The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 7:30,
"The Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves..."
This observation by Luke of these Pharisees comes in a place where he provides the account of when John the Baptist's disciples visited Jesus to verify if he was "the one who was to come". John had already recognized who Jesus was when he baptized him, that he was the Savior sent by the Father to redeem mankind. Here John's disciples were sent by John to verify that Jesus was that one. Where there impostors running at large at that time creating some confusion?
In any event, I note from Luke's comment that there were those who had rejected God's preparation in sending John the Baptist ahead of Jesus. Luke says these Pharisees and experts in the law did not go to John for the purpose of receiving the baptism of repentance which John was offering. Luke couches his description of them as having "rejecting God's purpose for themselves". They were not repentant and not looking for the redemption that God was providing. I understand these to be "unsaved" people, unrepentant and still under God's condemnation. John, in his gospel, quotes John the Baptist as saying of Jesus, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36. Surely these Pharisees fit this description. But God had his purpose for them they were rejecting.
These Pharisees are seen as rejecting "God's purpose for themselves." I think it important to understand that all people have a purpose in this life. Our purpose, every one's purpose in life, is to embrace the salvation God offers us. This salvation is offered to all and all have a responsibility to embrace it in faith and not make the horrific choice of rejecting it.
The philosophers of all ages have scratched their heads wondering what is mankind's appropriate purpose in this life. Luke's gospel can't make it any clearer: we come into this life for the purpose of joining God's family. God is building his kingdom, his family. All who embrace God's purpose have eternal life, all who reject it remain under God's condemnation and will face an eternity in the fiery lake of burning sulfur that we read of in Revelation 20 and 21.
May we all be certain we have embraced God's wonderful purpose for our life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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