“Ask the question, receive the answer; don't ask the question, don't receive the answer.”

“When I lay these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of 'No answer.' It is not the locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving the question. Like, 'Peace, child; you don't understand.” ― C.S. Lewis

Gospel text (Jn 6:22-29): After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day the people who had stayed on the other side realized that only one boat had been there and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples; rather, the disciples had gone away alone. Bigger boats from Tiberias came near the place where all these people had eaten the bread. When they saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, «Master, when did you come here?». Jesus answered, «Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked». Then the Jews asked him, «What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?». And Jesus answered them, «The work God wants is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent».

Think for a minute about the number of questions you ask in a typical day. It’s probably a lot! “How are you? What are you doing? When are you coming home? What’s for dinner?” The questions almost pour out of our mouths!

This passage shows us that Jesus doesn’t mind questions. In fact, he likes them, because when we ask questions, it shows that we want to know him.

But Jesus doesn’t always give the answers we are looking for. Sometimes, he replies by asking us questions! And sometimes, he remains puzzlingly silent.

Whatever his response, his strategy is always the same: to leave us hungry for more; to provoke us to keep seeking him and his grace. He promised that those who ask, seek, and knock will be satisfied. The best part is that the more we seek, the more we find. May we never tire of asking questions! May we never stop looking for more from the Lord!