Luke 10:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then lest we should suppose this was spoken of beasts, He added, And over all the power of the enemy.

For the names of the saints are written in the book of life not in ink, but in the memory and grace of God. And the devil indeed fell from above; but men being below have their names inscribed above in heaven.

Why, O Lord, dost not Thou permit men to rejoice in the honours which are conferred by Thee, since it is written, In thy name shall they rejoice all the day? (Ps. 89:16.) But the Lord raises them up by greater joys. Hence He adds, But rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

He is called Satan, because he is an enemy to God, (for this the Hebrew word signifies,) but he is called the Devil, because he assists us in doing evil, and is an accuser. His nature is incorporeal, his abode in the air.

For pleasure is called in Scripture a serpent, which by nature is such that if its head has reached a wall so as to press upon it, it drags its whole body after it. So nature has given man the habitation which was necessary for him. But by means of this necessity, pleasure assaults the heart, and perverts it to the indulgence of immoderate ornament; in addition to this it brings in its train covetousness, which is followed by lust, that is, the last member or tail of the beast. But as it is not possible to draw back the serpent by its tail, so to remove pleasure we must not begin with the last, unless one has closed the first entrance to evil.

But now through the power of Christ boys make a mock at pleasure, which formerly led away the aged, and virgins stedfastly trample upon the desires of serpentine pleasure. Some also tread upon the very sting of the scorpion, that is, of the devil, namely death, and fearing not destruction, become witnesses of the word. But many giving up earthly things walk with a free step in heaven, dreading not the prince of the air.

"Do not find joy," he declares, "in the submission of demons ... for Judas Iscariot also expelled demons, but find joy in the certainty that your names are inscribed in heaven"; Judas was known among those on earth who conspired against the Lord. He cast out demons to enable the adversaries of the Lord to discern whether the Lord truly expelled demons by the power of Beelzebub, thereby exposing the traitor to shame for being feared by those he had wronged, while the betrayer of silver held no fear of the Lord who governs all riches. Perhaps he recognized this truth, leading him to take a rope and end his life.

To experience spiritual delight, it is insufficient merely to conquer one’s passions; one must also cultivate the virtues by adhering to the commandments. The Lord reminds us not to celebrate merely because the spirits submit to us, which signifies the control over our base desires. Instead, we should rejoice that our names are recorded in heaven, signifying that through the grace of divine sonship resulting from our commitment to virtue, we have been inscribed in the realm of spiritual purity.

Rejoice not because the spirits are subject to you. This achievement is not your own, but rather a gift of my grace. Therefore, do not find joy in this, lest you become prideful in your accomplishments. Instead, rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven. Through your faith, you are recorded as members of the highest kingdom—not in ink, but in remembrance, and not as humans write, but as God can inscribe. As David declares regarding the righteous, ‘In thy book shall all be written’ (Psalm 138:16, Jungers). If you have been granted the authority to cast out demons for the sake of others, the recording of your names serves your salvation. Thus, while such a gift may tempt you towards arrogance, it is more fitting to cultivate gratitude, avoiding the former as unnecessary and pursuing the latter as essential.

Now He says that He saw it, as being Judge, for He knew the sufferings of the spirits. Or He says, as lightning, because by nature Satan shone as lightning, but became darkness through his affections, since what God made good he changed in himself to evil.

Now our Lord, in a remarkable manner, in order to put down high thoughts in the hearts of His disciples, Himself related the account of the fall which the teacher of pride suffered; that they might learn by the example of the author of pride, what they would have to dread from the sin of pride. Hence it follows, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

As if he said, It becomes you to rejoice not in the putting down of the evil spirits, but in your own exaltation. But it would be well for us to understand, that whether a man has done heavenly or earthly works, he is thereby, as if marked down by letter, for ever fixed in the memory of God.

In this instance, the seventy disciples returned to Jesus, filled with joy as they shared their experiences. With childlike delight, they recounted how the unclean spirits had responded to their commands. In response, the Lord illuminated the reason behind Satan's fragility and bestowed upon them power over all adversarial forces. He sought to redirect their joy to matters of greater significance, specifically emphasizing that their names are inscribed in the book of life by the heavenly Father, and that they have been granted the privilege of knowing Him and the Father through this knowledge, which brings eternal life (John 17:3). In that moment, filled with joy in the Spirit, He gave thanks to the Father for revealing this profound truth to the humble.

The seventy disciples, to whom Christ Jesus had granted the power to heal the afflicted, rejoiced greatly upon realizing that even the demons submitted to them in His name. This was a significant achievement, especially considering that there were instances when even the twelve apostles were unable to perform such miracles. In light of their joy, Christ acknowledges the validity of their happiness, revealing the reason behind their newfound triumph over the evil forces.

Do not take joy in the fact that the spirits submit to you, but rather rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven. Bishop Michael explains that in the Scriptures, God is depicted as having a book where the names and actions of His devoted followers are noted. Thus, to have one's name written in heaven signifies being a member of the heavenly realm or being granted the joy of everlasting life.

They possess an even higher and more spiritual source of joy, which is that their names are inscribed in the book of life and will never be erased from it.

"Do not take joy in this, but rather rejoice in that": this phrase reflects a comparative expression, indicating that the focus should not solely be on these miracles accomplished in My name or on the obedience of spirits to you, but on something far greater. Although it is a cause for celebration that you perform miracles and cast out demons, the true reason for your rejoicing is that your names are inscribed in heaven, signifying that you have been bestowed with the gift of salvation, and that your joy in the heavenly realm is assured. - In Scripture, God is sometimes depicted as having a book before Him where the names and actions of His faithful servants are recorded (Ex. 32:32-33, Mal. 3:16; cf. Rev. 3:5).

The seventy disciples traveled to various towns and villages, proclaiming the Gospel and demonstrating their message with numerous miracles, notably casting out unclean spirits. Their authority over these malevolent forces was so astonishing that upon their return, they joyfully reported to their Lord: Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. The Lord reassured them that through His entrance into the world, the devil had been rendered powerless; He had taken on flesh to abolish the devil's works (1 Jn. 3:8) and had already vanquished him at the outset of His ministry in the wilderness (Matt. 4:3-11).