(The following is the March 27 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Luke 18 and pay close attention to verses 31-34.)
Have you read the same Bible passage on different occasions and gotten a different meaning each time? Perhaps you’ve heard multiple sermons from a particular Bible passage yet gained new insights with each hearing. Listening to instructions more than once is common to grasp information thoroughly.
We see this when Christ shared about his coming death with the apostles. Jesus did not speak in parables about this. He plainly said, “For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; and after they flog him, they will kill him; and he will rise on the third day” (vv. 32-33). Yet, “They understood none of these things. The meaning of the saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (v. 34). They didn’t understand even though it was the third time he had talked with them about it.
To those expecting a conquering king to rescue Israel and free them from Roman oppression, the idea of a crucified Messiah was unthinkable. They didn’t expect that and failed to grasp it. We should resist criticizing the apostles’ lack of understanding because we would likely have reacted similarly in those circumstances.
One lesson we can learn from this passage is that we must keep reading God’s Word and listening to faithful teachers and preachers for the rest of our lives. We may have missed truths we were not ready for on earlier occasions. We shouldn’t think we have thoroughly read God’s Word, even if we have read every word from cover to cover multiple times. We must keep reading it.
A second takeaway is to keep repeating God’s truth to others. Our listeners are also at different stages in their spiritual journey. They may grasp the meaning the next time.
Next Step:
Take time to re-read a favorite Bible book and note the freshness of how God speaks to you according to where you are now in your faith journey. Thank the Holy Spirit for continuing to teach you.
