Not Our Power
When we take our eyes off Christ and focus on ourselves, things start to fall apart. As Proverbs 16:18 so vividly reminds us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Thankfully, though pride could have ruined the miracles, Jesus’ followers stay focused on God throughout what they saw and experienced. The seventy-two whom Jesus sent out returned with stories of the power of Jesus’ name. They rejoice that demons submitted to them because of who they represented. Their eyes stayed on God, and God worked through their lives in might ways. Still, Jesus knew just how weak our flesh can be, and he warns them to keep their attention in the right place saying, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
I often refer to Matthew Henry in my writing. He was a man whose teaching shaped entire movements. Some of the most well-known preachers of the last two hundred years owe so much to this man. I value the insight he provided, and sometimes it is like nothing I had ever thought of before. His commentary on this passage definitely falls into this category. Verse 18 records Jesus answering the seventy-two’s exuberance that even the demons submitted to them by saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Honestly, I always found the placement of this fact confusing, as if there were more to the conversation that Luke did not include. Matthew Henry adds a different perspective. He wrote, “He confirmed what they said, as agreeing with his own observation (v. 18): "My heart and eye went along with you; I took notice of the success you had, and I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven." Note, Satan and his kingdom fell before the preaching of the gospel. "I see how it is," saith Christ, "as you get ground the devil loseth ground." He falls as lightning falls from heaven, so suddenly, so irrecoverably, so visibly, that all may perceive it, and say, "See how Satan's kingdom totters, see how it tumbles." They triumphed in casting devils out of the bodies of people; but Christ sees and rejoices in the fall of the devil from the interest he has in the souls of men, which is called his power in high places, Eph. 6:12.” This is such a different approach to these verses. To me, it does add to the conversational aspect of this discourse between the seventy-two and Jesus.
Matthew Henry does not limit his interpretation to this revolutionary way of thinking; however. He also acknowledges the traditional view of them. He continues his commentary by saying, “And Christ foresaw that the preaching of the gospel, which would fly like lightning through the world, would wherever it went pull down Satan's kingdom. Now is the prince of this world cast out. Some have given another sense of this, as looking back to the fall of the angels, and designed for a caution to these disciples, lest their success should puff them up with pride: "I saw angels turned into devils by pride: that was the sin for which Satan was cast down from heaven, where he had been an angel of light I saw it, and give you an intimation of it lest you, being lifted up with pride should fall into that condemnation of the devil, who fell by pride,"
However we see the meaning of Jesus’ words, the messages are beautiful and meant for us all. Whether Jesus was discussing Satan’s fall at the beginning of time or his continual fall from the heart and lives of those who accept the gospel, pride remains the culprit. Satan believed too much of his own propaganda. He lost sight of where his power grew from and started to believe he was greater than the Author of Perfection. We are not above such trappings. As God works through us, our flesh may begin to believe it is us who are powerful and gifted. We may begin to promote our egos instead of our God. The truth is that apart from God, we could never experience these amazing situations. Jesus rejoiced that the seventy-two returned with such childlike joy, and reminded them (and us) that no one is used by God because they have earned the right or stolen the keys. “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” (verse 22) Cast out pride before it casts you out of the will of God.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
Henry, M. (1 Mar, 1996). Commentary on Luke 10 by Matthew Henry. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_010.cfm
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