Day 3 / Luke 10:17-20
By Jim Vaillancourt
I have always enjoyed history; the spark being ignited in high school. After majoring in it during college, it’s safe to say I never read the bible or major extracts from it, notwithstanding the presence of one in my childhood home. So, color me surprised when my future wife asked me early in our relationship if I had and her enthusiastic encouragement to do so. Saying this now strikes me that Mary Jo was in one of the countless waves of God’s army that succeeded the disciples and the 70. In any event, with that encouragement and a good study bible in hand, I was drawn to the incredible history in that book. As with most students, it took a while to consider the meaning of that history. When it came, the term ’good book’ suddenly had real meaning. Life is not meant to be an aimless ramble but rather purposeful and selfless. Baptism at the age of 46 was the sign that my meaning of life had shifted.
As for the Seventy, having followed Jesus through a stretch of miracles, hearing the disciples describe their experience on being sent out, and given their marching orders by Christ, life had new, exciting meaning. And, it was clearly noted that success wasn’t because of their talent but because of the power Jesus bequeathed them. The joy they felt shouldn’t be a spiking of the ball but rather be about having pleased God.
For Christians today, the meaning of the 70 seems clear and certainly amplified elsewhere in the new testament: spread the good news. Rejoice in that effort and realize it’s God at work. We my not have all the powers they had but we can witness in word and deed, indeed.