The joy of the Gospel is a liberating force of mission. The joy that the seventy-two disciples felt when they returned from their mission elated them with amazement at the power that had been given them through the name of Jesus. They had driven out demons. Satan's "fall from heaven" indicates that the dominion of deceit and lies are subdued.

The "success" of the disciples fills Jesus with joy, too. Unlike the rabbis who spent years of study and training, the seventy-two had triumphed in their mission only by the power of the Spirit. These "mere children" have shown that they knew the greatest truth of all - that God is the Father, and Jesus is the Son of God. In contrast to the "learned", the "little ones" have served God in the Name of Jesus. Therefore, they have seen and heard what all God's great servants of the past longed to know.

However, Jesus tempers the missionary "successes" of the disciples with his insistence towards a more enduring gift - to have one's name inscribed in heaven. It means that membership in the kingdom does not depend on one's intellect, social status, or "religiosity" but on one's disposition to be open to God's revelation in Jesus Christ. The prize is not human glory through feats of power but heavenly glory by following Jesus to the cross.

As disciples, may we constantly be open to God's revelation in Christ, echoing the words of the psalmist: