This post follows a previous meditation The Right Rejoice. Here is a classic passage following the passage where Jesus teaches His disciples on what to rejoice. Jesus rejoices Himself and shows us the way to right rejoice; a demonstration of the lessons taught.
“At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 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 10:21,22 NRSV)
Connect with the Ordinary
Jesus is not rejoicing because God’s hidden things were revealed to the “great” people but to the ordinary. In the world people reveal their confidential matters and trade secrets to people of “high society” and people with money and power through whom they can be benefitted. I would call is as “Power Connection” or “Power Association”. And when such connections happen they will be happy.
But here we see the opposite. We need to derive happiness and rejoice over the connections with ordinary people and by contributing to them.
Gracious Will
Talking further about this character of God this passage reveals yet another key element in developing God-like character in us. It is the “gracious will” of God. That is, ‘grace’ and ‘will’ acting together.
The “will” of God is powerful and greater than any great person on earth, but the “grace” of God makes Him stoop down to the level of the least of mankind. We need to develop such a character in us and our authority needs to be exercised in that “gracious will”.
Absolute Power
Why does Jesus say not to rejoice over the “authority” and “power” given to us? Because absolute power corrupts. That’s why Jesus demonstrates by example how not to hold onto absolute power; leave alone rejoicing over it. Here we see within the Godhead, the mutual total submission of authority. The verse 22 does not say that the Father has handed over only certain things to the Son, but “ALL” things.
And each person in the Trinity is revealed by the other; mutual glorification.
Only those craving for absolute power will hesitate or would never hand over everything in their authority to others and they also would only want to reveal (talk about) themselves and never or seldom others.
May the Lord enable us to connect with and contribute for ordinary people, to exercise our power with ‘gracious will’ and to never crave or seek for absolute power and self-glory. Let this Lent especially remind us to be like Christ,
“who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8 NRSV)
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3,4 NKJV)
