Jesus was a master at asking questions. During his time on earth he used questions to help open people’s minds to the possibilities of the kingdom of God. According to some counts, he asked as many as 307 questions during his earthly ministry. According to those same counts, Jesus was asked more than 180 questions by only directly answered 3. Most of the rest he answered with parables, analogies, or with other questions in return. Clearly Jesus valued questions.
As early as 12 years old, Jesus was in the temple asking questions and astounding people with his understanding (Luke 2:41-47). In Jewish thought of the time, your depth of understanding was not illustrated by the answers that you knew about a topic, but the questions that you asked. Simplistic questions illustrated only a simplistic understanding of the topic while deeper, more reflective questions illustrated a deeper understanding of the topic. “The Jewish rabbinical approach to study and questions was not about cynicism, skepticism, or doubt. Instead, it was about cultivating curiosity and awakening wonder in a mysterious, yet accessible God, who is known more deeply through questions rather than mere answers. Jewish thought believes the deeper the questions, the deeper and richer our awareness of God. For without wonder, there would be no questions” (Sims, Gannon, Bringing Church Home).
Gannon Sims in his book Bringing Church Home shares about a method of studying Scripture in Jewish schools where students read a passage together and discuss it almost entirely through asking questions instead of giving answers. This approach encourages us to dive deeper, to consider more, to reflect differently, and to encounter God in his Word in ways we may have never considered before. That is why we study and reflect on Scripture by asking questions.
David Dalton
As early as 12 years old, Jesus was in the temple asking questions and astounding people with his understanding (Luke 2:41-47). In Jewish thought of the time, your depth of understanding was not illustrated by the answers that you knew about a topic, but the questions that you asked. Simplistic questions illustrated only a simplistic understanding of the topic while deeper, more reflective questions illustrated a deeper understanding of the topic. “The Jewish rabbinical approach to study and questions was not about cynicism, skepticism, or doubt. Instead, it was about cultivating curiosity and awakening wonder in a mysterious, yet accessible God, who is known more deeply through questions rather than mere answers. Jewish thought believes the deeper the questions, the deeper and richer our awareness of God. For without wonder, there would be no questions” (Sims, Gannon, Bringing Church Home).
Gannon Sims in his book Bringing Church Home shares about a method of studying Scripture in Jewish schools where students read a passage together and discuss it almost entirely through asking questions instead of giving answers. This approach encourages us to dive deeper, to consider more, to reflect differently, and to encounter God in his Word in ways we may have never considered before. That is why we study and reflect on Scripture by asking questions.
David Dalton