Our joyful God

We can make God extraordinarily happy

The following statement by Jesus begins a series of joyful pronouncements (Luke 10:17-24) unique to Jesus’ interactions with his followers. Jesus is ecstatic, practically gloating over his band of brothers.

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“Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus congratulates them, deeply happy over their delight at experiencing the intoxication of partnering with God. He can’t hold back, even as he warns them to set aside the pride of being champions. “ . . . rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

That final phrase may need an exclamation point, but we don’t have scholarly privileges to edit holy texts. Scripture was initially written without any punctuation, and none of the translations I find have put an exclamation point at the end of verse 20. In fact, there weren’t even any sentence breaks in the original Greek or Hebrew texts. Still, this small set of verses captures Jesus’ building jubilation.

After gushing over his orders being met and delivered with such success, Jesus completes his happy, expressive reactions to the returning disciples by sanctifying their winning adventure. Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” and heralded their good fortune.

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.”

Not finished explaining this remarkable positioning of these men as future residents of Heaven Jesus highlighted their status with yet another remarkable statement — a rare blessing exceeding those of the wise and learned.

Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, 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.”

Jesus separated the 72 disciples from a larger crowd. Apparently, other folks beyond those he’d set off to perform feats of power in his name were present when he proclaimed, “. . . your names are written in heaven.” That must have been quite a gathering if the core group was seventy-two men. Jesus wanted other folks to hear about the men’s astonishing feats and accomplishments and then watch him sanctify their work with a commendation from God the Father.

This was an act of visible, unashamed love on Jesus’ part.

Parents praise their children in public at some school event or sports activity so everyone can hear. “Yes!” they shout. Later, they’ll praise their child within the family so that all can hear the father’s and mother’s excitement and pride in their child. Finally, a parent will set aside that child from the others and explain the good fortune of the little one’s success. A tender, yet intense teaching moment seared into their hippocampus — a lifelong statement of their parent’s pleasure.

Jesus did this with his disciples, expressing his favor with them and his Father’s love for them. He pinpoints their faithfulness to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them. Then, alone with them for emphasis, Jesus frames the gift of being his disciples.

They are heralded with seeing and hearing God’s gift of power, formerly reserved for only a few. Some scripture scholars go farther and insist the "not many" reference to prophets and kings had limitations. They believe the grasp of the Trinity and the collaborate power of God and man that the disciples both experienced and exercised was a first in human history.

Well, Moses, Elijah and some others might quibble over that. Still . . .

This celebratory peak in Luke’s gospel provides a window into two things I see. One is that we have opportunities like this where Jesus asks us to do things, and wouldn’t it be grand to perform well what God has asked us to do?

A second more incredible insight is Jesus's comment about having our names written in Heaven. When Jesus sanctified his disciple’s work, we peek into the life of heavenly joy, an example of how God’s Trinity, similar to that in Jesus’ baptism and the Transfiguration, is on exhibition over us, his awkward, hopeful, trusting, and loving eager-to-please children.

Jesus orchestrates his leadership and brotherhood with us. He reveals the Holy Spirit’s power beyond just protection but also in miraculous interventions. And finally, the pride of the Father, the gushing, victorious pleasure of God over our minor though faithful agreement to do his will, makes our God extraordinarily happy.