¹⁷ When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

¹⁸ “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! ¹⁹ Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. ²⁰ But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

²¹ At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

²² “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³ Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. ²⁴ I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

Luke 10:17-24

Dear God, it’s fun to see Jesus excited about something. It seems like a lot of the stories are about him teaching or being frustrated with people for not getting it. But, in this moment, he just seems so delighted. Delighted with them. Delighted about them with you. I had a hard week at work. And I know Jesus had much harder weeks while he was here on earth. But it’s fun to see that delight in him in this moment. He seems encouraged and proud of these people he loves. I don’t know that I’ve ever noticed this before, but it’s certainly nice to see.

Now, what is he delighted about? That you are working through their humility and submission to you. They aren’t the “wise and clever,” but they are childlike. They are just doing what they are told and letting the chips fall where they may from there. Jesus told them to go out, visit the towns, heal and cast out demons, and then come back. They obeyed, and look at them now. It worked and they are worshipping you throughout the whole thing.

Father, help me to simply obey you. Help me get out of my head and stop trying to be “wise and clever.” Just help me to be an obedient child. If you give me an assignment, help me to not worry about how the assignment makes me look or to lean on my own understanding, but to simply lean into you and do it with joy and complete obedience. I guess that might start with the Christian Men’s Life Skills class I will co-teach on Tuesday night. Help me to decrease and let you increase through me. Help me to just get up there and tell them about the God I know.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen