I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

 

- Luke 10:17–24 

 

Yesterday we read that, as He has begun the journey toward Jerusalem, the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to haven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." 

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."   My study Bible comments that I saw Satan fall is a description of an event that took place before the creation of the world.  It says that five times Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  In the journey of the Seventy, and in the ongoing mission of the Church, this spiritual reality becomes more fully manifest in the world.  Serpents and scorpions are figurative images of devils and demons, included in the phrase the power of the enemy.  Note also that Jesus tells the disciples they are not to rejoice because of the spiritual power which He has shared with them, but because their names are written in heaven.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."  My study Bible explains that babes refers to people of simple faith and open hearts.  See also Luke 18:15-17, in which Jesus says, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God."  The "babes" become the standard by which adults receive the kingdom; that is, those who are not arrogant but guileless, and open to discipleship and learning.

 

What is a little child like?  What are "babes," as Jesus describes them?   In a comment on the passage in Luke 18 mentioned above, Theophylact writes, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."  This kind of simplicity is not about being a "simple person" in the colloquial expression meant to imply that one's acumen is limited.  This is a kind of simplicity that is suggestion in Jesus' prescription for the conduct of the disciples, given in yesterday's reading, as He sent out the Seventy on their mission.  He sent them out, He said first of all, "as lambs among wolves."  They were to "carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  This is a command given for behavior that we could call "simple."  They were not to be ostentatious, carry nothing not necessary for the journey, humble enough to eat what was put before them, offered by the householders who would receive them, and offering blessings of peace.  This is a description of the behavior of "simple" people who are focused on the one thing necessary, the mission they're on.  It is a description that includes humility, an openness to learning, and maybe most especially, a full reliance on God's power in that mission.  Note that the power of their blessing of peace, its retraction from those who cannot accept it, rests solely with God.  These "simple" people sent on a mission are entirely aware that the power rests with God, the power of their efforts is reliant upon God.  So simplicity is in how we approach life, how we refuse complications that come from what we might call (in popular language) ego, a need for ostentation.  We might note, also, that this simple behavior includes kindness and graciousness.   From the time of the disciples' dispute about who would be greatest in the kingdom (in Saturday's reading), Jesus has been training the disciples on the need for an attitude of service and humility that must characterize stewardship of His kingdom, and His instructions with which He sent out the Seventy, and this gracious way in which He receives them on their return teach the same.  Upon their expression of the surprising spiritual power in their ministry, Christ enforces what their focus should be, secondary to power and authority:  "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  After expressing gratitude to the Father that "You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes," Jesus then says privately to the disciples, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."   The great figures of history, both prophets and kings, aspired to the places these disciples now occupy for their places, their mission, and their experience of the kingdom of God.  It is a reassurance  to them of the power of this kind of simplicity, the openness to the work and words of God, the capacity to learn, to be taught, and to be transfigured in the light of Christ.  This can only come through the simplicity and humility that keeps us in the place where we are ready to learn from God; it cannot be achieved through arrogance.  Highly poignantly, St. Paul's teaching on love also describes the character of such babes.  "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  Let us endeavor to be the "babes" Christ calls us to be, those who are continually surprised by God.

I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it." 

- Luke 10:17-24

Yesterday we read that the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."   The seventy apostles return with joy.  Jesus takes joy in the sharing of his holy power with human beings, those who are laborers for the harvest.  Once again, what we are told by the Gospel is about a type of hidden warfare going on; in Christ's mission into the world, He enlists human beings as participants in this battle, which is not like worldly battle but one of hearts and minds, and based in love.  My study bible says that the reference, I saw Satan fall, is a description of an event that took place before the creation of the world.  Five times Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  Serpents and scorpions are allegorical images of the demonic.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."   Jesus continues to rejoice over the sharing of holy power with human beings, the revelation possible for us, and our participation in the life of the Kingdom He offers.   This is a sharing in the life given from the Father to the Son and in turn to those human beings who may share in and understand the revelation given to us.  It is all about the working of grace in the world.  My study bible says that babes are people of simple faith and open hearts (see 18:15-17).

How can we understand the joy of Jesus?  His newest apostolic mission, these Seventy whom He has recently appointed (see yesterday's reading, above), return with joy, as the holy power invested in them by Jesus has come to fruition they have experienced and seen for themselves.  Jesus tells them nevertheless, not to rejoice over such power, but that their names are written in heaven.  That is, because they share in the joy of heaven, as members of the Kingdom.   Jesus alludes to a battle which my study bible suggests has taken place before the creation of the world.  Nevertheless, its effects are seen and felt, and continue, with human beings at the center of the battleground.  And we are invited to participate in this battle.  I wonder if we today can calculate the reality which is revealed here and given to us in the words of Christ and in the actions and appointment of the Seventy.   We don't always generally see or measure these effects, from a modern perspective, in the terms that Christ names.  But we can look around at our world and most clearly see all types of evil effects.  The demonic that makes its presence known through Scripture functions to create varieties of affliction, hardship, pain, hostility, and aggression toward human beings.  Christ, by contrast, shares His power in grace, through faith, with the ultimate boundary respected as the free will of human beings.  He offers us participation and membership in a Kingdom, in which not only He but also God the Father become a part of our own reality, our identities in this shared participation, an ongoing energy present within us and among us.  We can look around at the world and see the things that typify demonic behavior in the Gospels:  abuse, affliction, aggression, hostility, hatred, coercion, manipulation, a total lack of respect for the basic integrity that free will gives to a human soul as endowed by Creator.  But it's not enough to wonder at the presence of evil.  What is important to understand through the Gospels is precisely what Jesus teaches His apostles to rejoice over:  that their names are written in heaven.  That is, that they may be participants in this Kingdom through faith, that they may serve God through faith in Christ -- that they may live through His love, grace, and truth.  This remains the pillar and cornerstone of our understanding of the battleground.  It's not about the things that we see with a limited perception of events in our world.  It is rather about finding that internal pole of faith, finding our own participation in this living grace and God's energies at work in the world, and remaining within the conditions of discipleship Christ has taught us.  This is a difficult task, but one nevertheless that remains with us 2,000 years after Jesus' ministry and teachings He's given us, which remain true and living for us.  Let us understand that He still sends us out as sheep in the midst of wolves, with instructions on how to live as those sheep who belong to Him.  His language and teachings are those of humility, of truth, of strength, and hope, and perseverance.  St. Paul instructs us in the fruits of the spirit, which remain hallmarks of our participation in that Kingdom and in His grace.  Can we live them for ourselves?  Let us remember this battle was won long ago, but that in real time, in our time, Christ invites us in to participate His way.  The choice lives within us, day by day.

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

- Luke 10:17-24

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' appointment of and instructions to the seventy - to those who are sent out on a new mission, after the Twelve. Their mission is one of humility, and bringing the kingdom near. It is also one of choice, and of judgment. See Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you. Today, we find them as they return from their mission.

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." My study bible notes that "I saw Satan fall . . . from heaven is probably a reference by Jesus to Is. 14:12-15. Note the five 'I wills' in that passage. Because he pursued his own will, Satan is both fallen from heaven, and he is defeated and dethroned from his demonic lordship over the world by the ministry of Christ and His disciples (v. 19). The joy of discipleship is not in authority over demonic power, but in the citizenship of God's Kingdom." It is my opinion that the reference to "serpents and scorpions" is a vivid image of demons. This is Christ's power that is shared with those who are His disciples - but as He says, and my study bible notes, they are not to rejoice in that specific power, but in their membership in the kingdom (so beautifully put - "your names are written in heaven").

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight." A note reads: "These things are the mysteries of the Kingdom manifested through the words and works of Jesus. They are received by babes, people of simple and open hearts, rather than by the scribes and Pharisees, the wise and prudent." In addition to the point my study bible makes in the note, I can't help but feel that it is a part of a whole: Jesus reveals in His words and works the power He shares with His disciples, the joy they feel in membership in that kingdom and their part in it.

"All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." My study bible says here: "Jesus is the Son of God in the absolute. He shares fully all authority and knowledge of the Father, and is the sole and eternal revealer of God to humanity." So, those babes with whom all this is shared are chosen by the Son for this revelation. God's kingdom - and the understanding therein - is for those with whom He shares it.

Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it." A note reads: "Many prophets and kings of the Old Testament anticipated the coming of Jesus, but they did not experienced the blessing of His Incarnation and the presence of His kingdom."

In today's reading we get an understanding of revelation and how it works in this ministry, in this "kingdom that has come near." It is a kingdom that is shared among Jesus' disciples. It is a kingdom of power over all forms of evil and demonic activity in this world. It is a kingdom in which all those who are a part of it are privy to knowledge of the Father, because the Son (whom only the Father knows) chooses to share it, to reveal it. And it is babes who are chosen for this revelation: not the wise and prudent, who have sought to know these things and failed - and not the prophets and kings of history who so desired to see Jesus' day. This is the fruit of this mission of the seventy; it sets the standard for the reality of that kingdom that "breaks in" upon us and comes near and lives among us. A part of the key to this passage is humility, and the necessary humility Jesus has been teaching to those who would be disciples. We recall from the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This is a kingdom, a reality, that is received, not taken. The quality of discipleship is in our willingness to receive, to be taught. What does your faith tell you and teach you? How are you learned and blessed in that kingdom and its strength? How does it share its power with you, "break in" upon you, and reveal itself? What have you gleaned from what it shares? Do you know the love of the Father for yourself? If we have even a taste of any of this then, this membership, a sense of "the names written in heaven," let us rejoice for we are blessed. How are you blessed by your faith? The Beatitudes teach us about the inheritance of the humble (in Luke and in Matthew). Jesus' instructions to the seventy reflect this attitude. Do we know when we are blessed?