Beyond Sandwich Questions

I was in line at a fast food place the other day. Always the same drill. I placed my order and pulled forward. As I waited in line to receive my “high protein” sustenance, I picked up the “to do” list to my right. The day was young and I had completed half of the list. Yea!

As I thought about the list, I discovered that every item began with a basic albeit unwritten question: Have you done “such and such”? And, it got me thinking. What kind of questions do we answer on a daily basis? To prime your pump, here are just a few.

When is my next appointment? Did I get the meat out of the freezer for dinner tonight? Who is picking up the kids? Can I get a connecting flight? What time do they close? When will they arrive? Do you want mayo with that? What happens in the BCS if four teams finish the season undefeated? What did the stock market do this morning? How much is one year of college tuition? How long will they be staying? Can I get that in blue? What is the model number? Now, what was that address? Do you deliver?

Heard them before…right? Functional questions. Everyday questions. Questions we have to answer to live responsibly as business people – as parents – as friends. Some questions have to be answered everyday. Some only occasionally.

Have you ever read one of the gospel accounts and listened to the questions people ask? I’ll do you one better than that. Have you ever read a gospel account and listened to the questions Jesus asks? Good question…hey? I was reading through the gospels the other day and caught myself noticing the questions Jesus asks people. Too many to recount here. Here is the majority of the questions he asked during the week leading up to His crucifixion.

• What do you think about the Christ, whose Son is He?
• Who is greater? The one who reclines at table or the one who serves?
• Why are you sleeping?
• Could you not keep watch for one hour?
• For if they do these things in the green tree what will happen in the dry?
• Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
• Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip?
• Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?
• Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and he will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
• Do you now believe?
• Whom do you seek?
• You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?
• If I have spoken wrongly bear witness of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?
• Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
• My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?

Not your ordinary questions...right? I think gospel writers gave us a record of the questions Jesus put before other people because…well…we need to hear them. His questions cut through the ordinariness of our existence and present us with some serious opportunities for reflecting about our lives and what we think about God, our stewardship of life and purpose. I'll fess up here. I think we are kindred spirits in at least one respect, namely, there are hundreds of questions we had rather think about.

Jesus' questions stand at the edge of thought and peer longingly into our hearts. Part prophet. Part savior. But, questions that come with the ministry of understanding, strength, awareness, change and hope. They aren’t “how do you want your sandwich” questions. They are the kind of questions whose answers affect the very essence and quality of our lives. They help us stay on pace with what it means to live in wisdom. They remind us that life isn’t a simple task list. It’s bigger than that. And, our everyday task lists are a piece of the bigger picture. I think it’s the key to seeing life 20-20. And, that makes all the difference in the world.

Is there a particular question knocking on your door? Enjoy your sandwich!

Gracious Father we move too fast. We go through life getting a lot of things done - necessary things. But in the course of getting our things done we look past your things - your calling of us to be in the world as salt, leaven and light. O God help us to learn how to listen to your word and to bring our hearts into conversation with it. And thank you for asking us questions that help us see the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary. Amen

Randy Daugherty
Stephenville, Texas