Friday after Reminiscere Sunday
Posted on March 1, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 10:17-20 (NKJV)
10:17 Then the seventy 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 give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Devotion
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Such excitement is understandable, but Jesus knows the reasoning behind their excitement. It would appear that the joy of the seventy was in “…the demons are subject to us,” and not the part about “…in Your name.”
Christians are simultaneously sinner and saint. Easily forgotten is that everything involving the sinful life is of the sinner’s own doing. More easily forgotten is that every aspect of saintly life is due to our gracious God. That is why God desires to bring us back into His presence on a frequent basis. Left to ourselves, we forget both aspects of our lives as sinner and saint. Once forgotten, we are left without hope of salvation. He returns us to His presence to bring to our remembrance who we are without Him, and who we are because of Him.
At the outset of the Divine Service we hear God’s name: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” We are led by the Holy Ghost to repent of our sins, and Christ bestows on us His forgiveness. Absolved of our sins, we sing praises to our Lord. We hear His Word. We pray to Him. We receive His Body and Blood, which will “strengthen and preserve you in the true faith unto life everlasting.” All of this is God’s service to you, so that you can “rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Collect: O God, who seest that of ourselves we have no strength: Keep us both outwardly and inwardly; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
