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Asking the Right Question

FINDING PURPOSE AND PASSION IN LIFE

Asking the Right Question

April 6, 2008

Text: Luke 10:25-29, 18:18-23

Luke 10:25-29

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."

29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

NRSV

Luke 18:18-23

A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.'" 21 He replied, "I have kept all these since my youth." 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 23 But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich .

NRSV

There was once a song titled, “Things That Make You Go ‘Hmmm.’” Here are some of those things that song might have included:

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

Why do we choose from two people for President, and 50 for Miss America?

Why do you call something transported by car a “shipment,” and something transported by ship a “cargo”?

Why do you park in “drive”ways, and drive in “park”ways?

Why don't you ever see the headline “Psychic Wins Lottery”?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Things that make you go, ‘Hmmm.’

That’s what questions ought to do. They ought to make you stop and re-think, re-examine things.

And re-thinking, re-examining things is what you constantly have to do if you are to have a passionate, purpose-driven life.

In his autobiography, Night, Jewish philosopher Elie Wiesel tells of growing up in a village in Hungary before being sent to a Nazi concentration camp. As a boy he became friends with Moshe, the poor man who cleaned his synagogue. One day as they were talking, Moshe gave his philosophy of life: “Every question possesses a power that does not lie in the answer. Humans raise themselves to God by the questions they ask.” Elie then asked, “And why do you pray, Moshe?” “I pray,” he responded, “that God will give me the strength to ask him the right questions.”

—Daniel T. Hans, “What do you want from God?” Gettysburg Presbyterian Church, July 31, 2005

The “right” questions. Questions that can expand and deepen life for you.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION!

What is the most important question I need to ask right now?

How many people do you know, or have read about, who have been successful and then, at the height of their success, they asked themselves the right question—“Is this all there is?” Asking that question led them to some new adventure, maybe even to seminary. One successful businessman who ended up preparing for the ministry put it bluntly: “Not to be onto something [--not to be seeking an answer to a perplexing, life-changing question--] is to be in despair.” –Fast Company, 5/05, p. 82

There are two types of “right” questions.

One is the question that makes you look inside yourself.

Think of how these questions uncover who you are:

1. What are my priorities? How do I spend my time and money?

2. What are my values? How do I make my decisions?

3. What is my personality? Why do I respond to people the way I do?

Any of these intrigue you today? Struggle with questions like these, and you’ll have a pretty good picture of what’s going on inside you.

Other questions are meant to help you look outside yourself.

1. What is God calling me to do?

2. Who needs help right now?

3. Where can I make a difference?

4. How can an injustice be corrected?

Questions like these are the kind Christians ALWAYS have to keep asking. Otherwise, we’re just getting together for therapy sessions. These questions keep us outward-focused.

Yes—asking the right question—whether it’s one that makes you look into your heart, or out into the world: the right question is essential if you’re going to find purpose in life and passionately pursue it.

HOWEVER--asking the right question isn’t enough.

In the Scripture passages today, two men asked the same question—any remember what it was?

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

That was their key question.

It’s very interesting that even though both men asked the same question, Jesus didn’t give the same answer.

Anyone remember how he responded to the first one?

“Love God, and love your neighbor.” But the man wanted to argue—“Define for me the word, ‘neighbor.’” Jesus went on to give the parable of the Good Samaritan.

How did Jesus answer the second one?

“Sell what you have, give to the poor, and follow me.” And the young man turned away, sad.

Did you notice how both of them resisted Jesus’ answers?

They were looking for Jesus to say what they wanted him to say—to confirm their beliefs, to justify what they already thought, to respond with something simple.

But they got more than they bargained for.

The point is, asking the right question isn’t enough—you have to be willing to listen to the answer:

DON’T ASK THE QUESTION IF YOU DON’T WANT THE ANSWER!

What sacrifice will the answer demand?

Jesus’ answer to those men called for a sacrifice on those men’s part.

For the lawyer, that meant loving those dirty, bleeding, unclean people who are in the ditch.

For the young man, that meant giving up some money and possessions.

For you, what will the answer to your question demand?

United Methodist pastors sometimes have to ask ourselves a difficult question in the spring time. That’s when the Bishop and District Superintendents meet to discuss whether a pastor should remain at a church or be appointed to a new one. And if you get a phone call from the Bishop or District Superintendent this time of year, you naturally gulp—because the voice on the other end of the line may be asking, “Would you consider being appointed as pastor to the [fill in the blank] church?”

And we pastors have to struggle with that question: Where IS God calling me to serve? We have to consider a lot of factors, do some really deep soul searching. Giving up the known for the unknown? For pity’s sake, how do I know if that new church has a softball team or not? All sorts of questions we ask ourselves.

You know what? This isn’t just a United Methodist pastor thing. It’s ALWAYS appointment time for you and for me.

IF I ASK MY QUESTION, GOD’S ANSWER MIGHT SEND ME FAR AWAY FROM THE COMFORTABLE AND SECURE.

You ask your question, God’s answer might be for you to go back to school, or to change jobs.

You ask your question, God’s answer might be for you to adjust your lifestyle—giving more time to family, and less to the job.

You ask your question, God’s answer might be for you to adjust your spending habits—giving more to help others, and less in indulging yourself.

You ask your question, God’s answer might be for you to confront a part of your personality you’d rather not see—you might have to seek a therapist for help.

You ask your question, God’s answer might be for you to connect intimately with a group of people who are asking similar questions.

You ask your question, God’s answer might be for you to get involved in the life of a person who’s struggling with an addiction.

Yes, it’s VERY important to ask the right question. But before you ask that question, first ask yourself: AM I REALLY WILLING TO HEAR THE ANSWER?

Why is it called “lipstick” if you can still move your lips?

Why is it that night falls but day breaks?

Why is the third hand on the watch called a second hand?

Are part-time bandleaders called semi-conductors?

There are a lot of silly questions out there.

But some questions aren’t silly at all, are they?

Neither are the answers.

Prepare for communion today by finding the one question you need to ask—that question that will challenge you. Then, when you’re at the table, ask Jesus for one thing. Don’t ask for the answer. Ask, rather, for strength. Strength: strength to find the answer yourself, and then strength to live it.