Luke 10:17-20
Tom Johnson, September 30, 2012
The angelic world is an invisible reality. The spiritual realm is, in large part, hidden from our eyes. As a result, some of us conclude it’s fictional or fantasy. “Humans invented angels to explain things that we can now explain scientifically,” they say. For example, the reason we call some alcoholic beverages “spirits” is because there was no other way to explain the fermentation process. It appears that someone is stirring to pot and boiling because of all the foam and bubbles; but there is no heat. Now, we now know that yeast is consuming sugar and producing carbon dioxide. Some of us live under the weight of constant fear—as if we are constantly exposed and vulnerable to forces that would harm and destroy us. And so we hang garlic from our windows, hang trolls and religious icons on our rearview mirrors, and knock on wood all in attempt to hold satanic powers at bay.
There are two ditches on either side of the road when we consider these things. On one side, we make the error of dismissing the existence of pervasive, palpable evil. On the other side, we make the error of sensationalizing or overestimating evil. It seems that we either are in denial that evil exists or see a devil behind every bush. Our readings from Michael and All Angels today provide the antidote for each extreme and shed light on a safe path to navigate such a difficult terrain.
Jesus legitimizes our nightmares in a way. He speaks to our primordial fears speaking of snakes, scorpions, and the power of the enemy. There is a battle, Jesus tells us, a battle being fought everyday between good and evil. Jesus was there when it all began. Just as if it happened the day before, Jesus says, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.” Satan—the Accuser—was evicted from God’s presence and favor at the speed of light leaving only a blur of his path before those who witnessed it. In a blink of an eye, the Devil left his service to his Creator and became an entrepreneur of sin and death. This raises so many questions. And yet, it seems as if Jesus does not want to concern us with the demonic realm. Jesus and Scripture are silent about Satan’s past, the origin of evil, and the precise reasons for his excommunication.
The seventy-two disciples are amazed that the Name of Jesus is able to restrain and defeat our evil foes. At the Name of Jesus, the demonic forces of evil bow the knee to the good and gracious will of God to forgive, heal, and restore human lives. The sober truth of our Scripture is that there really is a subversive power in the world. Evil entered the world like a flash of lightning and, while it may be invisible to the human eye, its effects and destructive influence is as obvious as the headlines in the news and our own vulnerability in the face of temptation.
In these Bible passages, God invites us into this strange and unseen world. He gives us a glimpse of the powers and principalities of the darkness. But he does not do so to increase our fear but overcome our fears. Look at Michael and his angelic army! God invites us to survey the battle between good and evil—between holy angels led by General Michael and fallen angels led by Satan, the serpent of old. But there is no stalemate in this conflict—no way! Good and evil are not two sides to the same coin; the opposing armies are not equal. They may be equal in number. They may be equals in nature as angelic beings. But Michael and his army have a weapon that no power can match—the Blood of the Lamb. This is the ultimate weapon. This is the smart artillery that can surgically remove this world’s cancer—the Blood of Jesus. Our Scripture says that the Archangel Michael and his angelic host “have conquered [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word.” Likewise, the disciples experience that same power by the Word and Name of Jesus—the one who will give his life and blood on the Cross of Calvary—the one who rose victoriously from the grave. The disciples are amazed by the power of Jesus to defeat the most frightening of foes.
When the disciples safely navigate their lives and ministry through a pit of scorpions, snakes, and the power of the enemy, they are overjoyed. But Jesus tells them, that their joy should not be found in victory in battle. For it is not their victory. It is the Lord’s. “Do not rejoice at this,” Jesus says. “Don’t get all excited about the defeat of the devil and his kingdom. Don’t gloat over your enemies. It really is no big deal. They were doomed from the beginning. It’s only a matter of time until their end.” “Don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In other words, the blood and Name of Jesus have not defeated our enemies so we would celebrate their destruction but our salvation. Jesus wants us to live our lives in the joy, comfort, and security of eternal life.
Our names are written in heaven. Jesus has called in to hotel heaven and reserved each of us a room—not for just a few days or a week but for all eternity. By his Blood and Word, Jesus has permanently chiseled our names into the marble walls of our eternal home—not as memorials but in the assurance of secure future with him and a great reunion that is to come. “Jesus came, this word fulfilling, Trampled Satan, death defied; Bore the brunt of our temptation, On the wretched tree he died. Yet to life was raised victorious; By his life our life supplied.” (“Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken” LSB #521, v.4).
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