An Attitude of Gratitude
When I was in my mid-20s I discovered that practicing gratitude had a lot of power. I was experiencing a lot of what I considered to be hard setbacks. The things I was hoping for weren't really coming to fruition, and it sucked. At that time, I was struggling emotionally almost every day, and didn't see much hope at the end of the tunnel. Then, I realized that practicing thankfulness could really help me to face my circumstances. It's been an ongoing journey, because no day is ever perfect, and life is still hard. As I've come to faith in Jesus in my late 20s and now early 30s, I've seen the power of gratitude in new ways.
One thing I think I always knew is that being thankful doesn't happen in a vacuum. Gratitude always ends in someone, namely the giver of the gift we are enjoying. We aren't simply thankful only for the sake of being thankful. We are thankful to what has provided the thing that has led to our outpouring of appreciation.
Gratitude ends in a person, and as a Christian, I believe that person is the Creator God from whom all blessings flow. This is the sentiment that I think causes the apostle James to utter forth, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17 ESV).
Our thankfulness (whether we acknowledge it or not - see me in my 20s) always ends in the person of God. God is the Creator and the giver of all good gifts, and our gratitude for the things we've received, both big and small, is ultimately a gratitude directed heavenward to God and rooted in His goodness and provision.
One of my favorite portraits of Jesus from the gospel accounts of his life is this brief and beautiful moment of gratitude and rejoicing in Luke 10:
[21] In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. [22] All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
[23] Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:21–24 ESV)
The Big Question is: What has led to Jesus' outpouring of joy and gratitude to God?
In the passage, Jesus has sent out ahead of him the disciples whom he has been teaching. He has given them some of his authority, to preach the gospel of the kingdom, to cast out demons, and to heal the sick. Their very presence as representatives of Jesus and of the kingdom of God leads to both acceptance and rejection, which Jesus prepares them for.
The disciples have gone into the towns ahead of Jesus and they are working in his authority and power. Afterwards, they return to Jesus, marveling at the work they've been involved in on his behalf.
[17] The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” [18] And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. [19] Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. [20] Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17–20 ESV)
The disciples marvel that they have authority over demons because of Jesus. His response is to further explain how much authority he has given them. What power! And yet, Jesus says that they should not rejoice in the authority he has given them. They should rejoice that their names are written in heaven. Now, Jesus rejoices to the Father.
Okay, but again, why is Jesus rejoicing?
Let's look at the text again:
[21] In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. [22] All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Here are a few things we can observe from Luke's account:
- Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit.
- Jesus thanks God the Father, Lord of all creation.
- Jesus thanks God the Father that he has hidden the things of the kingdom of God from the wise.
- Jesus thanks God the Father that he has revealed the things of the kingdom of God to the little children.
- Jesus thanks God the Father for this being His gracious will.
What are we to make of this?
Jesus is overflowing with joy and praise to God the Father for his gracious will in choosing the little children of this world, instead of the 'wise and understanding.'
Who are these little children?
From the passage, we must conclude that it his disciples, those who have received Jesus and are following him, living in the kingdom of God, whose names are written in heaven.
Then, we get this interesting soliloquy from Jesus to close out the impromptu praise sesh:
[22] All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Jesus declares that he has full authority of all things, having received it from the "Lord of heaven and earth," the Father God who has handed it over. The one who truly knows Jesus is God the Father, and Jesus is the lone revealer of the Father God (cf. John 14:6). Jesus, and Jesus alone reveals God.
Jesus' praise of God for hiding things from the wise and revealing them to the little children brings some other Bible passages to mind:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:1–4)
"Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away." (Matthew 19:13–15)
Why is it little children who receive the kingdom of heaven?
Jesus says, "Unless you turn and become like children....whoever humbles himself like this child..."
We have to humble ourselves and accept Jesus in faith. We have to accept the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as our very life, and the way we do that is to simply and powerfully believe in Jesus.
The world in its wisdom says that God isn't real or that if he is, we must work our way to appease him. The gospel says, "Come to Jesus, become like a child, humble yourself, repent, and you will find life."
It is precisely this gracious will that leads Jesus to praise God. Jesus is praising God for his glorious grace - the revelation of Jesus to the small, the lowly. It is so praiseworthy that God would save lowly sinners who will repent and believe the gospel, clinging to Jesus alone by faith alone. It is so simple, and so grand!
And recall what the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:20–31:
[20] Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. [22] For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, [24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
[26] For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; [28] God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, [29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, [31] so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
The gospel doesn't come to the wise and understanding. God has made foolish the wisdom of the world. The world struggles to see the value or the beauty or the worthiness of the cross of Christ. It is grotesque or a myth or divine child abuse - certainly not necessary for life and salvation. But for those who are called, Christ is the power and wisdom of God.
Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are willing to become like little children humble themselves and believe.
God chose what is low and despised in the world, God chose the Paul Stivers of the world (i.e. complete idiots) to bring to nothing the things that are.
The gospel tells us that for sinners who repent, who humble themselves, Jesus becomes for them "wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Therefore, those who are saved by grace and grace alone have no boast except the LORD.
Grace means that we DON'T get what we deserve (condemnation; separation; wrath; justice) because Jesus has taken that upon himself on the cross for us.
Grace means that we get what we DON'T deserve (vindication; justification; intimacy; righteousness; sanctification; redemption; adoption) which is what Jesus gets for being the perfect Savior and living the life we should have.
We get all of Jesus (our death with his, and our life with his) by seeing our need for him and being willing to come to him like a child. We get all of Jesus by saying, "I need you, I believe, I accept you as Savior and LORD." Jesus rejoices in God's choosing of the lowly sinners like me, and then we get to spend the rest of our lives praising God for his glorious grace!
Jesus makes all of this possible for us to receive, today. So, for the believer, each day can be Thanksgiving as we praise God for his glorious grace!
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, [4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3–6)
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