Afraid to Ask?
They were astonished at His miracles, His power. They were amazed at the way people followed Him. They must have felt privileged…they were His disciples. Then Jesus threw ice water on all of their warm fuzzies.
“Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power. While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.” Luke 9:43-45
Everyone was marveling. There was a sense of awe and wonder. It wasn’t present with them. The disciples knew Jesus had just told them something with ominous meaning. To be betrayed is not a desirable thing. Betrayed into the hands of enemies sounds worse. So, they did what you and I often do with God. They were afraid to ask Him.
We are afraid to ask.
We live life afraid to ask the One who knows our fears…all of them. He knows them better than we.
Would Jesus have explained what He meant to them-if they had asked? Remember, He had already told them of this ominous event to come?
“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”” Luke 9:22
Do the math. This verse comes 21 verses before Jesus said this. He clearly communicated to the disciples that soon He would be killed. He told them multiple times. “But they did not understand”…and what was their response? “They were afraid to ask.”
Are we afraid to ask Jesus when we don’t understand? You know we are. But stop and think with me.
Of all those we know in our lives is there even one person more understanding or loving than Jesus? Is there even one other person with more power, knowledge, and love than Jesus? Is there one other person who will ALWAYS be present even when we have not asked? Is there even one other person who would die for you? There is no greater FRIEND than Jesus.