Monday 2 May, 2016
Luke 18:31-34
31 Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. 33 After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
In these few short verses, Jesus takes the disciples aside and prepares them for what is about to happen in Jerusalem. Verse 34 says they didn’t understand and that the meaning of what Jesus said was hidden from them. Whether God intentionally hid this meaning from them or they just didn’t have the wherewithal to figure out He was saying something important, it seems that they do nothing about this revelation which Jesus has intentionally pulled them aside to tell them of.
This makes me wonder, how often does God speak, I fail to understand, and then do nothing about it? Do I just consider it beyond me, do I consider it too hard to comprehend, do I consider it at all? God’s ways are not my ways and His thoughts not my thoughts, but He speaks to me with purpose – to guide, lead, encourage, correct – the list goes on. I would hate to think that God is speaking to me and out of business, laziness or likewise, I simply brush over it and move on. I need to take the time to stop, hear Him and ask for wisdom to understand Him.
Jesus, thank You for speaking so clearly into my life. Thank You for speaking in ways I understand. Thank You that Your sheep hear Your voice. Please help me to always put my relationship with You first, and to never rush past what You’re saying.
Written by Matt Samperi
Yes, the thought of being spoken to but not listening is a scary prospect. For me the key is to remain in a ‘state of listening’ and the way I do this is to practice holding a question in my mind for a prolonged period. Usually regarding the scriptures I say “What does this mean Lord” and keep asking the same question each day. More often than not you get an answer, sometimes it takes days, sometime weeks and sometimes months. If you practice this ‘listening state’ long enough it becomes a habit even when you are not asking questions.
Thanks Matt, very thought provoking.
How awful for our Lord to know what lay ahead. How obedient he was to his Father’s will. I want to walk in my Father’s will today and everyday
How gracious of Jesus to show what was to come. They may not have listened or understood but later the disciples were reassured when they recalled his words – John 24v6-8. We may not understand when God speaks but he is so gracious he will reveal the meaning when we keep searching for Him. Thanks Matt and David
🙂