Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song And Praise

Today's sermon is based on the Gospel of Luke 4:21-30. In this verse:  People in Jesus’ hometown are initially pleased when he says that God will free the oppressed. Their pleasure turns to rage when he reminds them that God’s prophetic mission typically pushes beyond human boundaries so that mercy and healing are extended to those regarded as outsiders.   In this week’s gospel reading we get what former radio personality, Paul Harvey, would have called, “the rest of the story.” If you remember last week’s gospel reading, Jesus had gone to his hometown synagogue and read words from the great prophet Isaiah, saying: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to preach good news to the poor.” Then, he sat down. The people’s eyes fixed on him, and he said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The first public word spoken by Jesus himself in Luke’s gospel is the word “today.” That word is a favorite of Luke’s. It appears twelve times in Luke’s gospel. “Today” conveys a real sense of immediacy. Furt