IN writing his gospel, the evangelist Luke states his intention to establish a link between the Old Covenant/Testament and the New, with Jesus Christ as the main connection. He writes to a certain Theophilus, who may be construed as the patron who pays for the manuscripts according to the custom of his time (no printing press existed), or to “Theophilus,” who in Greek means “lover of God” and may represent every Christian. The writers of the New Testament recognize the authority of the Jewish Sacred Scriptures, often referring to the “Law of Moses,” to David, to the prophets, and to the Holy Spirit. Luke here quotes the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord” (61:1-2).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, the History, and the Prophets. Jesus restores the order of creation broken by the disobedience of the first man Adam; he fulfills the covenant given to Abraham and Moses; he establishes the eternal Kingdom promised to the house of David; he is the anointed and Spirit-filled prophet in the mold of Isaiah and Elijah and Elisha; he is the Messiah who will liberate the whole humanity from sin, sickness, and death. His entrance signifies the Lord’s year of mercy, recalling the jubilee year wherein debts are forgiven and freedom is given to slaves and captives – a new era of total liberation for all humanity.
Gospel: Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.
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.”
* * *
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
