The Question, The Answer

Prov.20:¹² “Ears to hear and eyes to see—both are gifts from the Lord.”

Our focus over the next few days is on John 5:1-15 [please read]. What was Jesus’ question and what was the man’s response? It would interest you to know that like this man by the pool, most people are not answering the questions they are being asked. The problem is not that people cannot hear the question or do not have the skills required. But most people do not spend time to understand the question before they answer the question. The truth is, skill is not enough because most people are not answering the questions, they are being asked. In fact, most people are answering questions that nobody is asking and that is usually the problem with life.

We do not spend time to understand the problem; because we are competent, we just go and solve a problem that nobody has asked us to solve. Then we wonder how come we are not getting the right answer. That was the problem with this man by the pool; he was answering the question that Jesus did not ask him. ‘Would you be made whole?’ ‘You know my uncle’s relative’s father’s brother did not come and put me in the pool.’ What was the question? How many times have you been in conversations with people and you ask them a simple question? And they are giving you their own answers to the questions in their heads, not the question you have asked.

I remember the boy in school who got to the exam hall, looked at the questions, and realized he did not know the answers. Guess what he did? He wrote his own questions and solved them to prove to the lecturer that he was smart and had knowledge about other things. His response to the lecturer’s question was, ‘Let me tell you what I know and not necessarily answer what you asked.’  What will he score? In life sometimes that is usually the challenge; we are intelligent and competent people, but we are answering questions nobody is asking. Some businesses are not getting traction because they are solving a problem that is nobody’s problem. So, nobody is going to pay for it.

John 5:¹ “Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days.” (emphasis added). John the Beloved was the only one that told us how Jesus moved from Jerusalem to Samaria, to Judea, to Decapolis, and so on. The Synoptic Gospels just told us about only the final movement to Jerusalem. We see here that Jesus is now coming back from Galilee to Jerusalem. Jesus was very mobile; not that this journey was about seventy kilometers in Jesus’ time and it takes them about two and a half days on foot. Jesus walked two and a half days just to minister, now we see why He was thirsty. Jesus walked for days under the sun to different locations to minister. Meanwhile, there are people who would not attend a church that has no air conditioning because they do not want to sweat. Meanwhile, Jesus was walking in the hot sun to and fro multiple times and that is noteworthy.

Prayer:  Father, help me hear as I ought to hear so I can respond rightly, in Jesus Name. Amen!