Luke 10: 17 – 24 The Seventy-Two continued.

Luke 10: 17 – 24 The Seventy-Two continued.

The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

Yesterday I considered the people’s response – positive or negative – to the 72 going out to preach in the villages. Today I look at the disciples. They are characterized as jubilant at what they are able to accomplish in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells them that as awe-inspiring as that experience was, the true fact to rejoice over is that their names (through, I think, their faith and their actions) is known in heaven. Then as he always does, Jesus gives thanks to his Father - for what He has done for him – revealing himself to the child-like, the humble, the powerless, the vulnerable. The Father has chosen Jesus through which to make Himself known, and Jesus has chosen his followers to make both himself and his Father known. They and we are truly blest to know the Father through Jesus. Amen.