Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
Have you ever been around an individual who had a magnetic quality about them? The few times I have been around such people they have made feel comfortable, understood, and appreciated.
The Gospel reading today gives the impression that those hearing Jesus in that setting had much the same experience. Even though they did not fully understand who this was, they felt God’s awe inspiring presence. Since the time of his ascension Jesus has been walking with us and advocating for us. May we be filled with awe and comforted by his peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.