Today we are gathered together for the third weekend after Epiphany and we hear a wonderful Gospel lesson from Luke where Jesus, at the beginning of his ministry, is back in his hometown of Nazareth on the Sabbath and so he goes to the synagogue and when he stands up to read they hand him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. And of all the things Jesus could have read he chooses to read Isaiah 61:1-2a which states, “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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And his only commentary after sitting down after reading this was to say to all who were present, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
