Holy Stupid Question

Learning from the dumb questions we ask

11/15/2021

Lk 18:35-43 As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Are there any such things as “stupid questions”? Some people argue the only dumb question is the one you did not ask. But I disagree. I have asked lots of stupid questions over the years. My life motto is now: “Keep your mouth shut and let people think you are stupid, rather than open your mouth and remove all doubt.” So, now I let other people ask the stupid questions.

I will never forget one teacher I had at the University of Dallas who asked all the stupid questions and took that pressure off us students. He taught us Russian Literature and almost his entire class was him asking us questions. For instance: Why did Raskolnikov kill his landlady? What made him fall in love with Sonia, a prostitute? Why did he finally kneel in the middle of a busy intersection and confess his crime to the world? I remember feeling so frustrated and wanting to ask: “Why don’t you just tell us the answers so we can move on to the next novel with unpronounceable names?”

Our professor, though, was actually teaching us more than Russian literature. He was demonstrating the “Socratic method” of education. That is, he was teaching by asking questions, and yes, sometimes even stupid questions. In the end, he was teaching us to be critical thinkers. Now, when I read a book, or the morning paper, or listen to a speaker, I ask in my mind: Why does he say that? What is his real message? Who is he trying to convince? My professor’s stupid questions taught his students how to think. In other words, stupid questions are the beginning of great wisdom.

I say the following with great reverence, but in the gospel today Jesus seems to be asking a stupid-sounding question. Just think about the scene. A blind beggar is brought before our Lord, and clearly Jesus can see his ailment. And yet Jesus has the audacity to ask: “What do you want me to do for you?” I mean if Robin had been standing nearby, he might have said: “Holy stupid question, Batman!” Does Jesus not know that this poor blind beggar would love to see?

But like my college professor, and the Greek philosopher Socrates, Jesus asked the apparently dumb question not for his own understanding, but for ours. That is, he has come to restore sight to the blind, but not just the physically blind, but more importantly, the spiritually blind, that is, those who walk in the dark without the light of faith. In other words, his supposedly stupid question was how Jesus solicited from the man an act of faith, which our Lord then rewarded with the miracle of physical sight. The far greater miracle of spiritual sight, though, had also occurred. The man could see physically and spiritually, and that is why he followed Jesus down the road.

Folks, have you ever asked a stupid question and wished you had kept your mouth shut? But I would invite you to be unafraid of asking all kinds of questions: those that make you look smart and those that make you look stupid. And I would really encourage you to ask questions in matters of faith: about Scripture, regarding prayer, about the Church, whether non-Christians will be saved, etc. One of the things I am proudest of here at I.C. is all the different groups that gather to do Bible study or just to talk about their faith.

If you do not belong to such a group, start your own. On our church website, you will find 4 on-line Bible study videos I produced during the pandemic. They cover the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Book of Revelation. Each session of the study ends with a list of 10 questions. In other words, don't worry, I will ask all the stupid questions, so you can stop stumbling around in the dark.

Praised be Jesus Christ!