The B Team

Luke 10:21-24,  “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, 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 is what you were pleased to do.  All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.  For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it’” (NIV).

These verses come at the end of the passage when Jesus sends out the seventy-two—disciples who, by any account, don’t seem to possess celebrity of any kind… disciples who are called when the work exceeds the capacity of the workers.  We don’t even know their names.  I’ve never considered it in this way, before, but I think they might be the B team…

It’s easy to miss the blessings that come with being second best (or seventy-second best… or whatever).  It’s interesting, though, that Jesus finds a lot of joy in what’s happening here.  As a matter of fact, his words exude tremendous joy and maybe a little bit of astonishment.  It is amazing that God chooses to use people we can’t even identify in a crowd.  They’re kind of like ninjas (give me a break… it’s Saturday… I have a ten year old).

So, I’m back on this invisibility kick, because apparently I have to go to a conference every week if I want to adequately feed my self-important ego or something, and I’m a little embarrassed about it.  There’s more to it than that, of course, but it’s easier to fabricate narcissism than to actually share vulnerably, so that’s the best you’re going to get for today.

Perhaps this is exactly why these verses gave me pause and made my eyes sting a little bit.  Or maybe it’s allergies.  It could be allergies.

Thank you, God, for allowing me to see things other people don’t see and to hear things other people don’t hear.  I’ll take it.  Anonymity is pretty cool, too…  

L.