"Just Ask"

For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."

But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Mark 9:31-32

As I was reading this morning this verse caught my eye or rather my attention.  Here we have Jesus trying to lay it out for them and they are not understanding. As His disciples today we know what His statement meant and what He was trying to tell them. "The Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of men." We know He was handed over to the Romans. "They will kill Him." We know He was scourged, nailed to a cross, and crucified. We know that there was a moment when He cried, "My God, my God, why has't thou forsaken me!" so that He could pay for our sins. We know what He meant when He said, "After He is killed, He will rise the third day." We know that the tomb was empty despite the guards that were placed to guard it. We, as His disciples today know what He was trying to tell them about. But they didn't understand and  they didn't dare ask for his help to understand and it was this statement that caught my attention.

This was a pretty important event that He was trying to prepare them for.  It says they didn't understand His saying and were afraid to ask Him. Why? Throughout the Gospels we see them asking Him questions and for explanations all the time. Why were they afraid this time?

The thing that I noticed is this. It was His heart to tell them, to let them know what was going on, just as it is His heart to help us and eguip us for the events in our lives. As His disciples, I think we should never be afraid to ask for understanding. Its His heart to tell us and to help us understand. He wants us to know Him, to understand Him. He has given us His Word and He has sent us the Holy Spirit. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26

Don't be afraid, just ask! It is His heart that we know and understand!