Anointed with the Spirit of God::: Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

 Year A

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Psalm 119:97.98.99.100.101.102 (R. 97a)

Luke 4:16-30

Anointed with the Spirit of God 

Yesterday we looked at what the Messiah was supposed to do, and we realized also that the third temple in Ezekiel's vision with living water flowing from the right side of it was actually the Cross and Jesus who hangs on it. Reflecting on the Cross  and our call to make our Bodies a living sacrifice to God yesterday, today we reflect on the best way to live such a life. 

Paul in the first reading says that he proclaims the Crucified Christ.  This is a very strong statement; Christ which is the from the Greek word Kristos and means anointed one, and hence is the same as the Jewish understanding of the Messiah. Thus Paul proclaims the Messiah who was crucified.  

Paul who encountered Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus tells us today that there is a difference between the wisdom of men and the power of God.  This power of God is found in the Cross of the Messiah who is God but took our nature and stretching out his hands on the Cross delivered all of humanity to God.

So in the Gospel, the Messiah who is anointed with the Spirit of God said he came to preach the good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. With this slavery language, we see how corrupted our nature has become. 

Actually what Jesus talks about which is about the jubilee year shows us 5 things that our soul wants. Knowledge  is the ultimate need of our soul, but for our soul to gain what it needs, there are 5 things it must do. It must have a connection  to the Truth, commit to the truth, serve the Truth, express itself in the Truth and be creative in the Truth. 

Preaching good news to the poor tells us about  connecting to the Truth; poverty is in twofold,either poor in health or poor in wealth. For a soul to be saved from poverty it must be connected to the Truth. 

Proclaiming release to the captives  tells us about serving the Truth; serving the Truth means one have been set free because the Truth sets free (cf.John 8:32).

Recovery of sight to the blind tells us about creativity in the Truth; the eyes plays an important role in aesthetics and it helps us see the beauty of the Truth for it is the lamp of the body (cf. Matthew 6:22). 

Setting the oppressed free tells us about expression in the Truth; Express is from the Latin "exprimere" which means press out. The oppressed is inflicted with stress and is only the Truth that can help the oppressed come out of it.

Proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord tells us about committing to the Truth; the acceptable year of the Lord is the jubilee year and is a whole year set apart as holy and dedicated to granting rest to the Land, animals and people.  Committing to the Truth gives us rest.

By

Sylvester Amakye-Quayson