Words aren’t always what they seem

No-smoking is permitted
( does this mean no-smoking or NO SMOKING?)

Fine for parking
(does it mean you’ll be charged or its OK to park?)

This is an incredible resource for students
(this book has no credibility or is very good)

How not to answer Jesus’ questions
(how to sidestep the questions or what not to do when answering his questions?)

While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up, indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus.  They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening.  But many of those who listened had already believed the Message-in round numbers about five thousand!
The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander-everybody who was anybody was there.  They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: “Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?”
With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you-we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole.  Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.  Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”

Bible reading – Acts 4 ; 1-12 (The Message)

Question time – how do you handle questions?

1. What good ideas do you have for side stepping questions that you don’t want to answer
2. What should you not do if someone, may be Jesus, asks you a question?

Feedback session(here is a summary of the answers people gave)

1.  Answering a question with a question, craftily change the subject, tell a lie or white lie, bring the conversation to a standstill, blind them with science, ignore the question and stick to your own agenda,  pass the question onto someone else, redefine the question, refuse to answer and say why,  ask where they are going, walk away, don’t listen – intentionally or otherwise, answer a different question, say “That’s a very good question” repeat the last question – to stall, too much detail – confusion, digress, steer it round, waffle,

2. Be embarrassed of the truth, try and run away, think you have to come up with an answer, ignore the question, pretend you didn’t hear the question, say what is expected – be honest
Avoid answering, answer rhetorical questions, try to be clever to impress, feel intimidated – put on the spot

Now its time for a classic comedy moment – when it comes to answering questions there is none better than the Two Ronnies.  What can we learn from them? (to view the clip go to http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=two+ronnies+&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#)

(how to sidestep the questions or what not to do when answering his questions?)

Going back to the Bible passage  you know we can be very critical of the court, they prevaricated, they dodged the truth, they span and tried to play the political game.  We can understand their response – how many of us when caught in a tight spot have adopted some of their behaviours or resorted to “I don’t know” as a soft option.

But can’t we accuse Jesus of doing the same thing, he has parried their questions with questions of his own, he’s ducked their questions, he’s played a good game of verbal chess.

I think not – Jesus’ questions show him as someone who has perhaps seen more deeply into the problem, than the person who is asking the question.  If he dismisses a question its because he thinks they’ve missed a bigger issue or the real heart of the matter.

Refusing to allow the status quo to be questioned is not unusual.  Such behaviour is not limited to the first century.  I do it, you do it.  What do you think prevents most people today becoming committed followers of Jesus?

Why would anyone want to avoid answering questions from Jesus.  Inconvenient, self-image, poor image of Jesus (trying to catch us out?), unwilling to change, to think about a difficult issue, admitting that you’ve been wrong

Jesus is asking us that question all the time – what will it take for you to become my committed follower?

Sometimes it might be intellectual issues like if god is good why is there evil, why do good people suffer?

It might knowing that your life would have to change in some very earthy practical way

It might be the fear about what people who I respect and care about would say about me

It might be feeling that you need to understand it all before you can start on that journey

In answer to the question – what will it take for you to become my committed follower – we often work on the works for me principle and so lets not change it.   But relationships are not static, they change and grow and develop.  Our walk with Jesus needs to be able to do the same thing.  The words of the following song may encourage us to trust that in answering the question – what will it take for you to become my committed follower?- we will end up in the most amazing place of freedom.

Come into these arms again
And lay your body down
The rhythm of this trembling heart
It’s beating like a drum
It beats for you,it bleeds for you
It knows not how it sounds
For it is the drum of drums
It is the song of songs

Once I had the rarest rose
That ever deigned to bloom
Cruel winter chilled the bud
And stole my flower too soon
Oh loneliness
Oh hopelessness
To search the ends of time
For there is in all the world
No greater love than mine

Love O love O love
O love O love O love
O love still falls the rain
O love O love
O love O love O love
O love still falls the night
Love O love O love
O love O love O love
O love be mine forever (be mine forever)
Love O love O love
O love O love O love
O love O love O love
O love O love O love

Let me be the only one
To keep you from the cold
Now the floor of heav’n is laid
With stars of brightest gold
They shine for you
They shine for you
They burn for all to see
Come into these arms again
And set this spirit free

Annie Lennox, Love song for a Vampire