Questions?

Pentecost 17

September 23, 2012

Mark 9:30-37

Have you ever wondered if the disciples are actually paying attention to what is going on as they have been following Jesus?  In the time between last week’s Gospel reading, in which Peter confesses Jesus to be the Messiah and then promptly sticks his foot in his mouth, and this morning’s text, a lot has happened.  Jesus has gone up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and been Transfigured, then upon returning from the mountain, he heals a boy with an unclean spirit that the disciples had been unable to heal because, apparently, they didn’t pray.  And now, Jesus is again foretelling his death and resurrection, and pointing to a child as a model of discipleship.  That’s a lot to process in a couple of days…surely there had to be some questions from the disciples in regards to what was going on…but, then, why is it that all but one of the questions that Mark mentions in this portion of chapter 9 comes from Jesus? 

The only question that comes from the disciples was ‘why couldn’t we cast the demon out?’

But Jesus’ questions are a little more pointed: ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ 

‘You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? 

‘What were you arguing about on the way?’

I imagine this is the rabbi version of a mother asking her children “do I have to come back there and separate you?”

Why were the disciples so afraid to ask Jesus questions when they didn’t understand what was going on?  Were they afraid that Jesus would rebuke them like he did Peter when Peter stuck his foot in his mouth?  Were they afraid that they would look silly if they asked the wrong question?  Were they afraid that Jesus would just ask another pointed question in return?

My guess is that it was a combination of these things.  They were afraid that they would look silly in front of the other disciples and would be put next to Peter as that other disciple that Jesus rebuked.  But, really who could blame them for being afraid to ask Jesus about something they didn’t understand.  For most adults, it’s a normal reaction.  We want to look like we’re on track with the straight A students in our class, we want to seem like we “get it” even though sometimes we don’t…because pretending to get it is a lot easier than having to admit that we don’t get it.  When I was in college, I didn’t get a lot of what was going on in my science classes…probably the first sign I should have majored in religion all along instead of torturing myself with a biology major.  But I was afraid to ask questions because I was so used to being the kid in high school who got it when it came to science.  I didn’t want to be thought of as that girl who asks the silly questions…did she even study the material?  So I didn’t ask questions…but I was also the kid who, in middle school asked all the questions that drove my classmates nuts because it often meant that we wouldn’t get out of confirmation class or math class early.  And I know I’m not the only one…somewhere between the beginning of middle school and the beginning of high school, questions become taboo…the but why? but why? but why? Stage has ended and self-consciousness takes over. 

And sometimes there’s a reason that we become afraid to ask questions…and that’s because we are taught that to question is to lack faith.  I have friends who were taught as children that it’s not ok to ask big questions about God and the church, because it means that you’re starting to go down the wrong path where faith is concerned.  You don’t want to become a doubting Thomas, do you?  One friend was asked by her pastor. 

But what’s wrong with being a doubting Thomas?  Thomas was the only one of the disciples with the boldness to ask questions, to put himself out there, and in the end he was the disciple that really got it.  Sadly, Thomas doesn’t get much play in the gospel of Mark, but I think that this allows Jesus to offer up a better example to the disciples, and to us, of what discipleship is all about…it’s about asking questions and not being afraid to be who you are, even if that means you don’t get it all the time. 

On the way, the disciples had taken up the argument over which one of them was the greatest…it was a common argument to be had amongst people of the time.  But their arguing went totally against the point of Jesus’ mission. Jesus’ mission and ministry wasn’t about being the greatest, it was about being a servant, it was about building up those around you instead of seeking to be built up.  And so he places a small child in the middle of the group of disciples, perhaps the child of one of the disciples and he says to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

The power behind this statement is immeasurable…more so for the disciples than it is for us.  You see, at that time, children were seen as the promise of the future...but in the meantime, they were also a liability.  A child was more likely to become ill and die, a child did participate in the productivity of the household…but not at the level of an adult, and a regardless of the child’s productivity, it was still another mouth to feed.  In other words, a child in the time of Jesus was seen in the same way as a servant…except that the child held a place of honor in the household…which was something that a slave would probably, and could probably, never attain.  The child being held in Jesus’ arms that day was an insider who was placed in the realm of the outsiders until the time in which it was able to be a fully productive member of the household.

But there’s more than that here…have you ever heard a child ask questions?  Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green?  Are we there yet?  But why? But why not?  Have you ever noticed that it is the questions of a child that have the greatest ability to turn a parent or other adults face bright red? 

Children are not afraid to ask questions when they do not understand…they have a sincere curiosity about how the world works.  Chris and I are already preparing a list of ‘go ask your mom’ and ‘go ask your dad’ questions that, our little one might ask one day.  Children yearn for the special knowledge held by adults.  And I can imagine that if the disciples had been children, Jesus would have been answering but why questions all day when it came to the work that they were on a mission to do.  

 “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me”

So how do we welcome those who are not seen at the greatest in the eyes of the world, but who have so much to teach us adults about asking questions when we don’t completely understand something?

How do we truly and 100% welcome the little ones around us who may be antsy in the pew on Sunday morning but who are so eager to learn the ways of the big kids? 

How do you see Jesus in the children that we welcome?   For it was Jesus who freed us to be able to be like children, not worrying about getting all the right answers and not afraid to ask the big, and little, questions.  Amen.