Ask that obvious question

A man said to Jesus, "So I'm supposed to love my neighbor -- who's my neighbor?" Jesus told a story: "A Jewish man was beaten and left to die. A priest came by but wouldn't help. A religious man didn't stop, either. Then a Samaritan man came, and even though his people were enemies of the Jews, he helped the hurt man." Jesus asked, "Who was the Jewish man's neighbor?" The man who questioned Jesus said, "The one who helped." "You do the same thing," Jesus said.

"It's getting dark out!" your brother yelled in excitement while you waited for Fourth of July fireworks to start. "Duh," you said, rolling your eyes as you wondered: Why do people say things that are so obvious?

Saying obvious things and asking questions when you already know the answers are not new. Kids do it; adults do it; people in Jesus' time did it -- as we hear in this week's Gospel (Luke 10:25-37).

"Can they start the fireworks before it's dark?" your brother kept asking last week, annoying you. He must have known you wouldn't be able to see fireworks unless it was dark, so why did he ask?

People ask a lot more serious questions than that when they already know the answers. In the Gospel story, a man wanted to know who his neighbor was. Jesus' answer -- told in a story we call "the parable of the Good Samaritan" -- was basically, "Your neighbor is whoever needs your help at the moment. If someone needs help, help them."

Most obvious questions are asked because the person asking needs reassurance. The guy Jesus met probably didn't want to risk helping strangers and calling them "neighbors" unless he was really sure that's what Jesus wanted.

Asking obvious questions also helps you let off steam. The man who questioned Jesus was also hinting through his question that he felt scared; your brother's questions showed he was excited about the fireworks. Instead of rolling your eyes next time, just answer -- even when the answer is obvious!