Luke 18:31-34
When our newborn daughter entered our lives, I was excited but afraid. I’d done some babysitting and worked in church preschool classrooms for years, but I wondered if my husband and I were ready for this full-time responsibility. Did we grasp how sleepless nights, financial challenges, and childcare issues would change us? We gathered bottles, diapers, clothes, and all the necessities, but I was still uneasy.
Many times when I read Scripture, I feel a similar uneasiness. I’ve spent years studying the Bible and teaching it, but do I truly grasp what God is trying to say? Clearly, the disciples don’t understand that Jesus will die and be resurrected, though he’d explained it to them before, and they’d heard what prophets like Isaiah and Daniel had proclaimed. Understanding that someone who is dead will come to life again is difficult. Imagine how hard it is for them to grasp that Jesus, who they love, will be mocked, insulted, flogged, and spat upon—not to mention his being killed. Maybe they are in denial, 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 (v. 34). They don’t want to face the responsibility of carrying on with life without Jesus. The future looks bleak without him.
What is God trying to teach me about the crucifixion and resurrection? What will God try to tell me through the blind man’s physical healing and Zacchaeus’s spiritual healing this week? After all of these years of discipleship, what is still hidden from me? What does God want me to learn now?
Consider
When have you read Scripture, but felt you lacked understanding? What passages do you struggle with most?
Pray
God, open my mind and heart to understand what you are telling me. Amen.