Today, This Scripture Passage is Fulfilled In Your Hearing

Awhile back, the angels encouraged me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospel Readings. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke- with a loving, angel guided message behind it. LK 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

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Today, we hear and bask in the declaration of God’s purpose in Jesus. That he is the Anointed One sent to bring “glad tidings” to the poor and the blind, and to those imprisoned by forces outside of themselves, or enslaved by those within.

We see Jesus’ respect for God’s Word, as he seeks out the passage to read, then carefully rolls up the scroll again, before sitting and declaring its fulfillment. The story requires a tone of authority, for Jesus makes no apology for his assertions.

The awe inspiring aspect of this text is that what happens “then”, happens “today” – as the weekly word of Scripture fall upon us and actualize the sacred realities of which they speak. (see reference)

Reference: The Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word 2016