But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, “Put these words into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
Luke 9:43-45
Among all the relatable moments recorded with Jesus’ disciples, this might be the most relatable to me. They did not understand Him, and they were afraid to ask. I know very few people who are comfortable admitting ignorance in front of a crowd, and the disciples here are no exception. No one quite grasped what the gospel entailed, the truth having been concealed from them, and instead of asking the Lord to teach them, each one stayed silent in the hopes he would not be found out. But all this did was prevent them from seeing the beautiful eucatastrophe about to occur before them. Their testing was more difficult and trying than it otherwise might have been had they understood the reality of Jesus’ coming suffering, death, and resurrection.
How often do you find yourself quietly trying to “fake it ’till you make it”? Have you ever felt like you were in over your head, but afraid to ask for help? What about the dilemma you might encounter where you have allowed others to believe you had skills or accomplishments you did not, and are faced with the troublesome dilemma of admitting your shortcomings or desperately hoping nothing goes wrong? This is no way to live with others. It only becomes a lie when you make the decision to conceal the truth. Until that point it remains at most a misunderstanding. And no one benefits from a misunderstanding. Bring the truth to light and get the help you need to accomplish your tasks. Maybe you need additional training, assistance, or clarification. Ask for it. Others will appreciate your openness and humility.
This goes double for our walk with God. James paints a very ugly picture of the one who tries to walk without God: “You lust and do not have, so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3) When we are too afraid to ask God for help with our sin, we paradoxically turn to our sin for help. God does not expect or even want us to deal with our sin before coming to Him. In fact, thinking so undermines the very heart of the gospel. We cannot deal with our sin, and so God had to do that for us. You still cannot deal with your sin, and so He sent His Spirit to be your comfort.
“Comfort” in our everyday use does not actually capture the role of the Spirit in our lives. He does not merely console us after we have fallen to sin. Consider the root of “comfort”: cum forte, “with strength.” The Holy Spirit is strength to all who believe, and being God, He brings the power of God to bear on the lives of His children. So ask Him for help. Do not be afraid to come to God in humility and admit you cannot deal with your sin on your own. He has come to refine and beautify His Church to be the holy and spotless bride of Christ.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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