In Luke 10, the Master sends out 72 of his disciples on a mission trip. He gave the 12 a similar mandate in Luke 9:1-6. Go out there, preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons.
The masses were stunned when Jesus healed the sick. When he drove out demons, it was like, wow! They were flabbergasted (Mark 1:27; Matthew 9:33). The crowds were captivated by the miraculous signs he did. They followed him in droves (John 6:2). His disciples now had a chance to get in on the action. They were no longer going to be spectators, but participators in the powers of the coming age (Hebrews 6:5).
When they got back from their trip, they gave the Master some feedback. They were on cloud 9. They commanded demons and they scrammed. Demons submitting to them in the name of Jesus was a biggie (Luke 10:17). They were thrilled.
Jesus did affirm that He has given them authority (Luke 10:18-19), but he did not get in a dance with them. He told them not to rejoice in the fact that they have authority over demons. Rather than do that, they should rejoice that their names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).
We are just as susceptible to the same temptation today. It is very easy to get carried away by shows of power, missing the vital piece of the puzzle. Taking authority over demonic entities is great, but having your name recorded in Heaven is much greater (Hebrews 12:23).
Have a blessed week 🙂
