From: Luke 10:17-24
The Seventy Return From Their Mission
[17] The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are
subject to us in Your name!" [18] And He (Jesus) said to them, "I saw
Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. [19] Behold, I have given you
authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power
of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. [20] Nevertheless do not
rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that
your names are written in Heaven."
Jesus Gives Thanks
[21] In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I
thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden
these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to
babes; yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. [22] All things
have been delivered 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 any one to
whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."
[23] Then turning to the disciples He said privately, "Blessed are the
eyes which see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and
kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what
you hear, and did not hear it."
Commentary:
20. Our Lord corrects His disciples, making them see that the right
reason for rejoicing lies in hope of reaching Heaven, not in the power
to do miracles which He gave them for their mission. As He said on
another occasion, "On that day many will say to Me, `Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in Your name, and cast our demons in Your name, and do
many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, `I
never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers'" (Matthew 7:22-23). In
other words, in the eyes of God doing His holy will at all times is
more important than working miracles.
21. This passage of the Gospel is usually called our Lord's "hymn of
joy" and is also found in St. Matthew (11:25-27). It is one of those
moments when Jesus rejoices to see humble people understanding and
accepting the word of God.
Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility--spiritual
childhood. For example, in another passage He says: "Truly, I say to
you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the
Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). But spiritual childhood does not
involve weakness, softness or ignorance: "I have often meditated on
this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with
fortitude, because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open
and firm character [...]. To become children we must renounce our
pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by
ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our
Father to find our way and keep it. To be little, you have to abandon
yourself as children do, believe as children, beg as children beg"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 10 and 143).
22. "This statement is a wonderful help to our faith," St. Ambrose
comments, "because when you read `all' you realize that Christ is
all-powerful, that He is not inferior to the Father, or less perfect
than He; when you read `have been delivered to me', you confess that
Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right of being one in
substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift" ("Expositio
Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").
Here we see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the
Father, and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is. At
the same time, we can recognize the divine nature of Jesus only if the
Father gives us the grace of faith--as He did to St. Peter (cf. Matthew
16:17).
23-24. Obviously, seeing Jesus with one's own eyes was a wonderful
thing for people who believed in him. However, our Lord will say to
Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John
20:29). St. Peter, for his part, tells us: "Without having seen Him
you love Him; though you do not see Him you believe in Him and rejoice
with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you
obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.