Discerning the good and perfect will of God

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love and serve him with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy10:12 NLT

Our Lenten journey follows Jesus to the cross where he eventually submits himself humbly to a gruesome execution after bowing to the good and perfect will of the Father.

                        Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.  He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”

But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about. Luke 18:31-34 NLT

In Luke’s passage I find the closing of that account disturbing: But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.  (v.34)

We may often struggle with discerning God’s good and perfect will but I challenge us today to consider the fact we DO often know very clearly what God’s will is for us but given the choice between that steep, narrow, one track path toward the face of God and the broad, smooth, avenue of our own desires… …we go our own way.

Jesus often spoke in parables and often his disciples – when they were outside the public venue would inquire as to the meaning of those stories. Here however Jesus takes THEM aside and opens with, “Listen…”

Now, when I was in school I never took a lot of notes but would focus intently on every lecture. If you are a practitioner of this approach you must pay keen attention whenever your teacher prefaces an aspect of their delivery with, “Listen…” And in Luke, Jesus is not affecting some quick little tidbit like, “Hey guys, listen up, I know a great place to get roast lamb.” Jesus here is painfully aware of the Father’s good and perfect will and fulfilling it will require an extraordinary amount of discipline and the disciples’ support would be a tremendous blessing to him so please, “Listen…”

But they didn’t understand any of this. Why didn’t they understand? This was no cryptic parable!

The significance of his words was hidden from them… How many times did Jesus refer to himself as the Son of Man? Well in Luke’s Gospel it is used 31 times so the disciples couldn’t have struggled with that reference for Jesus. And frankly Jesus is quite accurate and descriptive about his plight even prophesying his resurrection! “…He [Jesus – the Son of Man] will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” (33)

…and they failed to grasp what he was talking about. My favorite band is The Call and one of their lyrics reads:

When I was quite young

I had learned to fear.

I was taught to listen

but not to hear…

Surely the disciples did LISTEN – Christ opened with that demand – but clearly they did not hear. Mark’s account of this same event describes the disciples as being filled with awe at the approach to Jerusalem – so emotions were high. Could this make a difference in the disciple’s ability to process Jesus’ very detailed description of what awaits them? I think it might because have you ever had your head in the clouds and suddenly hear drifting in from the person at your side, “YOU HAVEN’T HEARD A SINGLE WORD I JUST SAID!”? Despite the prompting to listen earnestly, if the disciples were in an energy charged state, it could have had an influence on their ability to process Jesus’ statement.

Or maybe they were all having a collective “Peter Moment” and didn’t want to face it?

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Matthew 16:21-22

Have you ever had a friend share with you the fact they were going to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to perform some sacrificial act to fulfill the good and perfect will of God? They might start with, “I know this might sound a touch crazy but… …”

Did you encourage them or hearing their harmony with the Divine did you quickly respond, “Yeah, you are right – THAT IS CRAZY!” and quickly clamp your hands over your own spiritual ears for fear of actually HEARING God too?

My wife worked with an incredible lady named Edith White when they both taught French in Minnesota. Shortly after Agathe graduated from that pursuit Edith sold all her worldly belongings and went to Africa to translate God’s word into the native language of those people while also participating in a very aggressive literacy program for them. Presently the 80+ year old Edith is back in the USA for a Sabbath from that intensely sacrificial labor. How often do we see that kind of “all in” commitment and celebrate it with a hearty, “Better them than me!” but all the while Christ is right next to us urging, “Listen…” and we know it and don’t open the door or our ears?

God tells Moses in the book of Numbers Chapter 27 that Moses is going to die so climb a mountain and get a look at the “Promised Land” before his expiration date comes up… What happens after that? Nine more chapters of Numbers AND just a little light reading titled Deuteronomy…34 chapters…of Deuteronomy!! What is Deuteronomy about? Well, in a nutshell it is Moses saying, “LISTEN to what God wants of you! If you do it, you will prosper beyond measure and if you do not follow His good and perfect will, you will suffer mightily!”

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love and serve him with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT

This has not changed and is a great approach to moving in God’s good and perfect will for us today!

Closing Thought

 If you were to meet Edith White I won’t tell you to keep your ears open to listen for God’s call to Africa but she will inspire you to hear God’s call to apply your spiritual gifts for his purpose in his good and perfect will!

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2