I Hate It When People Don't Finish Their

By Gobel Brockman


Several years ago a Dutch filmmaker directed a drama. The movie ended with the 'good guy' passing away and the 'villain' getting away with the crime. A few years later he made an American version of the film. However, he changed the ending so that the good guy won. I don't remember his exact words, but when asked why he changed the ending, he said something to the effect of "I had to make it palatable to the American audience. They like their happy endings."

Sad but true. Our culture seems to like everything wrapped up neatly and quickly. Problems on TV shows are always resolved by the end of the 30 minute program. We don't like cliffhangers and we don't like unresolved or unfinished story lines. We want everything to make sense. Spelled out. Clear as a bell.

It's a nice thought. It's just not reality.

I'm reminded of something that happened in the 12th chapter of John. The Bible says that some Greeks came to the disciples and asked to see Jesus. When they told Jesus, He didn't say 'Yes' or 'No.' What did He say?

     "...unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit."

I'm trying to imagine the reaction. The disciples are looking at each other, frowning, shrugging their shoulders, shaking their heads, and saying "WHAT?!?" Their words seemed simple enough: "The Greeks want to see you." There was nothing in their statement about grains of wheat dying. However, the disciples should have been used to this by now. Jesus always seemed to leave things hanging. He would tell a parable to the masses, then only explain its meaning to a few. In another place He told people "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot be my disciples..." and never bothered to explain what He meant by that. As a result, many walked away from Him. At first glance it may seem that the greatest teacher who ever lived didn't care if His students learned or not.

There are many factors to this, too many to address here. What I would like to focus on this week that goes along with this is a Scripture found in Jeremiah 29:13:

     "And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart."

I think that's part of the reason that God seems to leave things hanging sometimes. There are people who are committed to following Jesus regardless of the cost, and then there are people who seem to only want the quick answers and happy endings. The problem with that is the 'quick answer/happy ending' people always walk away from Him with neither. It's those who have decided to follow Jesus with all of their hearts, regardless of what comes their way, that are the ones who find what the Bible calls "...peace that passes all understanding." Sometimes our questions don't get answered. Sometimes we face situations that break our hearts, ask God for answers, and get nothing more than "Trust Me." I look at it this way: the Bible says that it's impossible to please God without faith, and if He explained everything clearly to me, I'd have no need for faith. So would I rather follow Christ in times of uncertainty, or have no times of uncertainty and no need for the faith that I must have to please God?

So let me ask you - and myself - a few questions. Why are we following Jesus? What will we do when we ask for 'A' and instead get a heartbreaking 'B'? Will we hang on to Him when He leaves things hanging?

(Notice how I ended with questions?)