Returning Home

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 brown stone building with closed brown wooden panel door

 

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10 (verse 17 ff) the 72 “others” that Jesus had “sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit” returned to him.  Their job had been to go out with empty hands and cure the sick and announce the kingdom.  In today’s passage, they are returning from their mission.

Upon returning, you can hear the excitement in their voices (the Gospel says they returned “rejoicing”) as they report to Jesus everything that happened.  “Even the demons are subject to us because of your name” they tell him.

Jesus acknowledges all the power he had given them, but then he sort of bursts their bubble.

“Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

But, wait!  They did great things in his name, isn’t that something to dance about?  Shouldn’t they be happy to see all of the good things taking place because they went on mission for him and were able to accomplish what he asked them to do?

It seems that Jesus is telling them it’s not the outcome that should be their focus, but more that they have accepted their mission and went out to do what he asked them to do.

In the next verse, though, we learn that Jesus himself begins to rejoice in the Holy Spirit and turns to praise the Father!

For us today, I think a good take-away is the lesson he taught the disciples.  Do what is asked of you and don’t worry about the outcome.  Our joy is in following Jesus.

If you read a few verses before this passage, you discover that Jesus warned them they may face people  that will reject them.  Not everybody they approached would be happy to hear the Good News.  In that case, Jesus basically just told them to move on.  He didn’t tell them to quit if they were ever turned away.

Good message for us today.  Whatever work you are doing to build up the Kingdom of God, no matter if it appears to be successful or not, keep going.  Don’t get stuck on your successes or despair when things don’t go well, because, the ultimate cause of your joy is in doing whatever it is that God has asked you to do.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blubrry.net (podcasts)

 

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