The Gospel of Luke 4:14-21
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
The Gospel of Luke 4:21-30
Then he began to say to them: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
I included the Gospel for what would be typically the fourth Sunday of Epiphany which is a continuation of the gospel for January 26; but this year the fourth Sunday is on February 2 which is the Presentation of Christ.
Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, as Jesus was filled with the Spirit and guided by Your wisdom, fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Grant us the strength to follow Your will and the courage to proclaim Your good news to the world. Help us to bring hope, healing, and freedom to those in need. Amen.
This gospel presents a challenge it makes us ask questions about who we are and what our life is about. It gave the answer who Jesus is.
Jesus identifies himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, indicating that he is the anointed one sent by God. This Gospel of Luke is a powerful passage that marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. In this passage, Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and begins teaching in the synagogues. He is well-received and gains a reputation for his teachings.
The initial reaction of the crowd shows admiration and amazement. Jesus speaks with authority and power, demonstrating his divine mission and the presence of the Holy Spirit in his ministry.
As He enters, He is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus opens the scroll and finds the passage that begins with the words: “the Spirit of God is upon me.”
Take a moment and sit with those words. Do we believe that the “Spirit of God” is upon us? Are we able to recognize the “Spirit of God?” The gift and miracle is that God’s Spirit dwells within each one of us. Do you, do I, believe this truth? Do we trust that we are worthy to have the Spirit of God dwell within us?
Just as Jesus was sent to us by God, God also sends us to help and minister to those who are in need, to those who are in prison, and enlightenment for the oppressed. Today we have a choice: to add to the darkness of our world or to be a source of light to every person we encounter today and every day. What will we choose to do? May God give us the grace we need to be the light bearers for those who are in the dark
As Jesus read and spoke it was obvious Jesus was on a mission, Jesus outlines his mission to bring good news, freedom, healing, and liberation, emphasizing his focus on the marginalized and oppressed, but the people of his hometown were also expecting something. Who knows what they were expecting? He had not done a whole lot yet. He’s been baptized, he’s gone into the wilderness, and he’s just begun his ministry. The people were expecting something, but they had no idea what that something was. In this sense, is the congregation in Nazareth all that different from our own congregations? Don’t we all go to church expecting something? But do any of us really take the time to articulate what that something is? How many of us go to church really expecting the Spirit of God to actually show up? Do we expect news so good that it might shatter the concerns and problems facing the world? Do we expect miracles that provide for the poor and oppressed? Is that what we really want, or would we rather just receive a little comfort, a little encouragement, and nothing that will rock the boat? It does make you wonder about the phenomenon of expectation, and what it means in the life of faith. Do we go to church looking to fulfill our own oftentimes paltry, self-centered expectations? Or do we come ready and open to see God’s expectations manifest themselves before our very eyes? We can too often be led by personal preferences and local power dynamics instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit. Each of us, collectively and individually, have been called to participate in the kingdom of God, but too often, the anointing gets separated from the purpose. So, was this day in the synagogue a high point in Jesus’ ministry? At this time everybody loved him, everybody listened to him, but hold on things change. We have all had times like this when everything goes well, and we feel the world is on our side. Other times, it all goes dreadfully wrong, and we cannot wait to go to get away and just get the day over with. Jesus had days like that too. There were plenty of times when people heard Jesus’ words and saw the miracles and even ate the bread and the fish yet still walked away with their hearts stubbornly closed. People misinterpreted him, lied about him and accused him of being in league with the devil. They humiliated him, beat him up and eventually killed him.
So as I close, again listen to these words “the Spirit of God is upon me.”. Close your eyes and feel His presence.
Let us Pray: Loving Father, Jesus declared that the scripture was fulfilled in Him. Help us to live out His mission in our daily lives. Empower us to serve others with humility and love. May we be faithful witnesses of Your grace and truth. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 