Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven

Our Lord has already sent out the twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. They were sent to Jewish villages and towns. Now he sends out Seventy others, but this time they are sent out to the villages and towns that may very well have had many Gentiles resident. The message, however, is the same: the kingdom of God. These Seventy were to show the same commitment as did the Twelve; they were to waste no time in unnecessary preparation, prolonged polite greetings on the road (as was the custom), or seeking the best hospitality they could find. The kingdom of God was to be a priority. The sign of rejection was to be the same, too: the shaking off of the dust from the sandals. But these residents are warned that the opportunity of hearing the message will lead to a greater responsibility in its rejection. Just as there are degrees of reward in heaven, so there will be degrees of punishment in hell. It will be ‘more tolerable’ for those who did not hear, and therefore could not believe, than for those who heard and would not believe. The responsibility to preach the gospel to the heathen of our day is as great as ever. ‘How . . . shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard?’ Rom. 10. 14.

Great success followed. The Seventy returned to report power over demon possession, something which seemed to be heightened during our Lord’s life on earth, as though Satan himself were out to oppose Him as much as he could. Yet our Lord indicated to them that the battle was already won. Satan was already a defeated foe. Was it right for those who exercised such spiritual power as to cast out demons and to heal sicknesses to rejoice in their power? Yes, it was. Whenever the forces of darkness are overcome all spiritual people should rejoice. But our greatest ground for rejoicing should be our own spiritual experience. Keep on rejoicing that your names are written in heaven. He brings it all back to the simple gratitude and rejoicing that all who are His should know and enjoy. It is not selfish to marvel that we are His; it should be a wonder.