Written by Paul Lane
The Word
But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Luke 9:43-45
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[wind] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[“you” singular] 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
Genesis 3:8-11
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Genesis 4:9-11
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
Genesis 6:11-12
5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
Genesis 11:5-6
Reflection
When reading this passage in Luke, it is interesting to reflect upon the risk that Jesus is taking here. In a sense, this is a trust fall, but Jesus knows that no man will catch him. In fact, that is the point. Who are these men to which Jesus is entrusting himself and the future of mankind? They are those who have chosen the corruption of the world over the light of heaven.
We first see these men in the garden, disobeying God’s commandment and hiding from Him. By embracing this hidden life, they are choosing to be corrupt. In this garden scene, there is a preference for hiding over healing.
Not long after, we see murder in the next generation of men, one killing another. One is killed, but his voice is not silenced. The scripture says that the blood of the one slain is crying out from the ground.
As the generations continue, the corruption spreads, and that corruption shows up in the works of these men. Even when God decides to wipe out the corruption by saving only the family of one righteous man, the corruption continues in the future generations. Shortly after Noah’s flood we get the tower of Babel, which was clearly the work of rebellious men. God had told men to spread out over the face of the earth, but they decided to stay in one place. In each of these episodes, the garden, the murder in the field, the flood, and the tower, men, both male and female, chose to do works of corruption.
Application
Does it make sense to follow Christ because of his trust in wicked men? Probably not. Any honor that might exist amongst thieves is an unstable and contingent honor, on which no wiseman would trust. It is the noble work of a noble man that is able to build societies. Such work we can participate in if we learn obedience. But it can not be based on our own wisdom. We must learn God’s wisdom.
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.Psalm 127:1
Are you able to accept that Jesus would be given over to the hands of men and treated terribly, so that you could be restored to good fellowship with God? Or do you think this is something you have to do yourself? Try to do it yourself if you like, but remember that this is a choice that you will have to live with forever. Trust me on this one.
2. When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me;
to look on Him and pardon me.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for the sacrifice that Jesus provided me, that I might enter into Your presence, participate in your kingdom, and be known as a child of God. I pray that You do not leave me to the charge of men, but that you give me the grace I need to reach them. In the trust of Jesus I pray, amen.
City Life Starter 
Leave a Reply