Throughout the season of Advent, we’ll have a weekday reflection based on suggested scriptures from a great resource entitled The Common Rule. You can find a calendar of the daily readings here.

Today, we see Jesus’ sermon to His hometown folks. He reads from Isaiah and shares that the Lord has anointed Him to bring good news to the poor. This is fulfilled at that moment because Jesus is the fulfillment of that. He is good news. As I’ve heard it said, if it’s not good news to the poor, it’s not good news. The temptation of Christmas is to make it about us and not about Jesus. There is a world all around in need that He has called us to serve. Let’s have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hands and feet to serve. That is what Christmas calls us to.

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.

If you’d like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click on the image above or this link to watch today’s video.

You can podcast this reflection here. You can subscribe through Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!

Good morning! It’s wonderful to be with you on this Monday morning as we continue our journey through Advent. It’s heartening to hear about the blessings and celebrations at St. Matthew’s, especially with the confirmation Sunday and baptisms. God is indeed at work in your community, and it’s inspiring.

Today, our reading takes us to Luke chapter 4, verses 16-21, where Jesus declares his mission at the synagogue in Nazareth. Let’s reflect on these verses:

“When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'”

This passage is a powerful declaration of Jesus’ mission and purpose. Returning to his hometown, Jesus goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath, adhering to his customary practice. As he reads from the scroll of Isaiah, he explicitly articulates the divine anointing upon him and the mission he is called to fulfill.

The essence of Jesus’ mission is summarized in the words of Isaiah: bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, restoring sight to the blind, liberating the oppressed, and declaring the year of the Lord’s favor. These are not just lofty ideals but a concrete mission statement, a blueprint for the ministry Jesus is inaugurating.

After reading the passage, Jesus boldly proclaims, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” In this simple yet profound statement, Jesus asserts that the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s promises has arrived. He is the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies, and the inauguration of God’s kingdom is at hand.

Your reflection draws attention to the irony that, often, the true purpose of Christmas gets obscured by the busyness of the season—shopping, parties, events, and family gatherings. It’s easy to place Jesus in the background, only to focus on Him briefly on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve.

Christmas, as you rightly emphasize, is a call to refocus on Christ, to make Him the North Star of our lives. The celebration of Jesus’ birth should not be overshadowed by the material aspects of the season. Rather, it should prompt us to embody the mission Jesus declared—bringing good news, offering release, restoring sight, and proclaiming liberation.

Your personal story of serving at First Mondays in Ripley beautifully illustrates the spirit of Christmas—a time of service, generosity, and love for those in need. As you encourage everyone to keep their eyes open for opportunities to serve, it’s a reminder that the true meaning of Christmas lies in living out the love and compassion that Christ brought into the world.

In the midst of all the busyness, may we all take a moment to reflect on the profound message of Christmas. May the spirit of Christ’s mission guide our actions, and may we find joy in serving others during this season.

Thank you for your heartfelt message, and I wish you and your community a truly meaningful and Christ-centered Christmas. Have a great week!