The passage from Luke’s Gospel tells of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.  Jesus is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel tells us that at least in the beginning of his public ministry he was well received.

       At a synagogue service Jesus stood up to do the reading. He read from the prophet Isaiah: “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 free the oppressed and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Jesus proclaims that he is the one who fulfills what Isaiah wrote. Jesus is truly our hope. His public ministry will be marked by proclaiming God’s love and mercy.