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| Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” |
| —Luke 4:14-21 |
The words we say to each other have great power. If I met you walking along a hallway at work and I say to you, “You look very happy today.” Those words will probably make you feel good about yourself. If I say to you, “I really appreciated the stand you took in the meeting this morning. You made several really important observations.” Those words will most likely give you a good feeling inside, as well. Words have great power.
Likewise, if I speak to you in a harsh tone. Or, if I say something to you that has a biting sting to it. Or, when I speak to you, if I accuse you of bad behavior. You will likely not feel very good about yourself. And, you will likely feel very bad about me. Words have great power.
The Scripture text at the beginning of this blog post tells the story of the time when Jesus preached in the synagogue of his home town and used very powerful words. Jesus chose to read a passage of Scripture to the congregation that outlined the ministry He would have. He told them that He had come to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, the recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to declare the year of the Lord’s favor.
These words that Jesus preached had great power that day in the synagogue. We must remember that to His fellow townspeople, Jesus was just the son of a carpenter. He wasn’t anyone special. Imagine their surprise to hear such words from someone those folks thought of as just another ordinary person from their town. Jesus’ words shocked and amazed them. The people were overwhelmed by the power of His words. And, the exciting thing is that Jesus’ words still have great power today.
As we grow closer to God, and as we learn more and more about Jesus, we will come to understand that His words can have great power in our own lives, too. The truth of Jesus words can literally set us free from the power of sin, death, and Satan.
That’s why it’s important to spend time each day reading our Bibles. The more we read Jesus’ words, the more the Holy Spirit will plant those words deep into our hearts and minds. The more that Jesus’ words live in our hearts and minds, the more that what He has to say will guide us along the pathway of our lives. The more we respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the more the words we say can help, heal, encourage, and strengthen those who hear what we say. Words have great power.
