Chlidlike Curiosity

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Good morning Chapel family. I want to say congratulations to Emma and Caitlyn and Bianca and Nimmi on this day of your baptism. I am so encouraged that there are three Chapel Students being baptized today—isn’t that awesome? And we’re excited about Nimmi, too—even though she’s an adult. But what a great day for the four of you. As your church family we celebrate this moment with you, and we look forward to walking with you as you continue following Jesus. May God bless you richly.

So…we are taking this fall to focus on the faith of a child. Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” So Jesus invites us to be childlike—not childish—but childlike. So each week we’ve been looking at children and youth in the Bible, and learning from their example.

From young Samuel, we learned about childlike listening.

From young David, childlike courage.

From young Esther, childlike boldness.

From young Daniel, childlike purity.

And today we come to our final example—from the early life of Jesus himself, we’re going to talk about childlike curiosity.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.”

There’s a writer named Ralph B. Smith, and he made this observation: he said on average, children ask about 125 questions per day. (Parents—you can verify that, right?) Adults, on average, ask about six questions per day. So somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose 119 questions per day. Why is that? Why do so many of us lose our curiosity as we get older? Maybe it’s pride—we don’t want to look dumb by admitting there’s something we don’t know. Maybe it’s busyness—we’re too caught up on the treadmill of life to slow down and ask questions. Or maybe it’s exhaustion—we’re just too tired to care. Whatever the reason, this is one of those areas that, if we humble ourselves and learn from children, our lives will be so much richer and so much more Christ-like.

So…let’s look at today’s Scripture. This is the one and only place in the Gospels where there’s a scene from the boyhood of Jesus. Luke chapter 2, beginning in verse 41. Let’s hear God’s Word…

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished.

His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. This is the Word of the Lord.

So let’s talk about three things today: A Model of Curiosity, A Life of Curiosity, and The Key to Curiosity. A model of curiosity, a life of curiosity, and the key to curiosity.

So, first: A Model of Curiosity. Every spring, Jewish families were expected to travel to Jerusalem for the Passover, so Joseph and Mary made the journey from their home in Nazareth to Jerusalem—it’s about 90 miles—probably four or five days on foot. They spent the week celebrating the Passover, and they headed back home. And after a full day of traveling, they realized something was missing. This was the original Home Alone: Lost in Jerusalem. They forgot Jesus! How could that possibly happen?

Easily. When people would travel to those festivals, it was common to travel in large groups—for camaraderie, but also for safety. So Joseph and Mary must have assumed that Jesus was somewhere in that big group of people. But at bedtime, he was nowhere to be found. So they start walking around the camp and asking around, but no one has seen him. A little parental panic sets in. So the next morning, they go back and search the city—they probably stop at the homes of relatives and friends they know—and the panic level gets a little higher. (Parents—are you feeling this? Ask me sometime about losing my son, Jonny, at Dorney Park when he was three years old—terrifying experience. I’ll never look at Snoopy Land the same way again).

So finally, they go over to the temple—maybe to pray for God’s help in finding their son. And to their great surprise, there’s Jesus! It says his parents were astonished—like, “What are you doing here?” And Jesus isn’t sick with anxiety from losing his parents; he doesn’t run into their arms, sobbing. He’s sitting there with this group of rabbis, listening to them teach and asking them questions. And it says the teachers “were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Now, 12 or 13 years old was the age when a Jewish boy was considered a “son of the covenant”—a bar mitzvah. But this was no ordinary 12-year-old boy. He was like a sponge—soaking in the teaching of Scripture and integrating it with the Scripture he already knew, and passionate about understanding all of it. This is a beautiful model of curiosity.

Now: in one sense, Jesus is not like us. When Mary says, “Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you,” did you notice what Jesus says? “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” And it says Mary and Joseph didn’t understand what he was saying. But Jesus knew exactly what he was saying: at that young age, he knew who he was. He knew he was the Messiah, and even though Joseph was considered his dad, Joseph was not his father. And somehow, Jesus knew that being there in his Father’s house—in the temple—soaking in the Scriptures, was what he needed to do to get ready for his calling. So in that way, Jesus is different from us. We are not the Messiah.

But in another way, Jesus is just like us. Don’t forget, he was fully human. And when he entered this world as a human, he did not have the entire Hebrew Scriptures supernaturally downloaded into his brain. He had to learn the Word of God just like we do: by listening and reading and asking questions. Why do you think that, out of all the things that happened in Jesus’ life between babyhood and thirty

years old, that this is the one thing that’s included in the Gospels? I think it’s because this was a typical scene from his young life. So whether it was at Jerusalem during one of the Jewish festivals, or at the local synagogue near his home in Nazareth, or at home with his parents, Jesus was voraciously curious about God’s Word, and he learned it well. So much so, that 18 years later, when he gets tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he’s able to fight off the devil using only the words of Scripture. He knows it that well. So much so, that every time he taught, he showed complete mastery of the Old Testament Scriptures, and he was able to answer every question thrown at him.

Every summer, at Chapel Kids Camp (and if you’re new around here, that’s what we call our Vacation Bible School—Chapel Kids Camp)—we have groups of kids moving from one activity to the next. And one of the stations is a Bible lesson. So this past summer, in one of the 4th-grade groups there was a boy name Mason. And every time his group was done with the Bible lesson, the whole group was ready to move on to the next thing, except Mason. He kept asking questions, to make sure he understood what was taught and what it meant for his life. Everyone else was like, “Come on, let’s get to games—let’s get to snacks,” but Mason was voraciously curious, and the group had to wait. And by the way, last August—right after Chapel Kids Camp—Mason was baptized. So Mason, if you’re listening, thank you for following the model of Jesus. Keep being curious.

So what does it mean for us to follow that example? Let’s talk about A Life of Curiosity. Tom Peters, the business guru, said this: “The best leaders are the best notetakers, best askers, and best learners.” A few years ago, I was officiating a funeral service at a funeral home, and I noticed a guy in the front row—probably in his 50s—and he had a little index card in his shirt pocket. And while I was giving the funeral message, he took out this card and started writing on it. That’s not normal at a funeral. So afterwards I found him and introduced myself. And I said, “Hey—I’m not used to people taking notes during funerals—can I ask what that was about?” And he said, “Oh—I carry this everywhere I go, because I’m always looking for what God is trying to say to me, and whenever I hear something interesting, I write it down.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him you can actually use your cell phone for things like that. But I was so inspired by that spirit of curiosity!

So how do you develop that? Verse 46 says that Jesus was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. So I have three questions for us—you ready?

First, who am I sitting among? In other words, who are the people I hang out with? Are they people that I respect, and that I can learn from? Because everybody knows you become like the people you hang around with. Proverbs 13:20 says Walk with the wise and become wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. There was a period in college when my closest friends were very sarcastic. So whenever we were together, it was constant joking and sarcastic humor. So one night, I was out on a double date with one of my sarcastic friends and our girlfriends, and we went out to dinner, and my friend and I were our normal idiotic selves for the whole dinner. And afterwards, the girl I was dating said, “Are you guys always like that? That was exhausting.” Ouch. But she was right. And I needed to hear that. I had chosen to sit among people who were pretty immature, and it brought out that immaturity in me, and I realized I needed some different friends. Jesus sat among the teachers in the Temple; who are you sitting among?

Second, Am I listening? A big part of curiosity is listening. Which means that you’re not constantly talking. Proverbs 18:2 says Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Do you know anybody like that? Even when they’re not talking, they’re just waiting for their chance to say the next thing? We talked about this at my men’s group last week, and one of the guys in my group said, “Oh yeah—those are called ‘Me Monsters.’ Everything they talk about is all about

them. It’s me-m-me-m-me-me me.” So even when you say something, you can tell they’re not actually listening. These are the worst people to be in friendships with, because it’s all one-sided. Don’t be like that. Jesus sat among the teachers, listening to them. Are we listening?

And then third, Am I an asker of questions? I will never forget a moment from fourth grade. The teacher had a group of us gathered in a corner of the room, and we were all sitting on a rug, and she was teaching long division. And at one point she paused, and she said, “Now, does anyone have any questions? It’s really fine if you don’t understand this, just raise your hand.” And I remember sitting there, and I totally had questions. I was in a fog. But I looked around, and I didn’t see anybody else raising their hand. And I remember thinking, “If I raise my hand and tell her I don’t get this, I’m going to look dumb.” So I made the decision to stay quiet. And she went on with the lesson. And that was the beginning of my mathematical decline. It only got worse from there. Why? Because I was too proud to ask a question. Guys—don’t be too proud to ask questions. One of the guys in my men’s group is a corporate executive, and he does a lot of hiring. And he said, “Whenever I get to the end of an interview, and I ask the candidate, ‘Do you have any questions for us,’ He said, “if the person doesn’t have any questions, I never hire that person.” Like Tom Peters said, “The best leaders are the best askers.” It’s okay to not know everything! And it’s really good to learn stuff.

So…three important questions: who am I sitting with? Am I listening? And am I an asker of questions?

And then, as I think through the teaching of the Bible, I see three life contexts where God invites us to be curious.

First, Stay Curious about God's Word. Just like young Jesus was. When I started seminary, they gave all the incoming students a test called The Test of Biblical and Theological Knowledge. It assessed how much we knew about the Bible. And I did terrible. I scored around the 20th percentile, which means 80% of students knew more than I knew. And at first, that was really discouraging! But then I made a decision: I’m going to learn. I’m going to basically start from scratch, and read and ask questions and soak everything in. And I did—I just dove in. And when I graduated, they test you again, and I think I was like 85th percentile. I’m a little mad about those 15% who still knew more than me, but that kept me humble.

Stay curious about God’s Word. I can always tell when someone is in what I call “discovery mode.” When they’re discovering new things from the Word, and excited, and asking questions. Because if you’ve been a Christian for a while, it’s easy to start coasting, and getting stagnant. If that’s where you are, consider this a wakeup call. Be inspired by the curiosity of Jesus, who kept asking questions about Scripture. Be inspired by the curiosity of my dad—who’s 83 years old, but almost every time we’re together, he asks questions about the Bible—some of which I can answer (the other ones he needs to ask those 15% of people who are apparently smarter than me). Be inspired by the curiosity of my friend Ethan, 19 years old, and fired up about his faith. A couple of weeks ago he forgot to bring his phone into church, and he had nothing to take notes with. So afterwards he rolled up his sleeve and he showed me sermon notes written all over his arm. Stay curious about God’s Word.

Second, Stay Curious about God's world. Saint Augustine taught that God has revealed himself to us through two books: the book of Scripture and the book of nature. And both books teach us really important things. One of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 19, talks about both of those “books.” The first half of the Psalm starts out, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the works of his hands.” So it’s all about how we can learn about God from nature. The second half of Psalm 19 starts out, “The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” So the second half is all about Scripture. God’s world; God’s Word. They both have so much to teach us.

So stay curious about God’s world. Francis Collins directed the Human Genome Project, where they cracked the code of human DNA. He used to be an atheist, but he was drawn to faith partially by his interaction with nature. He’s now a committed Christian, and he said this: “The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. He can be worshiped in the cathedral or in the laboratory.” He also said “For me the experience of sequencing the human genome…was both a stunning scientific achievement and an occasion of worship.” And then, going from the microscopic smallness of human genes to the vastness of the galaxies, Jennifer Wiseman is a NASA astronomer with a PhD from Harvard, and she said this: “The exploration of the universe continually tells us about the majestic nature of God.”

Now, I’m not saying every Christian needs to become an elite scientist. But here’s what I am saying: the God we worship has created a stunningly complex and beautiful world. And when we’re curious about that world, it honors God and it grows us. So when you go down to the apiary at our community garden right down the street (do you know what an apiary is? I just learned this—it’s a structure where bee hives are kept—and we have one, and it’s actually maintained by the beekeeper from Liberty Science Center)—so when you’re curious enough to go down to learn about the honey-making process, that can be an occasion of worship. You’re not worshiping the bees; you’re worshiping the maker of bees. When you sit in your biology class; when you go to the Hayden Planetarium in New York, that can be worship. I just started reading a book called The Hidden Life of Trees, amazing book about how trees actually communicate with each other and share with each other and warn each other of danger. I am so curious about that. And the more I learn about creation, the more I’m in awe of the Creator.

And then, third: Stay Curious about God’s Children. I can remember multiple times when I met someone at an event or a party, and I talked with them for a while, and then I was driving home with Norma Jean, and I said, “You know, that person didn’t ask a single question about me. I asked them all kinds of questions about them, but they didn’t seem to be interested in my life at all.” You ever had that experience? Proverbs 20, verse 5 says The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. How do you draw someone out? By spending time with them. By asking them questions, and then leaning in and listening when they answer. That’s what builds trust, and that’s what builds friendship. Stay curious about other people.

There are times when I get home from work, and if our schedules line up Norma Jean and I go out for a walk—we have a 2-mile loop around our neighborhood. And my mind is hopping with everything I experienced that day, but I’ve learned that it’s so good for our relationship when I put my stuff aside, and I intentionally say to her, “Tell me about your day.” And then—here’s the most important part—I carefully listen. And I ask follow-up questions to draw her out. It’s taken me years to learn that—to be truly curious about her world. But it’s so good for our marriage. And it’s good for every relationship.

So: what does it mean to live a life of curiosity? Ask yourself three questions: who am I sitting with? Am I listening? And am I an asker of questions? And then take that curious spirit and apply it in three contexts: God’s Word, God’s world, and God’s children.

Whew. That’s a lot of work! Is it really possible to live like that? Yes, but we need help.

Point number three: The Key to Curiosity. When you think about curiosity, by definition it means you’re interested in things outside of yourself. Right? You’re curious about God’s Word and God’s world and God’s people. And you can’t learn about those things if you’re always thinking about yourself. The reason I didn’t ask a question about long division is because I was too focused on myself—what people would think of me. The reason some people at parties never ask about you is because they’re so absorbed with themselves. So we’re talking about pride and insecurity, which are

really two sides of the same coin, because they’re both all about self-focus. Pride and insecurity are the enemies of curiosity. So the question is: how do you overcome pride and insecurity, so you can become a curious person?

And the answer is: the gospel. Jesus says, “I love you so much that I went to the cross, and I paid for your sins. Come to me; believe in me; and you will be forgiven and accepted by God permanently. And you won’t just be tolerated by God; you will be a cherished son or daughter of the King.” That’s the promise of the gospel: complete acceptance. Complete security in the love of God. Which means: you don’t have to prove yourself; you don’t have to promote yourself; because the One whose opinion matters the most says, “You are mine, and I will never leave you or forsake you.”

And the more you grow in that knowledge; the more you build your self-image on what God says about you, the more you’ll be free to take your eyes off yourself and turn your eyes outward, and become curious. As you do that, something beautiful will begin to happen.

In our main passage today, here’s the last thing it says: And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. He was only twelve years old at the time, but each year that went by, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. And I don’t think “stature” just means he got taller; it means he become a person of substance, and people respected him because he had something to say. So Jesus was on a trajectory of upward growth, and here’s what I want to say: a major reason for that was because of his curiosity.

In fact, I would suggest this principle: complacency shrinks us; curiosity expands us. Complacency shrinks us; curiosity expands us. “Complacency” means you don’t care about anything; you’re really not that interested to learn anything new; you can’t be bothered to ask about anyone else. That approach to life will shrink your soul. But when you’re curious, just like Jesus you will grow in wisdom and stature. Life will always be interesting and challenging. And as you get older, your mind is more likely to stay sharp. Some of you older people know that, right? If you don’t challenge your mind by staying curious and learning, your mind turns to mush.

Complacency shrinks us; curiosity expands us.

G.K. Chesterton was a British, Christian intellectual who lived about a hundred years ago. And I’m going to close with his words: “How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it; if you could really look at other men with common curiosity and pleasure… You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own little plot is always played, and you would find yourself under a freer sky.” I think he’s right.

Twelve-year-old Jesus sat among the teachers at the temple, listening to them and asking them questions. By God’s grace, let’s follow his example.