Asking questions

 Mark 9:30-37

Five-year-olds are notorious for asking a lot of questions. They are beginning to explore their own world and the world beyond their household. They are infinitely curious and are not afraid to ask questions.

By the time children are in middle school, they know what peer pressure is. Lots of questions are labeled “lame” – or whatever the current term is. So, they are more careful with their questions. By the time youth make it to High School, they are very cautious about asking questions unless they want to show off. 

As adults, the disciples have a lot of experience of being ridiculed for asking “stupid” questions. Now, as they travel with Jesus, they have a lot of questions. The story in our gospel text happens as Jesus is planning his final trip to Jerusalem. He is preparing the disciples for “what’s next.”

He has spent three years traveling, teaching, healing, challenging and inviting. The disciples still don’t always expect miracles. And they still don’t understand who he is. To make matters worse, now Jesus is talking about suffering and dying and rising again.

They have tons of questions, but Jesus is frustrated with them lately. The disciples seem particularly dense, lacking in imagination. In contrast, the foreigners and the demons know who he is. “I know who you are, Jesus of Nazareth!”

The disciples’ questions could start with our phrase, “Wait. What?!” “You are going to get betrayed, arrested, tortured, killed? Why?” “If you get killed, who will get rid of the Romans?” “Since we are your disciples, are we also going to get arrested and killed, too?”

The disciples never seem to pay attention to the last part of Jesus’ prediction, that he will be raised from death. Or maybe, they did hear this part, but there is no record of it. We can only imagine what questions they must have wanted to ask! In any case, in the end, they are stunned speechless that the tomb is empty. Their question might have been, “How did that happen?!”

At this moment in Jesus’ life, the disciples are wary of asking questions. They don’t understand what Jesus is up to, and they won’t until after his death and resurrection.

We have the advantage of knowing what happened. We know the tomb is empty. We know God has power even over death. We know Spirit brings Jesus back to us in amazing ways. And we, too, have questions. “Does Jesus hear my prayers?” “How was Jesus was human and divine at the same time?” “What does it mean to me that Jesus is alive?”

As a congregation, you have had questions for the last 2.5 years. “Who will be the interim pastor?” “What kind of congregation are we?” “What kind of pastor do we need?” “When will we have a new pastor?” Finally, you have answers to all these questions.

And now, there are new questions to ask. “Where is God leading us today?” “What kind of leader is our new pastor?” “Will our congregation grow?”

The answers to these questions will come over time. And then, there will be new questions, but one of these should be asked often. “Where is God leading us now?” is a good question to ask every year or every few months, or every time there is a major change. We have asked it monthly for the last year and a half as Covid made its impact felt.

You can be sure that the road ahead continues, and that it will not be straight. You can be sure that Pastor Nelson will lead differently than other leaders, but she is led by God. You can be sure that the congregation will grow if the members are willing to put in the work it takes to make growth happen.

I encourage you to be patient. I encourage you to trust God. I encourage you to not be afraid to ask Pastor Nelson questions. I encourage you to answer her questions, too.

And, always be as willing as young children to ask questions and to be curious, because there may be new and unexpected answers to old questions, and new ways of doing old things.

Amen