The Power of Truth

The Christian Community Comes Alive
Seeds of New Growth

Witnessing to the Truth

Luke 4:14-21  The Message

To Set the Burdened Free

^14-15 Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. News that he was back spread through the countryside. He taught in their meeting places to everyone’s acclaim and pleasure.

^16-21 He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

God’s Spirit is on me;
    he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
    recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
    to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”

For Reflection 

The good news is not just about the after life.  In my opinion it is hardly that!  The good news is about the here and now.  The good news is about escaping the grasp of our common cultures.  The good news is about freedom.  The good news is about your life and mine lived in radical trust of God's promise.

Pray

that you will find in the scriptures the desire to live the life God has intended for you.  Pray that you will have the wisdom to recognize the difference between the common understanding of justice peace and forgiveness and God's sense of justice, peace and forgiveness.