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“Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31, KJV).
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them what would happen in Jerusalem. He would be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, abused, spit upon, scourged, killed, and raised again on the third day. The emphasis of the passage is not upon the natural ability or personal worth of the disciples. It is upon Christ’s deliberate journey toward the suffering He had already foretold.
The disciples were going with Him, but they did not understand what He was telling them. Luke says, “They understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken” (Luke 18:34). They were chosen apostles, yet they were still weak, confused, and dependent upon the Lord.
That should humble us.
God does not call people because they possess some natural quality that makes them worthy of His grace. Paul reminded the Corinthians:
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26).
Paul did not say that no wise, powerful, or noble people are ever saved. He said not many were called from those categories. God was pleased to save people whom the world considered foolish, weak, base, and insignificant so that no flesh could glory in His presence.
The purpose was not to glorify human poverty as though weakness were a virtue that earns God’s favor. Poverty does not save us. Ignorance does not qualify us. A lack of influence does not make us more deserving of grace. Paul’s point is that salvation and Christian usefulness cannot be credited to human greatness.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
We are in Christ because of God. Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
There is truth in saying that God brings us to the end of self-sufficiency. A person who trusts in his own righteousness, wisdom, strength, or usefulness is not looking entirely to Christ. Jesus warned against those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” (Luke 18:9). The Pharisee brought God a list of his religious accomplishments. The publican brought nothing but guilt and a plea for mercy. Jesus said the publican went home justified rather than the Pharisee.
God does not save us because we finally discover that we have nothing valuable in ourselves. He saves us because of His mercy and because of the finished work of Christ. Our recognition of spiritual poverty does not purchase grace. It simply removes the false claim that grace must be given as a reward for something in us.
The same principle applies to Christian service. Natural ability may be useful, but it is never the source of spiritual power. Education, experience, personality, and strength of character cannot produce spiritual life or make the work of God effective. Paul wrote, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
That does not mean Christians should neglect diligence, wisdom, preparation, or responsibility. It means we must never mistake the instrument for the power behind it. God may use a gifted person, but He is not dependent upon that person’s gifts.
Our relationship with Christ must therefore come before visible religious activity. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Christian service that is disconnected from dependence upon Christ may still impress people, but it cannot bear the fruit that comes from abiding in Him.
We must also be careful about saying that we have no cause to serve or that we cannot know God’s cause. Scripture plainly reveals His purposes. We are commanded to preach the gospel, make disciples, love one another, pursue holiness, defend the truth, care for those in need, and glorify God in all things. We may not know every detail of God’s providential plan, but we are not left without direction.
The lesson is not that God chooses us because we are useless. The lesson is that He chooses, saves, equips, and uses people by grace so that the glory belongs to Him.
Our confidence must never rest in what we bring to God. It must rest in what God has provided for us in Christ.
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them what would happen in Jerusalem. He would be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, abused, spit upon, scourged, killed, and raised again on the third day. The emphasis of the passage is not upon the natural ability or personal worth of the disciples. It is upon Christ’s deliberate journey toward the suffering He had already foretold.
The disciples were going with Him, but they did not understand what He was telling them. Luke says, “They understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken” (Luke 18:34). They were chosen apostles, yet they were still weak, confused, and dependent upon the Lord.
That should humble us.
God does not call people because they possess some natural quality that makes them worthy of His grace. Paul reminded the Corinthians:
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26).
Paul did not say that no wise, powerful, or noble people are ever saved. He said not many were called from those categories. God was pleased to save people whom the world considered foolish, weak, base, and insignificant so that no flesh could glory in His presence.
The purpose was not to glorify human poverty as though weakness were a virtue that earns God’s favor. Poverty does not save us. Ignorance does not qualify us. A lack of influence does not make us more deserving of grace. Paul’s point is that salvation and Christian usefulness cannot be credited to human greatness.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
We are in Christ because of God. Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
There is truth in saying that God brings us to the end of self-sufficiency. A person who trusts in his own righteousness, wisdom, strength, or usefulness is not looking entirely to Christ. Jesus warned against those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” (Luke 18:9). The Pharisee brought God a list of his religious accomplishments. The publican brought nothing but guilt and a plea for mercy. Jesus said the publican went home justified rather than the Pharisee.
God does not save us because we finally discover that we have nothing valuable in ourselves. He saves us because of His mercy and because of the finished work of Christ. Our recognition of spiritual poverty does not purchase grace. It simply removes the false claim that grace must be given as a reward for something in us.
The same principle applies to Christian service. Natural ability may be useful, but it is never the source of spiritual power. Education, experience, personality, and strength of character cannot produce spiritual life or make the work of God effective. Paul wrote, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
That does not mean Christians should neglect diligence, wisdom, preparation, or responsibility. It means we must never mistake the instrument for the power behind it. God may use a gifted person, but He is not dependent upon that person’s gifts.
Our relationship with Christ must therefore come before visible religious activity. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Christian service that is disconnected from dependence upon Christ may still impress people, but it cannot bear the fruit that comes from abiding in Him.
We must also be careful about saying that we have no cause to serve or that we cannot know God’s cause. Scripture plainly reveals His purposes. We are commanded to preach the gospel, make disciples, love one another, pursue holiness, defend the truth, care for those in need, and glorify God in all things. We may not know every detail of God’s providential plan, but we are not left without direction.
The lesson is not that God chooses us because we are useless. The lesson is that He chooses, saves, equips, and uses people by grace so that the glory belongs to Him.
Our confidence must never rest in what we bring to God. It must rest in what God has provided for us in Christ.
