The Year of the Lord's Favor

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 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, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “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 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. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. Luke 4:14-30 

Sometimes the people who know us best can be hardest on us. And sometimes our communities can be upset when we change and grow. And then sometimes, we can be our own worst enemy. When God calls us to move beyond the familiar and comfortable, it can feel like we have upset the balance and are the problem. Jesus, first and foremost was human, as we are, vulnerable to the pain of rejection and misunderstandings. May we walk today through the world, aware that so many are trying to grow and change, so many have suffered rejection, and everyone needs to hear that this is the year of the Lord's favor.

Blessed Creator, who suffers with us

you send your child to live as we do

to feel our joys and our great sorrows

to be embraced and rejected as we are.

We struggle to believe in your presence

our humanity often turns to rejection

yet you are always tender and blessing us

with the abundance of your love and favor.

Help us today to accept and live your blessing

help us to be the blessing other people need

make us sensitive to the hurt and isolation

so that your love my permeate through all. Amen.