This week the gospel text is Luke 10:25-37 which is better known to many of us as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. While there have been millions of sermons preached on who is our neighbor, there was something about the lawyer asking questions that struck me as I was reading commentaries this week, especially Marilyn Salmon's commentary at workingpreacher.org. So instead of preaching about neighbors I preached about how important asking questions is to our faith lives.
Oh and some of the congregations questions: Why do bad things happen to good people? Where do bad people go in after life? Does God forgive us even when...?
What are some of your questions about faith?
Enjoy!
What are some of your questions about faith, God, Christian living, spirituality?
We all have them, these questions, questions where the answers seem to constantly changing. Our answers evolve throughout our lives. They change based on our life circumstances, where we are in our faith lives, our personal lives. The answers change based on what we have been reading, who are our friend, what our political views are. The answers change from when we are young children, to teenagers, to young adults, and I’m told those answers will continue to change even more as one continues to age.
Answers are what I think the lawyer was seeking when he tested Jesus by asking “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He wasn’t trying to trick Jesus into giving an unacceptable answer so that he could find reason to have Jesus arrested. He was testing to see if Jesus’ teachings were able to help him find answers.
The good thing about these questions is that we often already know the answers even though they are always changing. Sometimes it takes prodding from others for us to come to our current answer. Sometimes it takes deep thought, reflection, and conversation to come to the answer. And sometimes even after we come to a firm answer, one conversation, one quote, one prayer, one bible verse, one song will change the answer for us.
These questions are one that we have to ask for ourselves. And the answers are ones that we have to resolve for ourselves. Jesus knew this. And Jesus knew the lawyer was truly seeking answers to his questions. Jesus didn’t reply “why do you test me” or called him a hypocrite. This is why he doesn’t just answer the lawyer’s questions with his answers. Instead he asks questions and tells stories in return. What must I do to inherit eternal life? Well what is written in the law? You should know this since you are a lawyer. Who is my neighbor? Let me tell you a story…now who acted as a neighbor?
The lawyer answered the questions for himself. He didn’t leave the conversation with Jesus’ answers, he left with his own.
Asking these questions and developing answers are part of a growing faith, a strong faith. They are what help us see God in our lives today. They are what help us relate scripture, the newest of which was written almost 2000 years ago with our lives today. These questions and answers are what allow us to have faith and lead others to faith.
Quite often people ask questions and their questions are either not validated or an answer is just given to them with the idea that they must agree with the answer entirely and there is no chance for discussion. When this occurs it causes people to walk away from religion and pretty often faith as a whole. Instead these questions should be allowed to be asked and time should be taken for the asker to find their own answer.
Jesus took the time to help the lawyer answer his question. In fact he even takes time to help with a follow-up question. And not just by asking a question in return but by telling a story, a fairly detailed story, so that the lawyer could explore what it means to be a neighbor. And this isn’t the only time Jesus takes the time to answer people’s questions: Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners? Why don’t your disciples fast? Why do you break Sabbath law to heal the sick and feed the hungry? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another? Whose sins caused this man to be blind? Is it lawful to pay taxes? Will you remember me when you come into your kingdom?
And Jesus takes the time to help us explore and answer our own questions. Through his words that were written in scripture, we are able to see his thought on a variety of topics: eternal life, neighbors, sins, family, friends, money, government and the list goes on. Through wisdom and insight given through the Holy Spirit to various scholars, writers, pastors and preachers throughout history, we are able to explore how others have answered the same questions we have. Through God’s love and grace, we have been given people to help us explore these questions. We have parents, teachers, friends, colleagues, children, and even strangers to help us explore these questions, sometimes we explore them when the other ask the questions, sometime when we ask them.
God has given us these gifts so that we can answer these questions for where we are now in life. And God will continue to give us these gifts so that we can continue to answer these questions. And God even gives us the answers sometimes. In bread and wine, in water, in words of scriptures, in Christ’s love and grace through the presence of those around us, sometimes we just need to be open to both the answers and the questions.
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