Believe Me: I Don’t Get It!

“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ ” (John 14:5)

Do you think Jesus enjoyed baffling his disciples? Either way, it’s one of his most familiar teaching strategies. He often said things completely beyond them and waited for them to ask what he was talking about.

believeme_350You can almost see the confused expression on their faces. Jesus just got done comforting the team about his departure by saying, “You know the way to the place I’m going.”

Um, wait, what? Thomas gets the prize for being the first to ask what everyone else was thinking: “Not only do we not know the way, we don’t even know where you’re headed!” How closely do you think he and the others were listening for what Jesus would say next? Brilliant.

Think: How do you handle it when you don’t know what the Bible is talking about? Do you see it as a failure on your part, a reason to give up, or a chance to learn something new?

Pray: Ask God to help you learn more about him by finding more things you don’t know about him and his Word. Then ask him to give you a willingness to go looking for the answers.

Do: As you read the Bible this week, look for statements or actions that surprise or confuse you—and celebrate the chance to learn something new.