It's Tuesday of the first week of Advent.
This passage of scripture reminds me of the goal of Advent...to wait in joyful hope because of love.
Luke 10:21-24
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Everytime I have read this passage I get a picture of Jesus laughing. As his disciples return from a successful ministry trip they tell him (in essence) "Everything you told us to do, we did, and it all worked!" They were ecstatic and so was Jesus. Like a proud Father who showed his kids how to do it and then watched them do it, Jesus saw His disciples do what he told them to do, and they did it well...and he was very happy.
He then says, not only am I happy, but I told you this and the Father is happy also...and I know that he loves what he sees too. Then he looks at his disciples as a Parent sometimes looks at their child, like a teacher sometimes looks at the student, and says..."You don't know how great this, but you will....good job."
Yet, the key to me is in the first verse, verse 21.
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
This passage of scripture reminds me of the goal of Advent...to wait in joyful hope because of love.
Luke 10:21-24
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Everytime I have read this passage I get a picture of Jesus laughing. As his disciples return from a successful ministry trip they tell him (in essence) "Everything you told us to do, we did, and it all worked!" They were ecstatic and so was Jesus. Like a proud Father who showed his kids how to do it and then watched them do it, Jesus saw His disciples do what he told them to do, and they did it well...and he was very happy.
He then says, not only am I happy, but I told you this and the Father is happy also...and I know that he loves what he sees too. Then he looks at his disciples as a Parent sometimes looks at their child, like a teacher sometimes looks at the student, and says..."You don't know how great this, but you will....good job."
Yet, the key to me is in the first verse, verse 21.
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
I remember Advent as a child as a time of waiting. The waiting was purely for the treasure at the end of the season - presents on Christmas day. As I grew older I began to appreciate the joy that comes from the journey through the season itself.
Advent is a season where Faith, Hope, Love circle each other in our souls as a dance with God.
Paul said these three are what makes up our life in God.
1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
My favorite Advent memory is of an airport waiting line for my daughter's family to arrive back home. A little boy and his Mom show up at the line, and for 20 minutes he keeps saying out loud: "Dad, where are you dad?" Then that moment comes when Dad walks through the door, and he yells at the top of his lungs, "Daaaaaaaaaaaaad", and he runs under the security line and runs to his Dad.
A child gets it: Faith, Hope, Love.... it is the dance with God that Advent brings us to.
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