Asking questions is a good habit, but...

When I was young, a teacher once forbid me to ask a question. That sounds strange, of course, because the schools should stimulate people to ask questions, don’t you think? Asking questions is always good!? But… the reality was, that I was asking questions all the time, meanwhile I was not really paying attention. I was just hiding my own attitude of being distracted by asking 'smart' questions.

In the story of Jesus’ life today, we see people asking questions of Jesus, but Jesus sees the real heart behind it.

You can have lots of questions about life, faith, God and Jesus. Some people ask questions yet never wait to hear the answer. Do you want to know real answers? Listen to Jesus’ reply.

The people ask Jesus a question about a man, who was born blind. They are thinking about punishment. Blindness was considered to be something God has done because of the sins of the parents.

Jesus’ reply is: ” You are asking the wrong questions. And your focus is too much on the current reality, only on this life. Don’t observe from a distance, but see what God does.”

So instead of asking the questions that seem ‘smart’, like I did in school, Jesus says, “Take a look at what God can do or is doing! Don’t try to question everything, but wait and ask Jesus to respond.

Jesus heals the blind man in a special way. But even then, people are not in awe of what Jesus has done. They stay at a distance. And (in the next chapters) they continue asking the wrong questions.

Maybe this applies to you. You can have questions, but asking a question can also keep you safe. It keeps Jesus at a distance. Many people ask in depth questions about God. Why does this happen? Why does God not interfere? But instead of asking questions today, try to focus on what God is doing. Ask Jesus to respond, he will!