Posted: 2/3/2011 10:38:13 AM EDT
...assuming it even exists. 
The other day while listening to Rush, a caller said, "Even Jesus Himself ordered us to question Him" in response to a comparison of Obama to the Messiah. Now, I can't remember ever having read anything like that at all, but if it's there, it would make my life. Is there any passage where Christ says anything like that, or otherwise addresses the difficulty of believing in Him through faith alone? I'm one of those who believes. Sorta. 
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Negative. He was quite specific.
Rush used the usual "Obama is the Messiah" line, and the caller responded that "Even Christ commanded us to question Him". It stopped me dead in my tracks. I had to know if it was true. That said, the caller may have misspoken, meaning what you said only getting it all sorts of wrong.... |
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Maybe they were mistaken and were thinking of:
The Apostle Paul was commending the Bereans for looking in the Old Testament Scriptures to see if what he was saying was true. Act 17:11 ESV Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. |
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John 10:38 - But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
1 John 4:! - Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. John 7:16-18 - Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. One of these may be what the caller was referring to. Don |
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When talking about questioning, the two passages that come to my mind are the Bereans (already mentioned) and the Lord's post resurrection interaction with Thomas.
The Jews at Berea "received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." They were comparing the Gospel with the prophecies in what we'd call the Old Testament, verifying that they weren't being duped. I think it's worth noting that they weren't doubting or questioning Jesus. John 20:24-29, ESV Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." The first thing that stands out to me in this narrative is the loving and non-condemning approach Jesus takes with Thomas, who was seeking proof. Secondly, I note the Lord's instruction: "Do not disbelieve, but believe." I can't think of a place where Jesus tells us to question him, nor do I think he would say such a thing. |