Anointed and Sent

What struck me about this familiar reading are the words pointing to the central role of the Spirit in Jesus’ life. “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” and as he read from the scroll handed to him this quotation from Isaiah “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me….He has sent me…” and there follows the wonderful series of blessings: glad tidings to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

 It seems Jesus senses the Spirit is intimately one with him, moving him to amazingly announce to the assembled : ”Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

He lives and moves in the power of the Spirit. This courageous proclamation spells out Jesus’ mission, his life purpose and ultimately will result in his death. All in the power of the Spirit.  Anointed and sent.

There have been times when I have uttered words that seemingly came “out of nowhere,” words of comfort when I volunteered at Hospice House, words of love or forgiveness that surprised me even as I uttered them…where did that come from?? My hope is that those times when I was better than I expected, more loving than is my custom, more forgiving than my recent ruminations on times of personal slights would seem to allow – that perhaps that was the Spirit nudging me out of the way, showing the Way.  Letting us move in the power of the Spirit. We can claim this. After all, we also are anointed in Baptism and sent in Confirmation.

May we all walk the way Jesus walked, in the power of the Spirit. Anointed and sent. All love and healing.