By Jeremy Writebol
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:1-42, John 3:35-36, 1 John 5:20
Have you ever known someone you did not quite understand? For the longest time, I didn’t “get” my friend Andy’s dad, which was a bit of a problem because Andy’s dad was also my boss and pastor. I couldn’t figure out what made him tick or why he made some of the decisions he made. Andy’s dad was an anomaly to me—that is, until I got to know Andy better. Knowing Andy unlocked my understanding of his father, Chris, and helped me relate to and enjoy him better. Often, we just need someone on our own level to help us understand.
Today’s reading is a wild experience. Jesus paired off and sent out seventy-two of His followers on short-term mission trips throughout Israel. They went, they preached, they healed, they shook dust off their feet. And they were so successful that even demons submitted to them (Luke 10:17). But Jesus didn’t want the disciples to focus on what they had done. He was more concerned with them understanding what they had seen: namely, the Son of God and His coming kingdom.
The three persons of the Trinity are brought into view as Jesus the Son “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” and praised the Father because God was being made known (v.21). Jesus’s praise to the Father here in the middle of Luke 10 is the lens that gives sight to the whole chapter. God’s kingdom is near. The Father’s character, heart, and mission are evident in the Son. We should be asking ourselves, do we understand what we see?
Often we try to fashion God into our image or our own preferred styles. We want God to be as gracious as possible to us but harsh and judgmental to our enemies. We want God’s mercy to fall on the people who deserve it but His vengeance to fall on those we would rather see in pain. Not only that, but we tend to only see the realities of God that we choose to see, rather than what Jesus Christ has shown us.
But Jesus isn’t interested in our own versions of God and His kingdom. He’s revealing to us the Father. In this chapter alone, we see He is the God who is Lord of the heavens and earth (v.21), He is the God who shows mercy and commands compassion (vv.30–37), and He is the God who values our sitting at His feet over missing what is more important (v.42). Jesus perfectly displays the Father by His power, His love, and His grace.
The more we spend our time beholding the Son, the more clearly we will see and understand the Father. Jesus said eternal life is found in this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind” (v.27). Christ shows us who God is so that we can know Him and love Him with all that we are.
Written by Jeremy Writebol
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