Would you care to explain?

Luke 18:31

Jesus Foretells His Death a THIRD Time:

So I'm reading this passage and I'm thinking, why does Jesus explain this again, I mean you would think that they would have gotten it by now.  But look at verse 34, "But they understood none of these things.  This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said."

It says "This saying was hidden from them".  Why would Jesus take time to explain something so important to his disciples if he KNEW they would not understand it? What is the point?

I think about my life (I am a thinker). And if I am having a bad day and someone asks me about it, I just shrug them off.  Why? Well, because all day I have already thought through my situation so many times, at many different angles, so it is emotionally exhausting for me to have to explain it to someone unless they are part of the solution, unless they will completely UNDERSTAND.  If I know they won't, then I just don't waste my time.  I just give it to God and I feel like this is energy efficient for me. But in the passage above, Christ is inefficient with his emotional energy.  Here me out.  He cared enough to go through this explanation of the day he will die for the world, knowing that it will be hidden from them!

For a long time, I blamed the disciples, they are so stupid, why do they not understand?! But it was not their fault, it was hidden from them.  This, to me, is a great illustration.  This illustrates to me that I should not shut down and not have community just because it is emotionally exhausting sometimes.  But there is a bigger picture to this.

This shows us a picture of the God we serve.  Jesus explains to them when he knows they won't understand.  God calls us, even when He knows we won't go.  He reveals things to us, when He knows we won't understand them.  He talks to us, when He knows we won't listen.  Why? Because He loves us so much, that He is in a constant pursuit of us. Beautiful.

Have you ever been in a relationship of unrequited love? I have.  I feel like God brings us through those trials to show us just a GLIMPSE of what it feels like to Him when we reject Him.  Of course, this is only a glimpse, because I never died for anyone, nor did I conquer death for anyone and have them not care about me.  It hurts just to be in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way, we will never understand.  (1 Corinthians 9:13) But that is o.k. because the substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:17).

Be still today and acknowledge that He is constantly pursuing you, His beloved.

My God, My God, why have I forsaken YOU?

reading Proverbs 1 and 2 is so humbling.  Not listening to Wisdom call out can be detrimental.  I am at a crossroads in my life, or at least one is approaching very soon, and I don't know if it is a commit problem, or I am just terrible at making decisions, but I am on a roller coaster of peace and anxiety.  I need to figure out which nursing school I should go to, or if I should go to nursing school.  I have to trust.

 I read today how we are never happy with how God is in control.  Sometimes we want Him to completely do everything for us, and sometimes we want Him to just step aside.  Overall I have to trust that there is a plan, and even though I don't know it, I can still be used as long as there is no sin in my life.

 Mrs. Mickbben, the mother of the family I am living with this semester was telling me about the verse in Psalms that talks about His word being a lamp unto my feet.  Well she explained that the lamp back then is nothing like what we have today, no headlights or LED flashlights.  It was just enough light to take one step, then just enough light to take another step.  I can't get stuck in feeling like, maybe I missed something, or what if I ruin my life.  These are silly when you consider our Maker.

My favorite picture is of a parent pushing a kid in a toy car, the kid can try to steer, but ultimately, the parent is deciding the direction the toy car goes.  The face the kid makes when they try to make a sharp right turn but can't is the face my heart makes.  But what the kid (and myself) don't notice is the wall that the car would have hit taking that right turn.

Proverbs 2:10-11