Straight to the Point

A Reflection on the Gospel for January 27th, 2019:
​Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 1.1-4; 4.14-21

​Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 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, and the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

Then he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

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Many people who believe in Jesus do so on the basis of evidence. I myself could not be a Christian if there was no evidence that Jesus was both human and divine, and I had no choice but to make a blind leap of faith. Why? Because I value hard evidence—not only in my professional life as a lawyer but in my faith life as well.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Luke, “after investigating everything carefully from the very first, [decided] to write an orderly account” of the truth. Luke is a man after my own heart. He appreciates that, for people like me, an orderly account is persuasive. It eliminates any doubt that might arise from an inconsistent and disorganized account, and allows me immediately to go deeper into the meaning and power of Jesus’ life and actions.

After declaring this intention, Luke moves straight into a two-pronged revelation that lays the foundation for everything else in his Gospel. First, he reveals who Jesus is: the one anointed by the Holy Spirit and sent by God to fulfill Isaiah’s prophesy. Second, Luke reveals Jesus’ mission: “to bring good news to the poor” and “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (The year of the Lord’s favour is described in Leviticus as a time of freedom and redemption.) Finally, Luke reveals the greatest news of all. The time of waiting is over: the Messiah everyone has been waiting for has arrived and scripture has been fulfilled.

"Luke reveals the greatest news of all. The time of waiting is over: the Messiah everyone has been waiting for has arrived and scripture has been fulfilled."

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Back in the days when I was a student crafting essays for English class, the practice was to warm up one’s readers by carefully setting the stage and gradually building up to a revelation of one’s brilliant conclusions. Much to my surprise, when I went to law school, the practice was quite the opposite. Students were trained to state one’s conclusions up front and set out the evidence in support of them thereafter. Now, years later, I’ve become accustomed to the lawyers’ way. I suppose that’s why I so enjoy Luke’s approach. He doesn’t tell us all about Jesus’ miracles and then surprise us at the end with a confirmation of what we’ve suspected all along, that Jesus is the Messiah. Instead, he gives it to us straight right out of the gate: this is the truth about Jesus, who He is and what His mission was. Luke doesn’t pussyfoot around. I find this direct approach—laying his cards on the table—persuasive. It allays any concerns I might have had about the accuracy of his account and permits me to enter immediately into what is the point of it all: the life-changing, salvific dawn of a new covenant with our loving God.

​Donna Davis

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