Questions Jesus Asked

Do you see these great buildings? (Mark 13:2) This question preceded a prophecy from Jesus. "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." This was the destruction of the temple foretold by Jesus. Awareness of the present is sometimes enhanced by a sense of what could possibly come. We see and appreciate our church buildings, but true awareness says, "There is still work to do in bringing others in; for if we stay doing the same, we shall surely die; true life comes from hard work for the Lord in reaching others for God's kingdom, and that blesses our church." Great as our buildings may be, it was hard work on someone's part blessed by God in the past that brought them to be; hard work on our part trusting and relying on God will preserve them for our children and their children. What role do you play in this?

‘Why are you putting me to the test?' (Mark 12:15) The traps for Jesus got ridiculous. This one involved paying taxes. In the history of humanity, very few instances of joy in the paying of taxes can be found. And in Jesus' day, the very idea that Jews should pay taxes to the Romans was an idea that everyone hated, included the Pharisees and Herodians, who ask Jesus if it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to the emperor. Jesus asks the question: ‘Why are you putting me to the test?' and asks that a denarius (from which the word dinero comes from, which we know to mean money), and uses it to squash the trap. We many times, have also put Jesus to the test with our wants and desires. We know better. We should instead help those asking that question by answering what God has done for us.

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ (Mark 10:51) This questions continues the story of the blind man who came to Jesus. His name is Bartimaeus, who was known for being a beggar. As soon as he hears that it is Jesus walking by, he begins to yell out to Jesus. Jesus heard his pleas and asked the question for today: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus responds to the man's need by affirming his faith and sending him forth. Jesus hears our prayers and loves when we spell out what we need. As soon as our prayers are answered, the command is like that to Bartimaeus, Go!

‘Why do you call me good?' (Mark 10:18) A rich man asks Jesus about eternal life, and how he could inherit it. But he addresses Jesus as "Good Teacher," to which Jesus asks today's question: ‘Why do you call me good?' And tells him that no one is good except God alone. This should not surprise us because Jesus sought to humble Himself always, giving honor and glory to God, not to Himself. We can't deny that Jesus was and is good, but that should motivate us to seek to be as good as we can. Would someone accuse or address you as good?

‘What did Moses command you?’ (Mark 10:3) The Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, whether it was lawful or not. Jesus, as was His custom, answered with a question: ‘What did Moses command you?’ That was an easy question for them, as they just quoted the law concerning divorce; but Jesus wanted to know if they knew Moses' heart. In other word, why did Moses command what he commanded? As we read God's word, get to know God's heart and the heart of those whose stories we read in the Bible. Then the questions that may come to us, like Jesus' ‘What did Moses command you?’ will allow us to share our hearts with Him.

Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? (Mark 9:50) "Would you like salt for your salt?" I've been tempted to ask those who pour salt nonstop on their food. Salt is good, but for those of us whom the doctor has asked us to cut back on it, we want to warn others, too. Jesus knew the power and purpose of salt, and He also knew how worthless salt becomes if it loses its saltiness (think of an old, stale Saltine cracker!). Our Christian life, if we lose touch with Jesus, becomes almost worthless too. Stay close and in love with Jesus, and you'll bring solid flavor to your life and the lives of those around you! Stay salty, my friends!

What were you arguing about on the way? (Mark 9:33) Again, a question for the disciples. They had been arguing along the way, about who among them was the greatest. Each man was special, for indeed, they were handpicked by Jesus to serve on this elite team of evangelists; but the question shows that Jesus knew their hearts and with love, taught them the answer: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Not what they expected to hear. Their dreams were grandiose; one ruling over this, another ruling over that. Jesus wants servants, not superstars; if you want to be first, go to the back of the line.