Hiding the Truth

Luke 10:21-22: "Then Jesus was filled with joy of the Holy Spirit and said, 'O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and cleaver, and for revealing it to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.'"

Wow! What an incredible statement. God was actually pleased to withhold truth from those too arrogant to receive such revelation. Here's the context. Jesus had been in Capernaum, teaching in the synagogue (4:31) and healing a demon-possessed boy (4:35). He continued to the villages around the Sea of Galilee performing a number of miracles and preaching, but then He pronounced a woe against the sea cities of Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their haughtiness and lack of response to His proclamation of truth. Now it seems in the above passage that Jesus has joy from the Spirit in hiding the truth from the boastful. In fact, He intentionally chooses to disclose himself to some and not others. At first glance this response of Jesus seems troubling, but the issue here is the outright challenge to God's Divine Authority. In effect, the people to which the woe was pronounced had become completely resistant to Christ's message of salvation. They refused to yield their wills to His Divine Will. Their pride prevented them from submitting to the Lord, so Christ refused to present the gospel to them.

I Corinthians 1:26-31 says that God chooses the least likely things to confuse the proud so that ultimately only those who capitulate to Him can receive His salvation.

Where are you in this story? Are you so resistent to God's Lordship in your life that you detest the truth of His gospel of salvation? Do you find yourself enraged at the thought of having to submit to Jesus Christ? Be warned! Your continuous disavowance of the truth of the gospel blasphemes the Holy Spirit. Of this sin, one will never be forgiven and is "guilty of eternal sin (Mark 3:29)." Only when you repent of such arrogance and yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ will you be freed from God's wrath for your sin. Humble yourself and seek the forgiveness of the Lord, affirming the sole sufficiency of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection as payment for your sin. Become a "new creation" through the power of Jesus Christ today (2 Corinthians 5:17).