Lesson 2 | Searching Theology
Danger: Wrong Question
When the disciples asked Jesus whether a man was born blind on account of his parents’ sin or his own (John 9:2), they were asking the wrong question. In their minds, there were only two possibilities. But, in fact, the answer was “neither“ (John 9:3).
Or take the question that prompted Jesus to tell the story of the Good Samaritan: “Who is my neighbor [that I am to love as myself]?” (Luke 10:29) Bad question. And that is why Jesus never answers it. Instead, he responds with a parable and question of his own that essentially ask the lawyer he was talking with: “Who do you want to be a neighbor to you?”
So too, when we come to the Scriptures, we ought not to approach them as a lawyer interrogating a witness. Yes, we want to ask lots of questions, but we do not get to demand answers. Instead, we should expect that sometimes we are asking the wrong question; perhaps we even need to be questioned by the Scriptures in return!
Do NOT assume you are always asking the right question.
For example, it would be completely natural to ask the question, “When should we cast lots to know God’s mind on a matter?” after reading how Saul was chosen as king or how Jonah was found out to be the cause of the great sea storm. Asking such a question and seeking its answer in the Scriptures is right and good.
However, careful observations of the search results should lead you to re-examine an assumption on which your question is laid. For search results are found throughout the Bible until they abruptly come to an end in the first chapter of Acts.
A thoughtful student of the Bible will pause at this observation and reconsider his question. Perhaps the question should rather be, “Should we continue to cast lots today when we want to know God’s mind on a matter?” A willingness to have your question changed in this regard yields good fruit. For it does not take long to see that the very next thing that occurs after the last time God’s people cast lots is the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.
No. It no longer makes sense to cast lots to understand God’s mind on a matter.
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we [having received the Spirit of God] have the mind of Christ. 1 Corintians 2:16 (see also verses 11-12)
