July 7, 2019
For full passage click: Luke 10:16-20 …“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.’” vss. 17-18
The mission was a success! The seventy were not rejected. They’d been welcomed and the forces of darkness had been defeated. It was a good day for Jesus and those sent out to heal and proclaim the coming kingdom. We could even say that it was a harbinger of things to come for the community of Christ. Of course there’s opposition. There will be days of suffering and loss. We know that part of the story very well, but we can’t forget that there are also days of triumph and joy. The fruits of our labor will be apparent and the harvest plentiful. The good news will be heard! When we open our eyes we actually see those signs of victory all around. In every community the faithful gather for worship and praise. Goodness is being done. Strangers are being welcomed and the poor are being cared for. The sick are being cured and demons cast out. People are experiencing the presence of the kingdom. Marvelous things are being done in the name of Jesus and it’s happening all over the globe! Of course there’s more work to be done. Every day headlines scream about the inequities and the turmoil of our world. The enemies of goodness are present everywhere. But that’s not the whole story. Ultimately Christ will triumph. Signs of victory are all around and every day is an occasion for joy!
Thought for the Day: For what am I joyful today?
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