Leaning Into Luke

 

¹⁴ Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵ He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.  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.”  Luke 4:4-19

This week I want us to lean into Luke’s gospel.  The above words happen right after Jesus’ temptation that we dove into a few weeks ago.  Notice how the Spirit continues to drive and dance into the story.  The Spirit is an active actor/actress in Jesus’ life, this will continue in the book of Acts (which many scholars believe the same author of Luke writes as a sequel).  The Spirit prompts, pulls, pushes, provokes, and persuades Jesus back the region of Galilee, where he grew up. 

How does the Spirit do that?  What does that look like or sound like or feel like? 

Those are great questions.  But there is not, in my experience, a one-size fits all answer to it for everyone who will read this.  Sometimes the Spirit is peaceful…sometimes passionate…sometimes persistent…sometimes patient.  The Spirit can wear a thousand disguises.  But, what tethers and ties all this together is that being grounded and guided by the Spirit is being fully alive and awake.  Often, it is easy to get caught up in the past or future rather than the present moment.  Jesus seems to stay open to the Spirit whether in the desert being tempted or traveling back to the place he called, “Home”.  I think one way to practice such openness is by pushing the pause button several times a day.  Pause after you read this to reflect and respond to what stirred within you.  Pause before lunch to consider the way you are connected to countless people who made the meal you are about to eat happen (earth, farmers, truck drivers, grocery store workers).  Pause in the afternoon to see the way the sunlight is shining a light on the grass outside.  Work in pauses into your life rather than rushing and running and racing on to the next thing.  Right now, put in your calendar and set an intention to pause today.

Prayer: God whose first language is silence, help me find moments of sacred stillness to feel Your stirring Spirit in me.  Amen.