RESPONDING TO HARD QUESTIONS
Have someone ever asked you a hard question? It’s the kind of question that, however, you answer, it is sure to ignite a dispute.
Perhaps it’s a question related to a political or ethical issue, or maybe it is a profoundly personal or religious one. How do you respond?
We are continuing to look at God’s love for us and his plan (his mission) to bridge the gap between us and him. His mission is to bring us back into a loving relationship with him. He wants us to become His disciples and members of his family.
Thus, He calls for us to respond to His love. But our relationship with Him does not end with His call, for a call without action from the one being called has no value. What are we called to do?
In this series, we looked at what it means to love God and love others.
Review our past and present videos at or visit my YouTube Channel, Sabbath School by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis
You also may obtain the study guide for this series at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org
Let Us Inviting God’s Presence:
Holy Father, when faced with a delicate dilemma, before responding, help us consult you, the one who can read the purpose and intent of the heart, In Name, Amen.
God’s Mission, My Mission
(Lesson 7)
Mission to My Neighbor
Part 3
Jesus’ Method and Response
In the previous video, we observed from the Bible that a young lawyer asked Jesus a question because he wanted to test Jesus. But Jesus knew his intention because Jesus is able to read the heart. He knew the real reason that the lawyer asked Him the question.
God knows the longings and desires of our hearts more than we do. We do not know the heart or the motive of those who ask us those hard questions. But, when we consult God, we can respond in a way that touches the heart.
Hard questions can come in many forms. For instance, people with different beliefs sometimes ask about what you believe. We may even feel that our friends are attacking our faith when they ask these hard questions.
But we must remember that their questions may be a deeply hidden desire to have a relationship with Jesus.
We don’t know their hearts, nor do we need to. But we must do our best to help them, whatever their reasons for asking the hard questions. It should be our desire to touch their heart, regardless of their motive.
Recall Jesus’ response to the young lawyer in Luke 10:26
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” (Luke 10:26).
Why did Jesus ask him this question?
The following scriptures help us understand why Jesus answered the young lawyer the way he did.
Matthew 26:56
56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. (Matthew 26:56)
Acts 17:11
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)
I Corinthians 15:3
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 15:3)
II Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16) (Split)
Each verse here refers to the scriptures, which consisted of only the Old Testament at the time of Jesus.
Jesus helps us to understand an essential part of teaching and learning. It involves more; we must do more than listen to what others have to say about a matter. We need to read it for ourselves. Thus, when it comes to those hard questions, we need to refer to the Bible, the word of God. The answers to the hard questions are often found in the Bible.
Moreover, when we prayerfully ask for help in answering those hard questions and be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God will give us the right words to say.
In other words, the answers are already there; they are in the Bible. When we make the Bible a regular part of our learning, the Holy Spirit works on our hearts to impress upon us what we need to do and say.
Moreover, the Bible provides us with the information we need to know about how to love God, how to love others, and how to live our lives.
The Bible also teaches us about everlasting life. It answers the question the young lawyer asked Jesus. It tells us how to obtain eternal life.
Yes, teachers and preachers are valuable. They can give us a reference point, but in the end, we must go to the Bible for ourselves to learn about what it says regarding how we should live our lives.
This is the point that the Psalmist makes in Psalm 119:105 when it says:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
This verse is more than a word, picture, or metaphor in a poem. It is the sacred truth about the Bible. It highlights the value of God’s word in providing us with the guidance, wisdom, and direction we need to live our daily lives.
As a matter of fact, Jesus was the Word of God in human flesh. Jesus is the living word. His life is our example. His practice was to direct people to the scriptures, the Written Word.
Thus, when we rely on the guidance of the Living Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, there are no hard questions.
Let’s return to the Young lawyer’s question in Luke 10:25
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
What was Jesus’ answer to how he should live his life to obtain eternal life? View the next segment of this video. ——Part 4: To Inherit Eternal Life
God’s Mission, My Mission
(Lesson 7)
Motivation and Preparation for Mission
Part 4 Inherit Eternal Life
Luke 10:27, 28 tells how Jesus answered the young lawyer when he asked him how he should live to gain eternal life.
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:27, 28)
Notice that the lawyer asked the question, and then he answered it: “ ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” ’ ”(Luke 10:27, NIV).
What was Jesus’s response? Luke 10:28 says:
“Jesus said, “ ‘You have answered rightly’ ” (Luke 10:28, ERV).
Then Jesus challenged him to do something. Jesus said: ‘Do this and you will live’ ” (Luke 10:28, NKJV).
Like the young lawyer, for many of those who are students of the Word, giving the correct answer about Bible teachings and faith is easy.
But the challenge is doing what we know is right and living what we believe.
The point is many will miss out on eternity not because they did not know what was right but because they refused to live their lives according to what they knew was right.
These individuals know the scriptures but refuse to live by what the scriptures say.
In other words, knowing that you must love God and your neighbor is great, but knowing is not enough. We must live it!
James in James 2:17–22 presents the same idea that Jesus presented to the lawyer.
It says:
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (Split)
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (James 2:17-22) (Split)
The point here is that when we love God, we will read the Bible. Why? Because the Bible is His word, it is His letters to us. In addition to reading His Word, we will pray and obey His commandments.
“With all our heart,” like the sheep following the good shepherd, we will seek to hear and obey His voice.
His voice says: Love him supremely and love others as you love yourself.
So, what if I say I love others, but what happens to them does not concern me? Or what if I pay no attention to the needs of others? Is that love?
You see, the Christian faith is more than a set of beliefs. The Christian faith is a new way of living. This is the point James makes in James 2:15,16
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (James 2:15, 16, NKJV)
How much do you care about the needs of other people? How much do you follow the words of Paul in Philippians 2:4: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4)?
How can we develop a love for others regardless of who they are or what they do? How can we put that love into action? Watch my next view: ——Part 5: Loving Others as We Love Ourselves (Split)
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