The Most Important Thing In Which You Should Rejoice
We live in an age of accomplishment. More so, we live in an age of announcedaccomplishments. In other words, we love to toot our own horns.
The church is rarely any different. Frankly, neither were the disciples of Jesus over 2000 years ago. Not that our—or their—celebrations of achievements are always with wrong motives. In fact, when the 72 were sent out by the Lord and came back with incredible reports of success, I don’t think they were seeking to one-up each other or Jesus. They were probably genuinely thrilled at what had occurred, namely, “even the demons were subject to us in your name” (v 17).
Yet, as the story in Luke 10 unfolds, Jesus countered their announced accomplishments with his own proclamation: “Don’t rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (v 20).
In other words, Jesus was saying to his hand-picked followers that what should really astound them is not what they did for God, but what God had done for them—written their names in heaven! The main thing that should grab their attention was God’s accomplishment, not theirs.
Fast forward to you and me. What do we learn? How should we live? Yes, rejoice! But not in your mission for God, but in your position in God. It’s God’s acquisition of us, not our activity for him, that should form the foundation for our deepest happiness and boasting. Remember, child of God, we celebrate the gospel, not our goals.
It’s a convicting narrative, isn’t it? And Christ’s words are compellingly counter-intuitive. But oh, how freeing! Why? Because now there’s nothing to prove. Christ has done it all. So rest in his accomplishment, and live on-mission for his glory from the victory he has already won.
Pastor Todd