Then the Jews began to complain about Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?"
John 6: 41-42
There have been many times I've invited someone to join a bible study that I've heard this response. "I don't know enough about the bible. I would have too many dumb questions."
This little passage from the gospel of John, along with tons of other passages from scripture, are living proof that there are no dumb questions. The bible isn't always an easy book to understand. The Jews who were complaining about Jesus were "opponents" of Jesus. Not only were they worried and threatened by Jesus and his claims of his power and authority from God, they simply didn't understand what he was talking about half the time. He called himself bread sent from heaven. A little bit later, Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day." Whew. No wonder the disciples responded by saying, "This teaching is difficult. Who can accept it?" (John 6:60)
Personally, I am grateful that the bible is full of doubters, and people who have not memorized all of scripture. I am grateful that even the Jews who knew all about Moses and manna sent from heaven, the bread that sustained the people of Israel when they were wandering in the desert for forty years, didn't get it when Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven." (John 6:32)
Let me clarify. I am not grateful that they didn't finally get it. But I am grateful that they asked the question: How can he say he's bread sent from heaven? We know his mom and dad - we visited them just after this kid was born. Clearly, he entered the world in the regular way, and did not come down from heaven in the form of bread.
Not a dumb question, if you ask me, but rather an opening for teaching and discussion, for interpretation, for clarification. It's what we do in bible study. We don't have all of the answers, we certainly don't understand everything. Hopefully, we will eventually understand something. The bible is a living word - a word for us here and now. And for us next month and next year. We need to read together, to study together, to ask questions and help each other understand - not exactly what each individual word means, but what the story means for each of us.
Let's read the bible together. If there is anything that you don't understand - ask away! There are no dumb questions.
John 6: 41-42
There have been many times I've invited someone to join a bible study that I've heard this response. "I don't know enough about the bible. I would have too many dumb questions."
This little passage from the gospel of John, along with tons of other passages from scripture, are living proof that there are no dumb questions. The bible isn't always an easy book to understand. The Jews who were complaining about Jesus were "opponents" of Jesus. Not only were they worried and threatened by Jesus and his claims of his power and authority from God, they simply didn't understand what he was talking about half the time. He called himself bread sent from heaven. A little bit later, Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day." Whew. No wonder the disciples responded by saying, "This teaching is difficult. Who can accept it?" (John 6:60)
Personally, I am grateful that the bible is full of doubters, and people who have not memorized all of scripture. I am grateful that even the Jews who knew all about Moses and manna sent from heaven, the bread that sustained the people of Israel when they were wandering in the desert for forty years, didn't get it when Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven." (John 6:32)
Let me clarify. I am not grateful that they didn't finally get it. But I am grateful that they asked the question: How can he say he's bread sent from heaven? We know his mom and dad - we visited them just after this kid was born. Clearly, he entered the world in the regular way, and did not come down from heaven in the form of bread.
Not a dumb question, if you ask me, but rather an opening for teaching and discussion, for interpretation, for clarification. It's what we do in bible study. We don't have all of the answers, we certainly don't understand everything. Hopefully, we will eventually understand something. The bible is a living word - a word for us here and now. And for us next month and next year. We need to read together, to study together, to ask questions and help each other understand - not exactly what each individual word means, but what the story means for each of us.
Let's read the bible together. If there is anything that you don't understand - ask away! There are no dumb questions.