Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit

27 JANUARY (Lk 1,1-4.4,14-21)

Following the ancient rules of editing a story, Luke is the only one who premises an introduction to his book. He works on the model of the Book of Sirach and the Second Book of Maccabees, which premise a brief introduction to their written work.

Many important truths have been handed down to us through the law, the prophets, and the later authors; and for these the instruction and wisdom of Israel merit praise. Now, those who are familiar with these truths must not only understand them themselves but, as lovers of wisdom, be able, in speech and in writing, to help others less familiar. Such a one was my grandfather, Jesus, who, having devoted himself for a long time to the diligent study of the law, the prophets, and the rest of the books of our ancestors, and having developed a thorough familiarity with them, was moved to write something himself in the nature of instruction and wisdom, in order that those who love wisdom might, by acquainting themselves with what he too had written, make even greater progress in living in conformity with the divine law. You therefore are now invited to read it in a spirit of attentive good will, with indulgence for any apparent failure on our part, despite earnest efforts, in the interpretation of particular passages. For words spoken originally in Hebrew are not as effective when they are translated into another language. That is true not only of this book but of the law itself, the prophets and the rest of the books, which differ no little when they are read in the original. I arrived in Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Euergetes, and while there, I found a reproduction of our valuable teaching. I therefore considered myself in duty bound to devote some diligence and industry to the translation of this book. Many sleepless hours of close application have I devoted in the interval to finishing the book for publication, for the benefit of those living abroad who wish to acquire wisdom and are disposed to live their lives according to the standards of the law.(Sir, Prologue).

For us who have taken upon ourselves the labor of making this digest, the task, far from being easy, is one of sweat and of sleepless nights, just as the preparation of a festive banquet is no light matter for one who thus seeks to give enjoyment to others. Similarly, to win the gratitude of many we will gladly endure these inconveniences, while we leave the responsibility for exact details to the original author, and confine our efforts to giving only a summary outline. As the architect of a new house must give his attention to the whole structure, while the man who undertakes the decoration and the frescoes has only to concern himself with what is needed for ornamentation, so I think it is with us. To enter into questions and examine them thoroughly from all sides is the task of the professional historian; but the man who is making an adaptation should be allowed to aim at brevity of expression and to omit detailed treatment of the matter. Here, then, we shall begin our account without further ado; it would be nonsense to write a long preface to a story and then abbreviate the story itself. (2Mac, 2, 26-32).
The Gospel

of Luke is a true and accurate research. The solidity of the teachings is a historical certainty. Luke does not passively receive the news. He is a real investigator.

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus begins his mission revealing his identity to his fellow citizens of Nazareth. This initiative was a failure. The Father saved him from an incredulous people that wished to have thrown him headlong down the cliff. Right from the start we know that faith in Jesus Christ is infinitely beyond the visible history.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us Holy Spirit eyes.