Why Didn't Jesus Ever Answer Questions?

Several weeks ago, I posted an article about the fact that many times, we ask theological questions in order to mask personal questions. My conclusion was that there's a lot of value in simply asking, "Why do you ask?" instead of just answering the question even if you know the answer.

One commenter took exception with the post and pointed out that answering a question with a question is an annoying practice.

I get where he's coming from, especially if you're in a trigonometry or history class, because in those classes, all you really want is the answer. You're dealing in the realm of facts and you're an objective party to those facts.

But theology is different. Or at least it should be.

Theology isn't just for libraries and classrooms; this is real life stuff. It is, in fact, the realest of the real. Every theological truth has a personal implication. What you believe impacts the way you live, otherwise you don't really believe it. Conversely, we often pose theological questions either because some circumstance has jarred our real life, or from a negative standpoint, we are doing something we know we shouldn't be doing and are looking for a theological loophole to continue that behavior. In the second instance, we use theological questions as a cover to hide behind rather than addressing the specific behavior and the faulty belief that is motivating that behavior.

In either case, there is no such thing as ivory tower theology. Theology is about life. Always. Because God is about life. Always.

But don't just take my word for it. Think about the example of Jesus. Think about how frustrating it must have been at times to have a question, ask it to the Son of God, and in return, get a story. Or another question. Or a teaching that only seems to vaguely relate to what you were asking about. Why did Jesus do this? Why didn't He just answer questions directly?

Perhaps it's because of the above truth, that Jesus understood more than any of us ever will that theology is about life.

Perhaps one case study will help. In John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well. They began to talk, and she wanted to take the conversation into the realm of theological hypotheticals, asking Jesus about where the true place of worship whould be. But the Son of God would have none of this theoretical bologna.

Jesus told her to get her husband. In so doing, He exposed the behavior in her life that she was most ashamed of, her point of greatest vulnerability. Jesus took theory to real life in the blink of an eye. He's still doing the same thing. We mustn't think that we can play silly thinking games with Jesus. He knows our hearts. He knows what's really behind the question. So ask the question – but be ready, because Jesus might just ask one back.