When the 72 disciples returned successfully to Jesus,
he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, giving thanks to God saying:
“You have hidden these things from the intelligent,
and have revealed them to infants; for such was your gracious will.”
Luke 10:21
Some Ideas to Contemplate:
- In this portion of the Luke Writer’s Gospel, the disciples witnessed the power of Holy Spirit, the energy and activity of God (Higher Power, Supreme Energy, Divine Life Essence, etc.). Guided by Holy Spirit, they performed great works, just as Jesus—Master Mystic, Healer, Teacher, Wayshower—did. Yet, Jesus advises them not to celebrate what they do themselves, but how God works through them.
- Sometimes in spiritual practices, we think gaining intelligence to accomplish something is sufficient for growth. Yet, we remain spiritually immature (undeveloped) if we use spirituality to deny—spiritually bypass—challenges, shortcomings, and “negative” emotions. A form of pretending, spiritual bypassing maintains an illusion of flawlessness, camouflaging the truth so we appear more perfect. Some forms of spiritual bypassing include:
- Denying pain, fear, doubt, and anger.
- Believing we are superior to those who do not share our spiritual ardor.
- Being co-dependent and assuming our holiness comes from fixing (converting) others.
- Spouting platitudes such as: “It’s all good”; “Everything happens for a reason”; or “Just stay positive.”
- Ironically, spiritual bypassing hinders forgiveness and playfulness because it forces us to hold on, rather than let go. So, we excuse, ignore, and/or stuff our true feelings and circumstances, maintaining a guise of non-existent control. Yet, when we willingly turn within, looking beneath the surface, we can more easily accept and transform our flaws and failings. We invite Holy Spirit’s gentle nudge to be our true soul selves, letting it do its wondrous works within us and for us, just as it did for Jesus and his disciples.
Practices for the Week:
- Remember: You are a spiritual being with a radiant soul, living in a sacred body temple, having human experiences.
- With great self-compassion, reflect on anything you are spiritually bypassing.
- Illustrate, journal, and/or record some ways you can be more honest with yourself.
- Then let Holy Spirit’s nudges guide your transformation.
© 2026 – Rev Jenn Sacks – All rights reserved.
Photo from Shutterstock by Frank D. Watson.
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