Have you ever heard someone speaking, thought it was profound, but didn’t understand? Were you afraid to ask the person explain it to you? Were you afraid you would sound uneducated, ignorant, or foolish?
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard something said and did not understand what the person was talking about. I believe we have all been there. For much of my life I was afraid to ask for an explanation. I didn’t want to appear foolish. I didn’t want to appear like some back woods uneducated simpleton. Thankfully…those days are gone.
I still hear people say things I don’t understand. The difference between then and now is I will ask for an explanation. I’m no longer afraid to say I am ignorant. After all, the definition of ignorant is that I simply do not know. I have not come across that subject before. If I learned nothing over the years, I have learned this, not one person in this world knows everything. There is no shame in stating we don’t know and ask for an explanation in order to learn.
Unfortunately, in today’s passage, the apostles have not yet learned this truth. Jesus is telling them a very important prophecy. He is giving them a message to prepare them for what is to come. They don’t understand and won’t ask the question. The good news for them is they will understand in time.
That is the good news for us as well. If we will continue to seek to understand, continue to read Scripture, continue to ask God to reveal the meaning of it, and be unafraid to ask questions of those we respect in the learning of God’s Word, we will gain understanding. This principle applies to gaining a better understanding of God, our jobs, our friends, and our family. Asking questions is not a sign of foolishness. Quite the contrary. Not asking a question to learn is foolish.
I pray we all seek to understand God’s Word. I pray we seek to know Jesus better tomorrow than today. I pray each one of us earnestly seeks to understand Scripture, God’s plan, and our own purpose. Read God’s Word. Ask questions. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Seek to understand. Stop being foolish. Be wise. Seek to know God.
Mark 9:30-32 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Marty Pressey 