Midweek Musings for Sunday, January 24, 2016

MIDWEEK MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

This week's reflection comes from

Synod Vice President Thomas Madden

Reflecting and Dwelling in the Word

The Third Sunday After Epiphany

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people. Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, comforted by your promises, we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

PSALM 19

¹The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

²Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

³There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

⁴yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

⁵which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;

⁸the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;

⁹the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.

¹³Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,

and to proclaim release to the captives. Alleluia.(Luke 4:18)

Holy Gospel

Luke 4: ¹⁴Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. ¹⁶When 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, ¹⁷and 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, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." ²⁰And 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. ²¹Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

MUSINGS

This week's Gospel parallels Luke's account of Jesus' baptism when the Spirit descended from the heavens upon Jesus and the voice proclaimed him as Lord. This time in the synagogue, empowered again by the Spirit, the voice is Jesus' very own as he proclaims that he is sent to bring the good news of the coming of God's kingdom-the message that God is present with and cares for God's people.

But on first read, does it sound as if this good news is for just a subset of people?

The poor: In the US, these would be individuals with annual incomes less than $11,770.
The captives: We might think first of the imprisoned or those held against their will, especially in times of war.
The blind: Legal blindness occurs when a person has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correction.
The oppressed: Aren't they ones subjected to burdensome or harsh authority, especially those living under tyrannical regimes?

As people of a relatively privileged society and a culture of self-help, it may be difficult to see how Jesus' good news applies to us. We've got it all together, don't we?

So how then do we understand the truth that Jesus was sent to redeem all of humanity, that God, in Jesus Christ, was reconciling the world to himself-the whole world?

If we assume a countercultural mindset, conceding that we too are deprived of real needs, held captive by circumstances that stranglehold us and are oppressed by deep hurts and fears, then we are freed to receive the good news from God: release, sight, healing and freedom, as Luke says.

But it doesn't end there. We also are freed to proclaim and be God's good news for others.

Thanks be to God!

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