The power of the ‘Word’

We are called to this community of believers and doers of the word.

WORD OF FAITH: A breakdown of each week's upcoming Sunday readings to better understand the Word of God at Mass.

In the Gospel, Jesus follows the ordinary custom for any practicing Jew — he goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He was asked to read the scripture portion and to comment on it. But the ordinary is shattered! Jesus, the Word made flesh, proclaims the Word and announces that he is the living embodiment of the Word! We can feel the assembly hold its breath at this powerful proclamation of the prophet Isaiah. What is this proclamation, this inaugural address?

Jesus comes in the “power of the Spirit” — the power he experienced at his baptism, the power that has thrust him into his ministry. He will “bring glad tidings to the poor” — his mission will seek out those who are disregarded and expendable and call them blessed. Jesus will “proclaim liberty to captives” — all those who are bound by sin and oppression, all those who are deprived of freedom, either by their own choices or by the greed of others. He will give “recovery of sight to the blind.” Jesus literally heals blindness, but he also will offer a new way of looking at life — of looking at others — of perceiving a God-drenched world. He will turn the usual worldview upside down in his sharing of the Beatitudes and the parables.

Jesus will invite all to see the world as he does. Jesus will “let the oppressed go free” by welcoming those who are outsiders; he will dine with them; he will call them to follow him. He will set aside notions of elites and subjects — he will treat all as equals. And he “will proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” — Jesus ushers in the reign of God — where love and mercy are given generously to all. Jesus will not only read these words — he will fulfill them. 

This will not be easy of course. Every day Jesus will encounter people eager to hear his message and eager to be healed. But he will also meet with opposition. He will be viewed as a threat to the religious tradition, a threat to the established order. Jesus claims the prophetic tradition as his own and fulfills the ancient promises. He also experiences the prophets’ consequences that will cost him his life. 

As we reflect on the power of Jesus’ words, we need to ask ourselves a serious question: what is the cost that we are willing to pay to listen deeply to the word and to follow it in our lives? We too have the power of the Spirit, given to us at baptism. How are we actualizing it in the daily choices that a disciple makes? If our faith life is one of coasting along from Sunday to Sunday, are we truly living Jesus’ prophetic word? Of course this is daunting and we can easily feel overwhelmed. The First Reading holds wisdom and strength for us as we strive to walk this path with Jesus. 

The reading from Nehemiah emphasizes the power of the word. The people stand in assembly — men, women and children old enough to understand — together to receive the word and the teaching. They are moved by the word: they shout “Amen” as a sign of consent, they prostrate themselves as a sign of reverence, and they weep together. Perhaps they are reflecting on how they have failed to live the word, the law. But they are instructed to “eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, to share what they have and to rejoice in the LORD, for that is their strength!”  

The reading emphasizes how the power of the word is strengthened in community. This community listens attentively to God’s word and accepts the responsibility of acting on the word. This is not an onerous duty but a cause of great rejoicing! We are called to this community of believers and doers of the word. We are “anointed” by Jesus’ call to discipleship, which fills our lives with strength and joy to be the embodiment of the Word in our times!