Speechless

Mark 12:18-34

Last evening I was the guest of "The Journey", Bethesda's Sr High youth ministry. Pastor Adam had invited me to come for an evening of Q & A with our students. It was a great evening! If the intent was 'stump the pastor', I'm sure I proved an easy target! The variety of questions was stunning. They were great questions, and many of them.

We do have lots of questions, don't we -- when it comes to the spiritual? Sometimes our questions are straight-forward and sincere. Sometimes our questions of God are 'loaded', masking hurt or doubt or anger. And sometimes questions for God are completely insincere, meant to trap, prove Him false, dripping with skepticism if not scoffing.

The Sadducees fancy themselves in a chess match with the Savior. Believing neither in the authority of the scriptures nor the reality of the resurrection, they seek to corner and checkmate Jesus with their impish "Seven Brothers for One Bride" parable. But the table is quickly turned. (Someone should have told the Sadducees: if you wanna play games with spiritual questions, you might want to pick a lesser opponent!)

Another contestant steps up the mic. He does not belong to the Sadducee camp. This teacher of the law has his theology well-rehearsed. He also has a question for Jesus. "Which of the commandments is most important?" Jesus tells him. "Love God desperately. Love others selflessly." The man can't leave well-enough alone, but feels he must add endorsement to Jesus' answer. Jesus' terse reply reveals His awareness of the void in this man behind his question and commentary. "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." Ouch. ("Good question, good commentary. Close, but no banana!") For all this man understood about God, he did not see Messiah before him, nor yield to receive Him!

You have to love the last line of our reading today. It's where all of us are left at the end of our ledger-long list of questions, when Jesus, holy, stands before us; and we are made fresh aware how far we fall short.

"And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions." (v34)

I remember that Job had questions. God permitted him to ask them all; to pour out his frustration and angst over his circumstances, and toward God. God listened to all the questions. Then God showed Job part of Himself that transcended all of Job's questions (38:1-3ff). And, at the end of hearing God say how things really were, there was only one fitting response from Job. He was speechless.

I'll date myself by adding below the lyrics of a Stephen Curtis Chapman song.

PPaul

Words fall like drops of rain
My lips are like clouds
I say so many things
Trying to figure You out
But as mercy opens my eyes
My words are stolen away
With this breathtaking view of Your grace

[CHORUS]
And I am speechless, I'm astonished and amazed
I am silenced by Your wonderous grace
You have saved me
You have raised me from the grave
And I am speechless in Your presence now
I'm astounded as I consider how
You have shown us
A love that leaves us speechless

So what kind of love could this be
That would trade heaven's throne for a cross
And to think You still celebrate
Over finding just one who was lost
And to know You rejoice over us
The God of this whole universe
It's a story that's too great for words

[CHORUS]