According to recent studies, children, elementary age and younger, ask on average 300 questions a day. Although, I’m guessing some parents might argue that children ask far more questions than that each day.
Whatever the number, such studies show us that children are naturally curious. “What’s for dinner? Are we there yet? Why do I have to do that? Why is the sky blue? Where do babies come from? Why is that called a platypus?”
If you’ve spent any amount of time hanging out with kids, you know that no question is too crazy. Kids want to know everything.
And while it might be annoying, I don’t think kids ask question to annoy us, but I think they ask questions to better understand the world around them.
But, research also shows that as we get older, we tend to ask fewer questions. In fact, studies report that adults ask only twenty questions a day.
Here’s the thing, I’m guessing most of us still have questions. Sure, our questions might have gotten more complicated as we’ve gotten older, but we still have questions. We’re still trying to figure out how the world works.
Peter was the same way. Usually known for being the first to speak up, in this week’s text we find Peter asking questions. Since last week’s conversation between Jesus and Peter, Jesus has been transfigured high on a mountain, has cured a little boy, and continues to speak of his death and resurrection. And now, he and the disciples are in Capernaum.
And they’re talking about forgiveness. And Peter asks a question and seems to expect a straightforward answer: “How many times should I forgive?” Instead, Jesus’ math is not predictable – it’s infinite.
Forgiveness is abundant: grace is not earned.
I’ve often wondered how Peter processed and comprehended Jesus’ answer. Did it suddenly make sense? Was he angry that Jesus didn’t really tell him what he wanted to know? Or did he spend the rest of his life trying to figure it out as he became a leader in the early church?
Because that’s the thing about faith, and following Jesus, there are rarely black and white answers. Instead, the journey of faith is a journey of asking questions, of going deeper, of wrestling, and of learning.
May we be open for what Jesus has to teach us.
Grace and peace,
Kimmy