In Luke, we are told that Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returns to Galilee to begin his ministry. Unlike other Gospels where Jesus’ ministry starts with miracles like turning water into wine, Luke has Jesus officially starting his ministry by reading from the prophet Isaiah which says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”. Jesus has embraced his identity as God’s Son. He has embraced the heart of his ministry, to bring physical and spiritual transformation for all of God’s people.
January 26, 2025
Messages from the Gospel of Luke
“Preach the Good News”
Luke 4: 14-21
Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl
Luke 4: 14-21
Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed,and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. He began to say to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.”
Preach the Good News Luke 4: 14-21
Please hear me say I did not choose this particular text because I wanted to address the wider conversation, which is currently happening within our nation, a conversation which revolves around power and might, a conversation which questions by whose authority one determines where and how the wider church should respond to the continued division in our country. I want you to hear that I did not intentionally choose this particular text to address where I fall on the religious and political spectrum. Ironically, or providentially, this text was chosen for me. It was chosen for thousands of us preacher types who have the honor of standing in pulpits across our nation, across our world. Ironically or providentially, this text was chosen as the Gospel reading for this particular Sunday. Ironically or providentially, this text was chosen as the Word of God for this particular Sunday. Ironically or providentially, it comes to us in the midst of this contiguous conversation which currently rages around our nation.
I say this because this particular text from the Gospel of Luke, these few verses which tell us of the moment when Jesus fully embraces his mission and ministry, these few verses which Luke uses to set the course for the rest of Jesus’ ministry in his Gospel, these few verses which build on the themes which Luke introduced through the birth of Jesus, themes like caring for the least of these, themes of lifting up the lowly and bringing down the proud, these few verses found within the Gospel of Luke are the lectionary text for this Sunday. And our community of faith along with thousands and thousands of others across this nation, across this world are hearing these words, are lifting up these words, are naming these words, are studying these words as THE Gospel on this third Sunday after the Epiphany.
When we spend time with our text, we realize that this is a significant moment in the life and ministry of Jesus. Sure, Luke tells us that Jesus does what he usually does on the Sabbath day, that he goes to synagogue to teach, to share the Word of God with the people of God, however this time the synagogue just happens to be his home church. Sure, Luke tells us that Jesus does what he usually does on the Sabbath day, reading from the scrolls, however this time the scroll just happens to be from the prophet Isaiah, a prophet which is known for his themes of justice, known for his tendency to speak out, to call out those in power, the prophet Isaiah who is known for his constant vision of God’s Shalom coming to fruition for all of God’s people. Sure, Luke tells us that Jesus does what he usually does on the Sabbath day, that is be in community while practicing his faith, however, this time, Jesus goes one step further. He know only reads the text. He tells the people gathered there that the Scripture has been fulfilled within their hearing. Meaning that Jesus is stating out loud that the Spirit has anointed him, stating out loud that the Spirit has called him to embrace his ministry and mission as the Son of God, that Jesus is stating out loud that the Spirit is sending him out to bring the Good News to all of God’s people. Sure it seems like an ordinary Sabbath for Jesus and the people gathered at the synagogue that day except… except, we know as readers, we know as followers of Jesus Christ, we as ones who know the whole story, the story which begins with Zechariah who was told that his son would prepare the way for the Lord, we who know that the story includes the song of Mary which sings the words that tell us God will bring down the powerful from their thrones and lift up the lowly, which tell us that God will fill the hungry and send the rich away empty handed, we who know the story, the whole story… we know how it began and we know how it ends – with the promise that death will not have the last word, with the promise that love and light will overcome. We who are readers of the Gospel of Luke, who are followers of Jesus Christ, we know that this is not just an ordinary moment of the Sabbath. We know that this moment when Jesus stands before the people and proclaims the Good News, we know that this moment changes everything. It changes everything for Jesus. It changes everything for the people around him. It changes everything for us as his disciples still, some two thousand years later.
It changes everything because it is this moment, this moment which draws on the prophetic tradition found within the sacred story of Israel, this moment which reminds the people that their God has been and continues to be at work in this world, liberating people from oppressive systems, this moment which sets the course for Jesus’ ministry, it is this moment in which Jesus announces that he is bringing about physical and spiritual transformation for all of God’s people.
Because in that moment, when Jesus says, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, when Jesus says he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, when Jesus says, the Spirit has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, when Jesus says he is to set free those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, it is in that moment that Jesus recovers the vision of God’s Beloved Community for all of God’s people, a vision which restores hope, a vision which centers us in God’s Shalom, a vision which inspires possibilities, a vision which challenges all to embrace reconciliation, to practice mercy, a vision which burns bright with light of God, a vision which brings healing and wholeness to and for all of God’s people.
And then, just when Jesus has everyone’s attention, just when he shares this vision of God’s Shalom which is deeply rooted in his faith tradition, Jesus sits down and waits… waits to see how the people will respond, waits to see who will embrace this vision as their own, waits to see who will follow, waits to see who the world will respond, waits to see if the people understand what is happening in their midst, waits to see if those with eyes see, waits to see if those with ears hear, waits to see if the Gospel message will inspire those around him to become the people God created and calls us to be, people of love, people of grace, people of peace, people of mercy for a time such as this.
Luke tells us that after Jesus reads from the scroll that morning, after he lays out his vision of God’s Beloved Community, after Jesus names his mission and ministry, while all the people’s eyes were fixed on him at that moment, Jesus sits down and waits, waits for the world to change.
And since I am a follower of Jesus, a disciple of Christ, I will simply do the same. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach the Good News to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
See also: Theology Tuesday for Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Preach the Good News Luke 4: 14-21.
Additional sermons are available in the Sermon Library.
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