Scripture: Luke 4:25-28 And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah’s time, when it didn’t rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. There were also many persons with skin
Prayer for the Week: We explore the holy scriptures in search of what you have done and what has been said about you. O Word of Life that took on flesh, we desire to know you, but if we do not have a starting place in the ancient stories of the faith, we will struggle to know of you and to be in relationship with you. We claim
Scripture: Luke 4:20-21 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” Thought for the Day: Notice the movement in the story. Jesus has just finished reading from the scroll of Isaiah. He is standing as
Scripture: Luke 4:17-18 The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed…
Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-2 The LORD God’s spirit is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and a day of vindication for our God, to comfort all who mourn… Thought for the Day: This is
Scripture: Luke 4:16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. Thought for the Day: As I reminded folks in my devotional yesterday, Jesus was a Jew. And notice how in this verse, Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath as “he normally did…” This should not have been
Scripture: Luke 4:15 He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. Thought for the Day: The line, “Jesus taught in the synagogues,” may sound surprising to some, but Jesus was Jewish. And though he was an itinerant preacher, he was drawn to the synagogues of the towns he visited. It is thought that most of the towns in Galilee had a synagogue. These were gathering places
Scripture: Luke 4:14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. Thought for the Day: Yesterday I had to get some things done in the yard. Weeds were going crazy, and so I raked, mowed and put down some weed stuff. It has been a while since I really worked in the yard, and I must confess,
Prayer for the WeekVoices, Prophets, Those who inspire the best within; who challenge the unhealthy ways of society; who awaken the better angels of our nature.O Artist of our humanity, you have created a magnificent expression of the possible when you created us.O Sculptor of our souls, you formed us through love, to share love, for the sake of love. Your hope and
Scripture: Luke 4:13 After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity. Thought for the Day: I’ve always been intrigued by these words. Jesus has just finished an onslaught of temptations, misguided and slanderous suggestions that were seeking to redirect his attention from the ways of God. You finish reading it, and you wipe the sweat from your brow and give thanks that it