GOOD PLEASURE

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” (Lk. 12:32).   This golden nugget of a command swaddled in grace appears within a context devoted to worry, the saint’s propensity for nagging anxiety about the physical necessities of life, which all too often drift well beyond needs into wants.  “Fear” (Gk., phobeo) embodies terror, and in the classical Greek usage meant fright causing flight -- to run away. “Do not Fear” is a command to stop doing something we are doing – stop fearing! “Little” (Gk., micros) quantitatively means few in number, giving size to  “flock” which it modifies, and with the definite article identifies this as God’s little flock, correlating to the “few”, the small number that find the narrow-gated difficult way to eternal life (Matt. 7:14). “Good pleasure” (Gk., eudokeo) must be thoroughly “rung-out” to get the full sense of what the Holy Spirit is saying here. Eudokeo’s basic meaning is to be well pleased and to think it is good. This means not only to think well of something by understanding what is right and good, but to stress the willingness and freedom of intention and resolve regarding what is good. Usage here is in the supratemporal with a clear sense of choice, resolve and love: The emotional God who loves whom He chooses and loves what He chooses and is resolute in His choices. “Give” (Gk., didomi) means to give of one’s own accord with good will – to grant, bestow, impart. “Kingdom” has the definite article identifying it as God’s Kingdom. Notice the contrast between the “little flock”, the helpless frightened little band of believers, and “good pleasure” the emotion with which the God of All bestows His domain as a willful unrequited act of pure supernatural resolute love. As God’s little flock we need to perceive the eternal love that envelopes us, the everlasting arms that encircle us and the extraordinary transcending inheritance bestowed upon us by our Father’s good pleasure in giving us His Kingdom. With boundless love and great tenderness God woos us into a favored place of pure intimacy – superabundant life in the King’s domain. It will cost us everything – absolute surrender always does – but we simply cannot fathom what He has in store for us. Fear not, it is our Father’s good pleasure!