Why?

Bible Reading: Luke 2:41-52

“Mom, make Hunter leave me alone!” Alyssa exclaimed as she pushed her little brother into the kitchen and turned to go.

Hunter’s eyes clouded with tears. “I didn’t do nothin’!”

“What’s the problem, Alyssa?” Mom asked.

“He follows me around and asks why over and over and over,” Alyssa said. “Or else he asks how or what. I get tired of trying to answer him.”

“I see,” said Mom. “I guess he’s asking questions like you used to.”

“Me? What questions?” asked Alyssa in surprise.

“Oh, things like, why are puppies so cute? Where do birds sleep? Who takes care of skunks? When will it snow? Why are trees tall?” Mom smiled. “Now Hunter is learning by asking questions, just like you did, and that’s fine. A famous author—Rudyard Kipling—wrote a poem that says, ‘I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew); their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.’”

Alyssa sighed. “Well, I hope Hunter learns fast. All those questions get annoying!”

“I understand,” said Mom “But you know, even Jesus asked questions when He was a boy. This morning I read in my Bible about how, when Jesus was twelve, His parents lost track of Him in Jerusalem. When they finally found Him, He was in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions.”

“But why would Jesus have to ask questions?” asked Alyssa. “I thought He already knew everything!”

“Yes, God is all-knowing, but don’t forget that since Jesus became human to save us, He would have had to learn and grow in ways all human children do. However, I think the point of the story about Jesus in the temple is that he asked questions to demonstrate His knowledge of the Scriptures and help people understand what God wanted them to know. He cared about them—and He cares about us, which is why He always welcomes our questions so we can understand things too.”

“I guess that means I should be more patient with Hunter’s questions and help him understand things,” Alyssa said. She held out her hand to her little brother. “Come on, Hunter. Let’s go back outside.”

Hunter went along happily. Just before the door closed, Mom heard Hunter’s voice. “Alyssa, what’s a temple?”

-Rose Goble

How About You?

Do you become impatient with someone who asks a lot of questions? Do you ask a lot of questions yourself? God welcomes honest questions. It’s a natural way to learn. Trust Him to help you be a patient listener and a good teacher when others ask you questions. And don’t hesitate to ask questions yourself when you don’t understand something. Learn from the teachers God has provided for you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise listen and add to their learning. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Learn by asking questions