The Word of the Lord

Grace and peace to all of you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This morning, we gather not just as individuals but as a body—a body with different parts and functions yet united in one purpose. As we delve into the scriptures, let us reflect on our human condition, our response to God’s law, and the gospel’s transformative power.

I love that we preach from the lectionary every Sunday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Teaching from the lectionary presents the pastor with the challenging gift of harmonizing the texts; through that exercise, the Word reveals itself. We never know how the hearer will receive that, but we do know this: If we preach from the text, “God’s Word will not return to Him empty but shall accomplish what He purposed for it and succeed in the thing for which He sends it.” In other words, it isn’t about me; it’s about God!

The scriptures speak to and interpret each other, which is a wonderful mystery to experience. The Psalm for today reminded me of this relational mystery when considering the work of God in creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19)

The Bible contains a cohesive structure, much like the church, with diverse parts united in purpose under Christ, its head. We recognize the power of God’s word! Consider the law: merely hearing it can lead to conviction, condemnation, and even death.

In the book of Nehemiah, we encounter a moving moment. After returning from exile, the Israelites assemble to listen to the Law of Moses being read. Ezra, the priest, reads from the Book of the Law while the people stand in reverence, paying close attention. Similar to the listeners in Nehemiah, we may find ourselves moved to tears by the realization of our transgressions. Without the law, we remain unaware of our sins and our need for salvation. Just as the Israelites listened then, we must be attentive today.

The law compels us to scrutinize our sinful nature, as it indicts us deeply. When we engage in this honest self-reflection, we may discover a different image in the mirror. While the law holds the power to condemn us, it lacks the ability to save. We must turn to God with repentant hearts and seek His mercy. This is exactly the kind of people Jesus searches for—those with hearts and minds that desire repentance and require mercy

The saving power of God’s Word is in the good news–the Gospel. In Luke’s account, Jesus preached to His people at a worship service in his hometown of Nazareth. On this particular day, Jesus read the words of the prophet Isaiah, who long ago delivered “good news” about the future Messiah’s mission. This was a message of hope for the poor, imprisoned, oppressed, and blind—those who, more than they will care to admit, depend on God for everything. Because we have the gift of the Holy Bible, we know from all the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that Jesus Christ of Nazareth publicly restored the sight to the blind, proclaimed the good news to the poor, proclaimed the year of God’s favor, and set free those who are oppressed.

When Jesus spoke the words of Isaiah in Nazareth, he was already quite well-known in Galilee, with reports of his teachings and ministry spreading widely. His presence in Nazareth wasn’t about imparting something new or different from what he was doing elsewhere. The fact that he was a Nazarene didn’t give the local people any unique claim over him or vice versa. Jesus came to preach the Gospel to them so they might repent and receive salvation. He announced hope, restoration, and grace for all people in his hometown. The Messiah has come, not to condemn but to rescue, bringing healing and hope to a world burdened by sin and despair.

Initially, the listeners were astonished by his words. Yet, their hearts soon hardened into hostility once Jesus spoke of the miracles performed by Elijah and Elisha, which were for a Gentile widow and a leper, not for Israel. This group appeared to lack faith, murmuring among themselves, “Isn’t this Joseph’s Son?” Coupled with his reading from Isaiah regarding the messianic mission, the message was clear: God’s grace and mercy are granted freely, not based on human merit or worthiness, but according to His gracious will. The synagogue’s people in Nazareth turned away from this truth, thus rejecting God. Jesus then offered them both the law and the gospel, which incited them to want to kill him. They were unwilling to hear it, and it could be argued they could not understand it, as all they perceived was “Joseph’s Son.” May we possess the insight to see rather than be as blind as our friends from Nazareth when in God’s presence.

On that day, Jesus was not just addressing those present; He was also speaking to you and me. God sent His Son so that all these events could unfold, and before Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth, much of His ministry had yet to occur. We are fortunate to view a complete narrative and have the entire Scripture to examine, confirming that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah.

We know Jesus set free the oppressed and restored the sight of the blind when he cured the demon-possessed man who was also blind and mute in Matthew’s gospel. “Then, a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him (Jesus), and he healed him so that the man spoke and saw.” (Matthew 12:22)

We know he proclaimed the good news to the poor because, in his sermon on the mount in Matthew and Luke, Jesus preached: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20)

We know that Jesus had indeed proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor and we hear it, especially in John’s Gospel. Jesus was meeting with one of the most revered teachers of Israel, Nicodemus, and proclaimed, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)

Jesus gave us the office of preaching and teaching the law and the gospel—not just pastors but all of us. All baptized believers are part of one body, and with our many gifts, we are called to the mission of Jesus Christ. We share His Gospel, teach His laws, and endure in faith as one church until the end.