Sometimes there’s more happening than meets the eye.
Jesus sends his disciples out into the world. They are called to bring peace to those who accept them and to preach about the Kingdom of God.
When they return, they tell Jesus of everything they’ve done.
On the surface, it seems like they’ve only been teaching, but there’s a much deeper reality. Their work has been to help break the power to Satan.
Jesus understands this.
He is set on going to Jerusalem to ascend the cross.
If we have eyes like Jesus, we’ll see more than a man hanging naked on the cross. The much deeper reality is that Jesus is conquering the powers of evil. He’s trampling down death by death.
At the heart of all this is new creation.
God is calling together a new group of people who recognize Jesus as their anointed king.
This is the fulfillment of Israel’s destiny and the content of what the prophets preached.
The Reading
Whoever hears you hears me, and whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one having sent me forth.” And the seventy [-two] returned saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” And he said to them, “I was watching the Accuser fall like lightning out of the sky. Look: I have given you the power to tread upon snakes and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy, and nothing at all shall harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been inscribed in the heavens.” In that same hour he became exultant in the Spirit, the Holy One, and said, “I praise you, Lord, because you concealed these things from the wise and clever, and revealed them to infants; yes, Father, because such was pleasing before you. (Luke 10:16-21)