A Question About the Question

Quick Question: Do you ever find yourself asking the wrong question?

Sometimes I am seeking the Lord, and I realize my prayers aren’t being answered.

It doesn’t happen every time, but sometimes when I tweak the question, or ask a new question, I receive an answer.

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’ So the rumour spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?’ {John 21.21-23}

Clearly Peter asks an off-base question. Jesus our Lord redirects him.

For the record, most of Peter’s questions are not off-base. He is asking questions about the Messiah based on common Jewish perceptions of the Messiah in 2nd Temple Judaism.

However, here he needs to recenter, so Jesus helps him refocus.

Mosaic “This is How I Thank the Lord”

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I choose this Scripture for a couple reasons.

First, I have been involved in Christian decision making bodies. Some of those decisions have to do with Christian justice, confrontation, and redirection. So Jesus’ way of redirecting Peter is perfectly understandable to me.

However, recently I need to be redirected. I often ask the wrong questions about somebody. I think justice needs to be served.

This Scripture reminds me that somebody else is in God’s hands. I have other questions at hand to deal with. The pressure subsides and I am able to pray through.

The second reason I choose this Scripture is because of a question I’m considering now. I was asking all types of questions about my living situation. This was causing quite a bit of anxiety, to be honest.

Have your prayers ever caused you to worry more than before?

All of a sudden, I tweaked the question. What if the question is not about my living situation? What if the question is about my community of faith?

If I can answer the question about remaining with my community of faith during this season, then I believe the other questions will naturally find answers. The peace I feel since I tweaked the question is inexplicable.