Daily Bible Reading 22nd August 2026 // Luke 10:17-24
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on 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.”
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over 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 anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that 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.”
There is, however, another interpretation of Jesus' words in 18 about Satan. The reference may be to something pre-temporal, to Satan's fall and being cast out of heaven through pride, before the creation of man. That is to say, Jesus reminds the disciples of this because He detected a note of pride in the disciples' comments about their success in 17. It is as if He were saying to them: 'Be careful lest you become puffed up at this success; it is true that I have given you power over the power of the enemy (19); but Satan fell through pride, and you must beware of falling into the same snare. Besides, the fact that the spirits are subject to you is not the most important thing: far more important is the fact that your names are written in heaven'. Who shall say that this is not a legitimate interpretation of Jesus' words in their context here? How needful for us to recognise the distinction between gifts and grace! The gift they had received was not nothing, to be sure; but it was inferior to grace. There is something greater than the casting out of devils, and that is being converted and pardoned men, and to have names written in the book of life. And Jesus' joy in 21 seems certainly to be derived from that 'something greater', for He speaks there of the spiritual illumination that the gospel brings to darkened minds and hearts (cf 2 Corinthians 4:4ff). Indeed, this is the whole theme of 22-24 also - the sovereignty of God in the work of illumination and regeneration, and the blessedness of those whose eyes are opened by grace. As Bishop Ryle says, of 23, 'The full significance of these words will probably never be understood by Christians until the last day'. Indeed, who could ever compute such blessedness, such privilege? Well, might we bow down in awe and worship!