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In Luke 23, we meet Joseph—the very Joseph whose tomb Jesus was buried in. Joseph was a Jewish leader, but he disagreed with the decision to hand Jesus over for execution. Luke says Joseph “…was looking for the kingdom of God.”[1] Joseph wasn’t looking for religious comfort or a social group. And his desire for the kingdom separated him from his peers. Not going along with the decision of the group and then openly requesting the body of Jesus to give Him an honorable burial must have marked Joseph as an outlier and possibly brought consequences to the man. But what he sought was of great value.

What are you looking for today? Are you looking for a convenient church? Are you looking for a group of friends? Are you looking just to fit in where you are? Or are you actively searching for the Lord’s kingdom and willing to stand apart from the crowd to serve the Lord faithfully?

[1] Luke 23:51

Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of virtues that can transform our minds. That verse says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Our minds are a great spiritual battleground, and following the advice of this passage will be incredibly helpful. Too often, we stop at verse eight and the admonition to think about these things, though.

But listen to verse nine: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Paul didn’t just admonish Christians to think about good things—He exhorts us also to practice such things! It’s good to shape our minds by thinking about good and honorable things. But such focus should then permeate the actions of our lives. We will find true transformation as we think and act upon good things!

We are blessed to live in a time and place where education is readily available, from preschool through higher education. But we should have a healthy view of education. Often, the “uneducated” are referred to or viewed in a negative light. However, education level is not an accurate gauge of one’s worth or spiritual strength.

In Acts 4, Peter and John were on trial before the Jewish leaders. Acts 4:13 says of the Jewish Sanhedrin, “…when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Peter and John were simple fishermen, yet they boldly stood before and even corrected the group of educated elites. They may have been common and uneducated, but they possessed the more critical knowledge—they knew Jesus. Education and learning are good, but remember that knowing Jesus is the only knowledge that will matter in eternity.

In Genesis 13, we read about the events that led to Abraham and Lot separating. Lot lived with and among his Uncle Abraham, but both men had vast flocks and livestock. Strife arose between the two men’s herdsmen because the land could not support such vast herds. On this occasion, Abraham says something that should be a reminder for all of us, even today. In Genesis 13:8, he says to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.” Abraham valued peace and unity and was willing to make great sacrifices to attain it. He was willing to put Lot’s needs before his own to avoid strife.

How highly do we value peace? Do we actively seek unity with our families—both physical and spiritual? What are we willing to do and even sacrifice to have peace? Let’s learn from Abraham and remember that there should not be strife between kinsmen!

What would you do if you were in charge? We often desire power and authority; perhaps we even dream about what we would accomplish if we possessed such things. We would get to do things our way. Maybe we even harbor thoughts of the control we could wield over others. Sadly, many people use authority and power for selfish ends, and often, they abuse or mistreat others. But authority is not meant for tearing down—it is meant for helping others. This is especially true in the church.

In 2 Corinthians 10:8, the apostle Paul says, “For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.” How do you view authority? Do you view it as a right allowing you to exercise power over others, or do you view it as a gift enabling you to help and serve others?

Our words and questions can reveal something of our own hearts and characters. Today, I want to end our series on “bad questions” with an example that likely applies to all of us.

In John 21, Jesus restored Peter but then also told Peter that one day, he would die in service to God. Even so, He exhorted Peter to “Follow Me.”  At that moment, Peter noticed John following them, and Peter asked, “What about this man?” Jesus responded perfectly: “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

We all are tempted to ask the same question Peter did—“What about so-and-so?” We like to look at others and their issues instead of focusing on ourselves. But such questions are distractions. We need to hear the Lord’s words as much as Peter did. Don’t worry about everyone else. Let’s each just do our part and follow the Lord.

Judas is perhaps the most notorious villain in all of history. His betrayal of the Lord stands as the epitome of evil and treachery. And yet, Matthew 27:3 says that when Judas saw Jesus was condemned, he brought the silver he had been given back to the chief priests and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Judas confessed his fault and appeared to be on the doorstep of repentance. But listen to the response of the Jewish leaders. They asked, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

Judas made his own decisions and bore the guilt of his sin. But the Jewish leaders demonstrated evil and uncaring hearts with their question. One of the worst questions we can ask is, “Why should I care?” Are we ready to listen to others and help them, sometimes even in difficult and uncomfortable situations, or are we like the Jewish leaders who ask, “What is that to us?” and send people away with no help?

Good people can ask bad questions. Doubt, fear, and other emotions can cause even the most faithful to waiver. At the end of Mark four, we read about Jesus and the disciples sailing across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus fell asleep during the journey, but a great windstorm kicked up and threatened to sink the boat. The disciples woke Jesus, and Mark 4:38 says they cried out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

What a question. Did Jesus care? Of course He cared! He was on the boat because He cared. He was living as a mortal man because He cared. He was moving ever closer to the cross because He cared! But danger can cause doubt, and doubt pulled their eyes away from Jesus. When we question the Lord and His love, we allow doubt to do to us what it did to the disciples on the sea. Don’t ask questions of doubt—trust in the Lord even in the most trying of circumstances.