Christ Is Not The Answer

A Christian woman was going through difficult times and couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t answer the questions she posed in prayer. She made an appointment with her pastor to discuss her theological frustrations and, as she entered into her minister’s office, he noticed she was wearing a sweatshirt with these words: CHRIST IS THE ANSWER. After lovingly listening to her for over an hour the pastor said, “Your sweatshirt sums up why you are so frustrated. Jesus never told us that he was the answer. Jesus told us that he was the way.”

If you count the question marks in the book of Job, you’ll come up with 288. Many of the questions were from the mouth of Job. Others were spoken by his friends. But, surprisingly, when God finally speaks in the closing chapters, his answer to Job’s questions comes in the form of more questions, 78 of them! Of the 288 questions in the book of Job, 78 of them belong to God. He answers Job’s questions with more questions. Don’t you find that interesting? It’s more than interesting, it’s informative.

Have you ever noticed how often Jesus answered questions with questions? Here are just four examples:

Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?” (Matthew 9:14-15)

His disciples answered, “Where would we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. (Matthew 15:32-34)

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:38-40)

One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. (Luke 24:19-19)

One of my favorite singing groups is the Irish band U2. Three of the four members of this group are Christians. One of their most popular songs has caused some controversy with their Christian fans. The song? I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR. When the song was released, some Christians began to wonder, “Does this mean these guys aren’t really Christians? Are they saying that Jesus is not enough? Are they denying the faith?”

Bono, the lyricist, chooses his words well:

You broke the bonds
You loosed the chains
You carried the cross
And my shame, and my shame
You know I believe it
But I still haven’t found what I am looking for

The whole song reverberates with the wonderful question, “You mean there’s more?” Yes, with Jesus, there’s always more. Finding is never the end of seeking. The Apostle Paul understood this well and in Philippians 3:10-14 he writes:

“I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus.”

When was it that Paul wrote these words? Right after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus? When he was in the desert for 14 years? After he was caught up into the third heaven and saw things he could not repeat? No. These words, “That I may know him,” were written AFTER the missionary journeys, AFTER the shipwreck, AFTER the beatings and imprisonments, AFTER the miracles, AFTER the founding of several churches. While in prison, at he end of his life, Paul penned these words, “That I may know him.”

Paul would never have written these words if finding is the end of seeking. And, if the Apostle Paul was still seeking at the end of his life, what does his seeking say to you and me? Ask, seek, and knock until you die!

Richard

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