or the day past. For example, we allow Him to ask us about the times when we seemed closest to Him, and the times we seemed more distant from Him. We allow such questions to probe our insides, so that we can offer them back to Him for His correction, comfort, or approval. Let Jesus question you today.
