Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

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. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that 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.’

I’m reading a book at the moment called “The Spiritual Gifts Handbook” written by acclaimed Catholic biblical scholar Dr Mary Healy and international healing minister Randy Clark.

In the Introduction to this book, they reference the Gospel passage that we have read today. They talk about how the seventy disciples, all sent out to heal the sick and proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near – return to Jesus in excitement, surprised and astonished to have seen the supernatural power of God break into the world.

And then, these most beautiful words: “Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit”. It is after hearing of the ways that the seventy disciples had been faithful and fruitful in living out the mission Jesus had called them to, that the fully human and fully divine Jesus experiences a moment of “rejoicing in the Holy Spirit”.

I can’t begin to imagine what that experience of joy must have been like for Jesus in that moment…but it must have been truly awesome. And to think that this experience of deep joy occurred in response to simply hearing the reports from the seventy disciples that had gone out on mission as they’d been asked, and used the gifts that they had been given.

Now imagine, that this same loving God is delighting in you and me too, whenever we choose to use our own God given gifts in serving the people and the kingdom of God.

Today, I wonder, are you open to exercising the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you?