Introduction
-It is perfectly fine to ask questions. But are we ready to take the answers?
-People who ask questions out of a hardened heart may not be ready to take the answers.
-They may continue to ask questions but they never accept the answer or they chose not to listen..
The Key Question
-Why do some people stay in doubt and continues to be stuck? While others emerge out of questioning and doubting with a stronger faith?
-We will compare the two different types of people by looking at 2 stories in the New Testament.
The Pharisees (Matthew 12:9-14)
-The Pharisees here asked Jesus a seemingly simple and innocent question: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
-But the Pharisees asked a question with the intention of accusing Jesus of wrongdoings. In a way it does not really matter anymore what Jesus answer is. The Pharisees already has an answer in their mind which is NO.
-Jesus answered them with a common sense question and further illustrated his point by performing a miracle and healed the man with the withered hand.
-But the Pharisees hearts were hardened and they were not ready to take the answers. In fact, they were not ready for any answer. They were never ready to be stretched. They do not have a heart to know Jesus in a deeper way. They totally miss out on having a relationship with Jesus.
The Disciples (Mark 6:30-44)
-Jesus invited the disciples to feed the crowd which included 5000 men. The disciples knew they did not have enough resource to feed all the people.
But they took Jesus’ invitation anyhow (v. 38 “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”) and found out they only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes.
-What the disciples did set them apart from the Pharisees and it became the key to how the disciples came out with a stronger faith and a closer relationship with Jesus even when they doubt. They took a chance and they accepted Jesus’ invitation. They went ahead even when it did not make sense to them.
-Jesus took the limited resource that the disciples had, multiplied it and fed the whole crowd with leftovers.
-The disciples started out with doubt and they ended up experiencing the abundance of God’s grace.
-The disciples took a step of faith and they experienced the care and provision of God himself through Jesus.
The Bottom Line: “Take a step of faith – Go and See”
Reflections
Which choice would you make the next time you have doubt?
Are you like the Pharisees in some areas of your life?
What changes do you need to make to be more like the disciples?
What areas of your life need a step of faith to be stretched by Jesus?
