Reflection

Whether a long-time or new Christian, many likely started their journey with Christ because of a major encounter with Him. For me, it was knowing how much He loved me when I was nine years old. For others, it might be something far more grand like a miracle healing of cancer. In today’s passage, we witness 72 people having an incredible encounter with Christ (Luke 10:1-24). 

Christ sends out 72 people to go ahead of Him. These seventy-two are sent out like the twelve earlier in Luke’s account. They aren't to take anything with them; they are to stay with those who welcome them, healing and sharing that the kingdom has come near. When they encounter a town that doesn’t welcome them, they are told to share a warning and move on. Then they return from this assignment and come back astonished by what they are able to do. Not only were they able to heal, they were able to have demons submit to them.

Jesus’ response to them is that Satan is falling to God’s power but also shares a warning that they shouldn’t be excited about what they were able to do but instead that their names are written in heaven. It’s so easy to rely on the big shows of power and grace for our faith, but when something challenging happens, we begin to teeter and fall away. When our faith is about what it brings us and not the relationship with our Father, it isn’t the type of faith Christ invites us into. Our faith is founded on a relationship with our creator, not what we get out of that relationship. 

As we walk this path to Jerusalem with Jesus, let us pause and reflect on what we may be focusing on too much and then choose to focus on simply being on the road with Christ today. 

Devotional Questions

What God encounters have you experienced? 

How can you view these as blessings but not the point of your faith? 

Thank God for the encounters with Him and the blessing of walking with our Lord. 

Lord, help us love you for you and only you. Amen