Gospel in Art - I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven

I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven, Photograph by Md Asif C, 2017 © DeviantArt Graphic Design

Gospel of 3rd October 2020 - Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two came back rejoicing. 'Lord,' they said 'even the devils submit to us when we use your name.' He said to them, 'I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.'

It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said:

'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.'

Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, 'Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.'

Reflection on the Digitally Generated Artwork

We know that Jesus had given explicit powers to His twelve Apostles, enabling them to cast out demons. But in today's reading we see how even the seventy-two disciples were given powers. They came back from their mission, and their informal feedback to Jesus is: "Wow, even demons submit to us in your name!" They rejoiced not in the fact that they themselves might have been regarded with admiration by the people they helped; but they rejoiced, as they saw God's powers working through them. Their faith became very real and tangible during their mission. God's will was being done before the very eyes of these disciples. Also Jesus himself rejoioced at seeing God's will being done through the 72 disciples. We read that He was 'filled with joy by the Holy Spirit'.

When the seventy-two came back, Jesus saw in their successful mission evidence of the defeat of Satan. The digitally generated image of Satan falling out of heaven, illustrated here, is one that speaks to young people. Usually these types of graphics are part of video games, and thus digitally generated images carry immediately a sense of familiarity with young people and therefore some credibility. These digitally generated images are a new medium that as a church we should embrace, as this new illustrative medium communicates a language that a whole new generation of youngsters connect with. Our illustration is a strong image showing how Satan fell because of pride: he desired to be God, not to be a servant of God… unlike the seventy-two disciples who wanted to serve...

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/563

Christian Art - www.christian.art