Jesus Begins His Ministry

 

 Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, ² just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, ³ I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first,^[a] to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

¹⁴ Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵ He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

¹⁶ 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, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “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,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ 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. ²¹ Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

The time is come, now is the hour for Jesus to begin his ministry, confident that he was being led and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The passage he chose from Isaiah was the perfect description of why he, the Son of God, became one of us.

Each of us too has a purpose, a mission, to reflect as best we can and with the gifts God has given us, some aspect of God and to bring his love through us into our world.  We too can take this passage from Isaiah and apply it to ourselves. How can I bring the Good News to the poor, release captives from their chains of doubt, ignorance or self-absorption;  give sight and insight to those blinded by their own egos, and set people free from the chains of materialism, lack of faith, and lack of love? Our world is the same world that Jesus experienced, but now we have him to guide us through it and carry on his mission.  May we, like Jesus, discover our ministry, and fulfill it with the power of the Spirit.

Bro. Rene