The Seventy Return - Luke 10:17-24

Jesus commissions the Seventy to depart on their missions and the next verse we hear that they returned, and they were filled “with joy” because of their successes and the power that they had learned to yield while on the Lord’s errand. JTC says, “Considerable time may have elapsed, weeks or possibly months, between the departure of the Seventy and their return. We are not told when or where they rejoined the Master; but this we know, that the authority and power of Christ had been abundantly manifest in their ministry; and that they had rejoiced in the realization. ‘Lord,’ said they, ‘even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.’” Whenever I learn something new, especially if it is quite profound, there is a happiness that lasts with me for a while and I would imagine that this was somewhat how they felt. On their missions, these seventy men must have grown spiritually and come back strengthened, and that is cause for joy and happiness.

Jesus gives them some background on why they had power over the devil saying, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall form heaven.” The footnotes cross reference Satan’s name here with “Council in Heaven,” and “Devil.” I’m not sure if this statement would have made more sense to them at that time because of some cultural aspect that I’m not aware of but it’s one of those things where it seems random and unrelated to the topic at hand to me. Maybe Jesus is showing them the connection between himself coming from heaven, and Satan falling from heaven, thus giving Jesus power over Satan. I’m not sure. Jesus continues by giving them “power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” This might be literal in that the missionaries sent out by the Lord are promised that no venomous animal can harm them, or it might be figurative because Satan is also known as a serpent and they are being promised power over Satan’s affects.

But Jesus helps them see the difference between joy in having power over Satan and the joy of serving God. He says, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” At first I didn’t understand what the Savior was talking about when he said this, but the more I thought about it the more I understood that Jesus was warning them about the temptation to be pleased with your own amount of personal power. The seventy were able to cast out devils because they were performing that task as righteous men holding God’s authority. We know that no priesthood power can be used by a man who is not righteous, so the ability of these men to continue subjecting devils unto them is still contingent on their own personal righteousness. Let’s consider it from the view point of casting out an evil spirit from someone who is afflicted. If we cast out the evil spirit, we might have feelings of joy, but why? The why is the difference between humility and pride. If we are proud of our accomplishment, of our ability to control supernatural beings, that’s not going to the right attitude to help us grow spiritually. To be honest, this would most likely would have been my reaction. I struggle with keeping the right perspective a lot of times, I would have felt powerful myself, and while that’s probably an understandable human reaction, it would be better to be humbled to know that it wasn’t me being amazing, but that I had made choices in my life to allow me to be that tool in God’s hands to do good. It would be better for me to focus on the good we’re doing for other people and the peace that comes with knowing that our “names are written in heaven.”

Jesus rejoiced as well, and prayed thanking God that the seventy who were spiritually like “babes,” were able to learn and share the gospel and that these spiritual things were hidden “from them who think they are wise and prudent.” Because, again, we can’t accept and live the gospel on our terms. If I consider myself “wise” or well educated or something like that, then when I am presented with the gospel, I will view it through the lens of skepticism, and I would debate principles and teachings until I was able to fit the gospel into my own little box. The gospel comes in it’s own little box already and we have to shape ourselves to be able to receive it, instead of trying to force the gospel into the shape we want it too.