Playing dumb: to pretend to be ignorant of something
Sometimes people play dumb to avoid responsibility. “The lawn needs to be mowed? I’m sorry, I’m not sure how to work a lawn mower.”
Other times, we play dumb to gain an advantage for ourselves. “Well, I guess I could try, but I really don’t know very much about poker.”
Years ago, I already knew what game system I was getting my kids for Christmas, but I would pretend I didn’t know anything about it, so they’d be surprised. “So what was that thing you were asking for? A Nintendo something?”
We’re not the only ones who play dumb though. In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus has just risen from the dead and as a couple of His disciples are walking along the road to Emmaus, Jesus joins them, “but they were kept from recognizing Him.”
He asks them what they’re discussing and they proceed to tell Him all about the events of the past few days. Things, of course, that Jesus already knew. He then begins to explain how the Scriptures spoke about Him. When they get to Emmaus, “Jesus acted as if He were going farther.” But the disciples ask Him to stay and He accepts their invitation.
When they sat down to eat dinner together, He gave thanks, broke the bread and gave it to them. “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight.”
There are numerous reasons we choose to sometimes play dumb, but why would God? It’s not to avoid responsibility. It can’t be to gain information–He already knows everything.
I guess what I’m really asking is this: why isn’t God more clear? More obvious? Why does He hide Himself?
Take a look at Philippians 2:5-8…
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Jesus humbled Himself. Think about that for a moment. God. Humbled. Himself.
God is not arrogant or prideful. He’s not abrasive. He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. Of course, one day He will return to earth and set up His throne and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
But God doesn’t use force to coerce us into following Him. He pursues us, but He doesn’t force Himself on us. He loves us, but whether we love Him in return is up to us.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Could it be that God isn’t more “in your face” obvious, because He wants us to seek Him? If He always showed up with big miracles and lots of fanfare–maybe we’d be less inclined to seek Him because we wouldn’t need to–we’d just be wowed by the sheer force of His presence.
God pursues us, but He also likes to be pursued.