Gospel

Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,

“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.”

Reflection

We see in this gospel a distinction between the old and the New Testament. And it’s clear what Jesus is saying is in the Old Testament, people could not see or could not know what it is that Jesus has in store for us. The thought of being free of evil was not something they could conceive of. But Jesus tells his disciples that they have been empowered to deal with evil.

That is what makes the New Testament so beautiful, so powerful, and so important.

Closing Prayer

Father, we ask you to awaken us to the great blessing of your presence dwelling within us, resonating life and light, and having great power over evil and darkness. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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