I recently heard an interesting statistic: Children ages two to five average over seventy-six questions per hour in conversations at home. While some debate that number, most parents of preschoolers would probably say it’s even higher. For example, I was hanging out with my four-year-old grandson recently. Our family was watching a movie, and every ten seconds or so, you could hear his soft voice ask, ‘Why?’ By the end of the film, I’d argue he’d asked at least 200 “why” questions.  

But when children enter school, the questions vanish. One study found that school-age children ask two to five questions per class period, and some don’t ask any. It’s as if a light switch is turned off, in part because there is an unspoken rule: Asking questions makes you look dumb. And so, curiosity is trained out of the students. 

Of course, the same pattern can be seen in adults. We sit in meetings, in churches, in classrooms, and are afraid to speak. We don’t ask questions.  

Does the Bible give us an example of something like this? 

In Matthew 18:1-4, the disciples come to Jesus with a question: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” This isn’t a question about how to receive eternal life. It’s a discipleship question, asked by believers who want to understand rewards and greatness in the coming kingdom. 

Jesus responds by placing a child in their midst. 

The child becomes the model because children are humble (v 4). They ask questions. They are unpretentious and unafraid to appear foolish. Unlike the Pharisees, who lived for reputation, sophistication, and social prestige, a child has no such airs.   

The Lord’s teaching here is that anyone who wants to be great in the kingdom must embrace the attitude of a child by being humble, dependent, curious, and never ashamed to keep learning. 

The disciples are another example worth following. While often confused, foolish, and prone to mistakes, the disciples had one thing going for them: They were constantly asking questions. For example: 

• Luke 8:9: They ask, “What does this parable mean?”

• Mark 4:10: They wait until they’re alone to ask Him to explain everything.

• Matthew 13:36: They ask the Lord, “Explain the parable of the tares to us.”

• Mark 7:17: Once again, they ask Him to explain a parable.

• Matthew 19:25: After the encounter with a rich young ruler, they ask, “Who then can be saved?”

• Acts 1:6: Before the Lord’s ascension, they ask, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

They are an encouraging example for us. They didn’t know everything, so, like children, they came to the Lord and asked Him their questions. They knew the Lord had the words of life (John 6:68), and they wanted to learn. That is the heart of a disciple, even if it meant asking questions that made them look foolish. 

A few years ago, I was teaching at a Bible college in Zambia. During the staff orientation, we were told about an American professor who had a bad experience in his classroom. During class, the students asked him many questions. This is the cultural norm in Zambia. Overwhelmed, the professor became offended. He took his students’ questions as insults and rebuked them. He refused to answer any questions for the rest of his time in Zambia and insisted that his students only listen to his prepared lectures. Later, he tried to have two students expelled from the school for asking questions.  

This professor reflects much of church culture in the West today.  

• Congregants sit quietly, absorbing sermons as passive listeners.

• Questioning is rare, even discouraged.

• Dialogue, curiosity, and theological wrestling are confined to small groups, if they are allowed at all.

• If you question a leader, you will often be perceived as disrespectful or contentious.

Yet, Jesus invites our questions, saying in essence, “Come to Me and learn” (Matt 11:29). He doesn’t grow tired of our ignorance and desires to teach us. Therefore, may we never lose our childlike wonder, coming boldly to His Word with seventy-six questions and more!