Cultivating Faithfulness: Prepare to Understand

In Sunday School this week, our class was discussing a passage found in Luke 24.

“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:44-45

As our class discussed the passage, I was reminded about a history teacher one of my children had in high school. The teacher would assign several chapters for the students to read and outline before he taught them. When the students came to class having studied the material, their minds were already prepared for him to present the information. The instructor then “opened their minds to understand” what they had previously read.

The Jews spent their lives learning the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. They read it, studied it, memorized it - and yet, when the prophesies came to life - in the life of Jesus right in front of their eyes - they didn’t recognize it. They didn’t understand it. Even the disciples who heard Jesus’s teachings from his own mouth didn’t understand what they heard. Until he opened their minds. But the preparation - the foundation - the information was there. They had cultivated faithfulness in their study, but it wasn’t until they personally experienced the resurrected Jesus that they could understand the truth of God’s grace.

Once Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures”, Luke tells us that the disciples worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy!

“When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Luke 24:50-52

That word, joy, in Greek is “chara” and it means the awareness of God’s grace (biblehub lexicon). We should also have that same “chara” when we experience God’s grace in our own lives! When we renew our minds (Romans 12:2) by reading and studying God’s Word on a regular basis, we are cultivating faithfulness - we are being prepared - to understand the truth of God’s grace as we encounter Jesus personally.

The Old Testament (the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms) points us to Jesus, the New Testament (the Gospel) introduces us to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us of the ongoing work of Jesus in our lives. I pray that you find “chara” as you cultivate faithfulness and prepare to experience God’s grace in your own life this week!