Asking like Jesus

Luke 10:25-37 (CSB)

25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” 

27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”, 

28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” 

29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 

30 Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ 

36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 

37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. 

Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” 

Asking God Questions

Do you see what Jesus did there? He reversed the direction of the Law Expert's question.
Law Expert: "Who is my neighbour?"
Jesus: "What kind of neighbour are you?" 

Much like the Cain and Abel story, right at the beginning of the Bible. Cain asked God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" and God's answer forced Cain to face the question: "What kind of brother are you?" 

Likewise, while the Gospel says, "You are forgiven" it also poses the question: "Who will you forgive?" Paul says we are reconcilers because we have been reconciled. 

When Jesus gets in your life, you start acting like Him, forgiving like Him and answering questions like Him. 

I love it! 

Three Greats of Discipleship

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV - The ESV nails it!)

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Even today, when Jesus' disciples face "great storms" He is already in their boat awaiting their call for help. Once called, He brings a "great calm" to their troubles stilling their storms and stress. Next follows the "great fear" of the Lord which overwhelms every disciple's heart when they realise Who is truly in their boat, on their side and at their call.