Opening
Lord Jesus, lead us in to the holiness of Your Word. Amen.
Text: Luke 4:16-21
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Devotion
Indeed this Scripture has been fulfilled for us. The Lord is here. The year of grace, the blessed New Testament age has come. Listen to the Gospel now, you poor sinners. Believe it and rejoice. Surely you are utterly poor both in righteousness and holiness, but now you are rich. The year of jubilee in the Old Testament contained the promise that everyone would get his inheritance back (Lev 25:8-17). In Christ’s kingdom we get God’s honor and glory back again, along with status as children of God. You yourselves are sick. I know very well how it is with you. And our Jesus knows best of all how our sick heart and our depressed mind feel. No one understands as well as He does, for “He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). We are sick, but He is our Physician who has a remedy for everything. It is good that we feel our sickness, for only those who feel ill want a doctor. He is the anointed Priest and the Physician of the soul. Do you believe that God the Lord put someone unfit into this office? He is as sure to rely upon as God in heaven. For He is the eternal God Himself. Come to Him where He has made an appointment with you, namely, in the Gospel, that is: in the Word and Baptism and the Supper. When He says to you: you who are baptized into Me have put on My righteousness, you who eat and drink My body and blood, abide in Me, and I in you, you are free and have power to believe and power to serve Me – then He is near to you, yes, nearer than anything else. For as He speaks, so He is. Then by His grace you really have power to believe, for He gives sight to the blind.
Don’t you see that you are a lost sinner, in infinite debt, unable to pay a red cent? Don’t you see that you are impure, sick, and completely leprous and sold under sin? This you have begun to see. Did you give yourself sight? So then, see also that He has paid the debt for you, and that therefore it is canceled. Don’t you see that He dies, the Righteous for the unrighteous, and don’t you see how clearly this is written by God’s own finger in the Gospel (Exo 31:18)? See also that He has taken you into His Church, which is His hospital for healing the sick. Understand that you are with Jesus and no longer in the devil’s power. Then you see rightly. For it is indeed so, and He also gave you light to be able to see this. O our perverted senses! Secure sinners despise the Gospel in self-righteousness or worldly security, and the converted want to see with their senses before they believe. God helps us to proper humility, that we may be appalled by our unbelief that opposes such clear truth and such incredible grace! Let us go on. The year of jubilee has begun. Jesus stands among us. The Gospel is proclaimed, the fount of healing flows, the bonds are broken, the bandages are removed from our eyes. And we still act as though we were blind. We are free and yet we do not give thanks, but continue to sigh and complain!
Closing Prayer
Yes, precious Lord Jesus, eternally praised be Your name! This should not be a dying song of thanks, but You will complete what You began in us, and we shall eternally praise Your glory. Yes, we pray You, grant this out of Your great and wondrous mercy! Amen.
Hymn
O I am a sinful man,
Worthy of no more am I,
Never better, though I try,
When I hear the Law’s command!
But because my Jesus lived,
Took upon Himself my strife,
My name there in heav’n is giv’n,
Written in the Book of Life.
In the judgment I shall stand
And ascend to heav’n above,
Reign in Jesus’ royal land,
Crowned with glory, joy, and love;
Robed in white, my palms I wave,
Drink of life is mine to claim,
Since my Jesus me did save
By His holy blood and name.
Brorson: Saligheden er os nær L 176:6-7 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Spanish Chant (ELH 510); alternate hymn: O rejoice, ye Christians, loudly ELH 163:3-4