kind of an aside, but there's something i've always found really interesting here --
Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
(Luke 2:46)
he wasn't sitting there teaching. He was sitting there listening and asking questions
- the word 'answer' doesn't necessarily mean someone asks you something, and you address their question. it can also mean something closer to our word "reply" -- for example:
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said,
“If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said,
“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
(Matthew 4:3-4)
notice that Satan didn't ask a question, but our translations say Jesus "answered"
so taking Luke 2:46 as it's written, the rabbis and wise men in the temple were astonished at His understanding because of the questions He asked. which means He sat with them and asked astonishing questions that showed understanding and wisdom far beyond what ordinary men have. these were teachers in the temple at Jerusalem, presumably among the wisest men in all of Israel, and they are amazed at just the questions He asks! i want to know what those questions were
this is my favorite kind of teaching, not browbeating you with "i say it's thus and this" but very poignant questions that really make you think and that no one would ask unless they really understand what they are talking about, that turn all your ideas upside down because you never even thought to ask them, and asking them challenges what you thought you knew. teaching by asking questions is really powerful because the one who learns from it isn't just memorizing a set of 'facts' that the teacher is claiming to be true by his authority; instead, all the learning is going on in your own mind, as you figure out the answers for yourself -- it's internalized, and when you get it, you really have gained some understanding, instead of just having a mental list of 'standard answers' to regurgitate that someone made you commit to memory.
Jesus is awesome ♥