Today’s reading is Luke 9:1-10:42.

Jesus commissioned the seventy (some manuscripts say seventy-two) to go forth and prepare the way for Him by teaching and healing. When the disciples returned to Jesus, they said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17). Jesus validates their joy but then pushes them to further maturity.

He let them feel joy in the work they were accomplishing by His name. But then He says something odd. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

It seems odd that Jesus rejoiced with the disciples as He proclaimed, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18), but then He said don’t rejoice in that. What’s up with that?

I believe Jesus is using a figure of speech called the ellipsis. That is He purposefully left out understood words in order to emphasize His point. If we were to supply the words He left out the statement would be something like this: “Nevertheless, do not merely rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but more importantly rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Using the ellipsis figure of speech really highlights the point. It is as if to say, “As much as you are rejoicing in this, you need to rejoice so much that your names are written in heaven that it seems like your rejoicing over these miracles is no rejoicing at all.”

The point is that as great as being able to perform miracles is, it is greater that our names are written in heaven. This is important today. I believe the Spirit no longer use miraculous gifts because His will is now recorded for us. (If you disagree with me, perhaps we can talk about that sometime, please don’t get distracted by it just now, keep reading.) I remember studying with a woman who was certain they did exist. I was very saddened because as we studied the Scriptures, she said she saw that the Bible does say what I was teaching, but she simply couldn’t believe that was right because, “If God doesn’t give me miraculous gifts, then I’m not special.”

Even though that is not a scriptural argument, I understand the emotion behind it. We want to be special. I want to be special. In our minds, what could be more special than God granting me some amazing power that makes us stand out? I so desperately want to be worth something because as I look at my sins and as I consider how I’ve been treated by many people, I often feel worth nothing. I want to feel special and wouldn’t it be great if I could say the word and someone would be healed? Wouldn’t it be great if I could evangelize the hispanics because I can speak their language miraculously? Then I’d know I’m special.

Of course, I don’t believe God works that way in the modern day. So what do I do? I try to prove I’m special by still looking at all the things I do. Look at my preaching. Look at my writing. Look at the people I’ve baptized. Look at the folks I’ve helped. See, I’m special. I’ll give a nod to God’s strength and God working through me, but really I’m rejoicing in me trying to prove I’m special.

Jesus says, that isn’t the way I should think or act. Sure, God working through us to accomplish things is great. But I’m special without that. My name is written in heaven. God looked at me and sent His Son to die for me. He adopted me and redeemed me. My name is in His book of Life. It just doesn’t get anymore special than that.

I’m going to rejoice today because my name is written in heaven. I hope you can rejoice with me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 9:1-10:42.

I’m in a bit of a time crunch today; I’ll have to be brief, which is tough because there are several things I’d like to talk about including Martha, the Good Samaritan, going out two by two and others.

However, what keeps hitting me even as I think of all these other amazing lessons in today’s reading is Luke 10:18-20.

“And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

How often do I wish I could command spirits, tread on serpents and perform miracles. That would be so cool. But why? Is it not because I wish I had some kind of special power? Because then people would have to reckon with me. Even when Jesus offered that power to some, He said that wasn’t the important part. That wasn’t the part on which they should focus and rejoice. Yes, they had a specific role in God’s plan. Yes, because of that role, they were able to do some pretty amazing things. But that wasn’t what was important.

The important point was their name was recorded in heaven. They were saved by the blood of Christ (even though they had no concept of Christ’s blood yet and even though it had not yet been shed).

If they should rejoice at that, how much more should I? Sure, I get to preach lessons. Sure, I get to baptize people. Sure, I’ve taught people and their lives have been changed. But rejoicing in all that is rejoicing in me. I need to rejoice in God and His grace in recording my name in His book of life. The fact is without His grace, none of those other things would have happened anyway.

Let’s take some time to rejoice today not for what God lets us do, but for what God has done for us. He has saved us and recorded our names in heaven.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.”

This quote is usually attributed to Aristotle, though many have copied it. I think most of us would like to be excellent. We would like to stand head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. We especially would like to do that in God’s presence. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 describes one of the habits of excellence we must have if we want to stand out. In fact, what we learn is if we want to stand out in the crowd, we need to stop standing and start kneeling.

Paul wrote:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (ESV).

When I first studied this passage, I thought the progression we were to notice is from rejoice to pray to give thanks. However, I recognized that these were merely three variations of the same action. I think the part Paul really wanted us to notice was “always” to “without ceasing” to “in all circumstances.”

1. Rejoice always.

The word translated “always” literally means “every when.” Paul is saying that our prayers of rejoicing should be done at all times. He is using hyperbole here. He did not mean literally that our holy hands must be lifted 24 hours a day. Rather, it is much like if I asked someone, “Do you like rock music?” And they said, “Absolutely, I listen to that all the time.” We do not think they mean 24 hours a day. We do not think they mean they are sneaking their mp3 players into the congregational assembly and listening. We understand this figure of speech. They simply mean they listen to it when they can. They listen in the morning, afternoon and evening. They listen to it whether they are happy or sad, whether things are good or bad. This is how we should rejoice–at every when. We do not check our daily rejoicing off the list to make sure we get it in. We rejoice all the time; morning, noon and evening; good times and bad; happy or sad; up or down.

2. Pray without ceasing.

Having a prayer habit of excellence not only means we pray all the time. It means we never stop praying all the time. We don’t let the circumstances of life get in the way of it. We don’t just pray all the time for a week or two because of a sermon. We do it all the time without stopping. Think about Daniel when it was made illegal to pray. He kept up his prayer habit. 

3. Give thanks in all circumstances.

If we want a prayer habit of excellence, we need to make prayer a part of every aspect of our lives. Prayer should be part of our work lives, our school lives, our family lives, our neighbor lives, our hobbies, our recreation, everything. Prayer is not just for “church.” Prayer is for life. It is for every aspect of life. We need to begin everything we do with prayer. We need to end everything we do with prayer. We need to sustain everything we do with prayer.

If we rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances, then we will develop a prayer habit of excellence and we will stand out because we have knelt down.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC