November 30, 2010

• Jesus' favorite thing

  What did Jesus get really excited about?   What made him really happy?   Consider these two parallel passages:

  Matt 11
  25At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.
  26"Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
   27"All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
  28"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
  29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
  30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

  Luke 10
  17The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."
  18And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
  19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
  20"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
  21At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
   22"All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
  23Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see,
  24for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."

   

  Isn't this interesting!   ... that Jesus exulted in the 'upside-down-ness' of God's revelation of Himself to humans...  that God revealed Himself to the poor and outcast of the world, the sinners who knew how unworthy they were...  rather than revealing Himself to the fine, noble, upstanding people who were proud of their own goodness and worthiness.

  • 9:48 pm
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