After Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples around Galilee to heal the sick and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near, they returned rejoicing and reported the authority they exercised over demons through the power of Jesus' name. Jesus told the disciples not to rejoice because of their power over demons but because they had received eternal life, which manifested itself in their power to cast out evil spirits. Then Jesus prayed for the disciples, thanking God that He chose to reveal Himself to sincere and genuine people who simply believe what He says rather than to educated or shrewd people who only trust in their own understanding (vs. 21). So God the Father is revealed only to those whom the Son of God chooses (vs. 22); and He chooses to reveal God not to people who are powerful and wise (vs. 24) but to people with a childlike faith who will simply obey what He tells them to do as did the seventy-two.
