Questions Jesus Asked, Part 3
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Question #1: “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan?” Matt 6:27
Now this question comes from the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is delivering the greatest discourse on essentially most of the issues we will ever deal with in life. He deals with anger, unforgiveness, loving your enemies, prayer, earthly treasures, judging others, the narrow road that leads to life, and of course, worry.
Jesus literally commands us not not to worry three times in Matthew 6 alone: “Don’t worry about your life, don’t worry about what you will eat or drink, and don’t worry about tomorrow” (v 25).
Now, in the question we read, Jesus asked an absurd question to make a point: “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit (18 inches) to his height?”
Corrie Ten Boom said of worry, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these!—will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matt 6:28-30)
Notes
Question #2: “Do you believe I can do this?” (Matt 9:28)
Now, the setting for this question is found in Matthew 9:27-28 where Jesus is approached by two blind men who are crying out to Him, saying: “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
When we read the gospels we find that Jesus sometimes dealt with the same kind of problem in different ways. For instance, ten chapters later two more blind men are on roadside as the Lord is leaving the city of Jericho. They, too, cry out: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David” (Matt 20:30).
But we note that, instead of asking them the same question as the first two—“Do you believe I can do this?” Jesus asks these two, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v 32)
Apparently the two sets of blind men, though identical outwardly, were in different places within themselves. The second set simply needed to express their need to the Lord, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
Verse 29-30 says, “Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith (as professed by your own mouth) let it be to you.’ And their eyes were opened!”
Notes
Question #3: “Do you realize what I have done for you?” (John 13:12)
Now, the context is that Jesus has just taken a towel and washed the disciple’s feet. They were very perplexed and humbled by this, with Peter even protesting “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus says to them, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” (13:7).
This statement from Jesus dovetails with His question given a few minutes later, “Do you realize what I have done for you?”
Now, Jesus answered His own question for the disciples: “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13: 15).
The same way Jesus had modeled servanthood to the disciples by washing their feet is the way He wanted them to treat one another—not vying for top spot, not competing with one another, but walking in humble servanthood.
So I want to close out our consideration of this third question with a couple of observations:
- Sometimes the Lord will do something in our lives that we don’t understand. His Word to us in that situation is, “You will understand later.” I think of the great verse from Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding” (Prov 3:5).
- We should from time to time take some time to pause and consider what the Lord has truly done for us! It will encourage our faith and bring thanksgiving to our lips when we rehearse the blessings of the Lord!