“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Luke 10:22 ESV
Reflection: why would Jesus reveal himself to some and not others?
Have you ever tried to teach someone who thinks he or she already knows it, even better than you? In fact, this might be one of those people who knows everything better than you. Doesn’t matter what you bring up. They have already been there, done that, and can tell you all about it. While they are wise in their own eyes, we can probably agree that they are in fact just a fool. Why? Because they are so filled with themselves, with pride, unable to self reflect and learn from others, even have the decency to listen to others.
In Luke chapter 10, we learn from Jesus a key “kingdom principle”. Let’s read how Jesus described it. “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” Luke 10:21 ESV. Basically he says that, if you are full of yourself,
is there room left for God?
It is actually a fundamental physics principle, that you cannot add anything new to an already full vessel. A “wise person” cannot receive the kingdom. On the other hand, a child can, because a child is by definition “empty”.
In this chapter, there are a couple of other illustrations of this principle that we should look at. The first being the 72 that Jesus sent out, into the harvest. He instructed them to “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” Luke 10:9 ESV. And, in prep for this, he told them to empty themselves. “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.” Luke 10:3-4 ESV.
Notice that they carried nothing.
The second example is from the cities the 72 went to, some received them and others didn’t. And Jesus makes this interesting observation. ““Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” Luke 10:13 ESV. Even through all the mighty works done there, Chorazin and Bethsaida could not see nor receive the kingdom.
But Tyre and Sidon could.
I have wondered many times why we don’t see more healing, more presence of the gifts of the Spirit, more presence of kingdom of God today. He is the same today as yesterday, and forever, right? Could it be because we, his followers, are already full of ourselves, our busy lives, thinking we know it, leaving no room for God to work in us and through us?
To completely surrender and rely only on God. All in, as we looked at yesterday.
Let’s empty of ourselves, so that God can reveal Himself to us, fill us with His power and authority, and let His kingdom come, through us.