Maybe it's because my last name is Fletcher, but growing up, I always had a soft spot for Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote. She managed to solve every mystery in one episode. That's probably why, whenever I read the word mystery, even in the Bible, my mind wants to think, "Something to figure out." Like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
But that's not what Jesus means.
The Greek word mystērion refers to something that was once hidden but has now been revealed. The mystery isn't that God is keeping secrets from us. The mystery is that God is pulling back the curtain.
For generations, God's people longed to know how God would set the world right. The prophets spoke of a coming kingdom. The people hoped and prayed for it. And there were times that they saw glimpses, but never the whole picture.
Then Jesus came.
The mystery, then, wasn't a code to crack, but a person to follow.
And maybe that helps explain why the disciples can understand what others miss at times. Not because they're smarter or more spiritual. In fact, the Gospels repeatedly show them confused and misunderstanding Jesus. But they stay close enough to keep asking. Thankfully, disciples aren't people who have mastered faith. Disciples just never stop being taught by Jesus. The word disciple literally means "learner" or "apprentice."
You may not have all the answers now, and you may never have them. But your understanding grows as you continue to walk with the Lord. Discipleship's invitation has never been to solve God. It has always been to know God.
The mystery has been revealed in Jesus Christ. And every day you spend with him uncovers a little more of who he is and what his kingdom is like.
Stay blessed...john
Comments