The power of a gentle question from God is amazing.
"Adam, Where are you?"
"Peter, Do you love me?"
"Who touched me?" Christ says in a crowd addressing a trembling woman hiding there. Coaxing her out but not exposing her.
Jesus asked the political schemers of the day, "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" exposing their love of lies and disdain for truth that would not promote ambition.
The gentle question has such power. It does not knock down a wall it knocks on a door. Christ is quite harmless in His approach to us. Condemnation is not His method.
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" He says to the woman caught in her trespass. "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." He was her champion not her enemy.
Those questions hold answers for us. Our God is the God of all grace. His gentleness produces greatness in us because through it we let him into our life.
I want his gentleness to wash over me and transform me. My old man is a brute at times. The new one is like a lamb. Not skittish and shy prone to be made a victim but gentle in strength. A strength that reveals a powerful divine love.
Here are a few more that can from comments on my facebook page:
ReplyDelete* Just read this one: "Friend, why have you come?" Jesus asked Judas in the garden. Matt. 26:50
* Yes. "But who do you say that I am?" in Mark 8:29
* "Children, have ye any meat?" after they had fished all night.
* "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" He said to Mary looking for Him in the garden.
* John 6:67 (NKJV) "Do you also want to go away?"