Jesus said, “All things have been committed to me by my Father.” The beloved Son has everything that the Father has. Not in the same sense as we often understand ownership; as in, “This is mine, that is yours,” but in the sense that the Father holds nothing back from the Son, and that the Son uses all the Father has to bless Him. Obviously, that is true of physical resources. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and therefore sovereign over all the earth. All of creation is thus committed to the Son by the Father. But His statement is also true of prophetic understanding, which is the context in which Jesus is speaking.
Jesus had heard the Father voice concern over the same Galilean towns He did most of His miracles in. Having heard the Father’s judgment on Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, Jesus gives that information to those within earshot – even though they are young in their discipleship – so that they might give glory to God for having been blessed with God’s insight. Jesus knows that to hoard such information to Himself is to render it ineffective, because a prophesy quietly received in your spirit becomes a matter of public history after it happens. Subsequently, Jesus takes the insight the Father has told Him and shares it with His disciples at the appropriate time and place. “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”
The disciples know such prophetic insight is a weighty thing, not for the faint of heart. It is not only fact that one can eagerly nod their head to and then ignore. Prophetic insight mandates action. Action that is very much to the glory of God. Jesus shares prophetic insight with them so that they might consider the awful (meaning awe-inspiring) responsibility that comes with a revelation from God.
After all, Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum had seen God’s working through the Son and therefore much more was expected of them than the other Gentile towns (that had not seen such miracles). To that point Jesus had cried out, “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” The implication was clear – much more would likewise now be expected of the disciples!
In the Kingdom of God, ownership is merely a term to denote who is using a particular resource at the moment, not a term denoting who will hoard a resource until it is spoiled. Further, ownership mandates wise stewardship to the blessing of those God created. Having any resource committed to you is both a responsibility and a privilege. A responsibility first, because it was given into your care by the Father for a reason. A privilege second, because you get to bring glory to God through wise application.
And that is true be it physical resource or ability or prophesy. Amen.
Prophecy and miracles argue the imperfection of the state of the church, rather than its perfection. For they are means designed by God as a stay or support, or as a leading string to the church in its infancy, rather than as means adapted to it in its full growth.
Jonathan Edwards
APPLICATION: Thankfulness
Lord we give thanks to you for the gifts You have given us. Let us even today use them to bring You glory, to bring blessing to those around us who You made in Your image, and to strengthen the church, which is Your body. Amen.