The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me – Reflection on Luke 4:16-21
On the Sabbath, Jesus stood before the town’s population, which was historically estimated to be 400 people. He read from Isaiah, pronouncing the short homily we know resulted in Jesus saying, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Listening to that Biblical moment in our current timeframe, we must ask ourselves, are we just hearing Jesus’s words? There is a more complex reflection and question. Shouldn’t we also be able to proclaim, “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me?” Note: This is also a Gospel Reflection for the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass. Here is a related reflection for the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Jesus Unrolls the Book in the Synagogue by James Tissot (full resolution image of painting).
More details on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Luke 4:16-21 – Scripture*
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 When 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, 17 and 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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And 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. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this daily Gospel reading and considering this Lectio Divina Luke 4:16-21 Reflection – The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me.
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Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities experience your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.
Attributions
This site has permission from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) to use the Luke 4 Bible passage.
This site follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
Primary Lectio Divina word or phrase: The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me
Page and discussion group on these Lectio Divina daily Gospel Readings.
Discussion group on St. John of the Cross.