“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Anticipation!  I love having something to look forward to, something on the horizon that helps me get through the present.  I can remember as a kid counting down the days until the first day of school and the last day of school, my birthday and of course Christmas.  (These are still things that I look forward to with great anticipation.) 

For over a year now I have been looking forward to a trip to Spain…and it is now in the single-digit weeks count down.  It is hard to believe that something I have been looking forward to for so long will be here in just a few short weeks, and in the blink of an eye it will be over and filling my memories.

Anticipation is easy when there is a date on the calendar, a fixed time when that event will occur.  But, what if what we anticipate is never given a date, a season, or even the possibility of coming to fruition in our lifetime?  That is what the people in Jesus’ day faced.  Generation after generation after generation looked forward with great anticipation to the coming of the promised Messiah.  God made the original promise Abraham, he renewed his promise with David, and reminded the people of his promise through the Prophets.  God was then silent for 400 years!  That is a long time to wait…anticipating the fulfilment of God’s promise.

It makes me wonder what those people in the Synagogue that day Jesus showed up thought.  Did they hear a familiar passage and think, “Isn’t that nice.”  Did they wonder what the carpenter’s son was doing teaching in the Synagogue?  Did they truly understand who stood in their midst that day?  Would we hear with open ears and an open mind? 

But what about now…Do we hear God’s word and the call to action it sparks in us?  Do we anticipate the return of the Messiah, Jesus’ promise that he will return?  Do we live our lives with that sense of expectancy?  Friends…Carpe Diem!  There is no better time then now no better day than today!  May we live in anticipation of all that God has in store for us.

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down.
Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in,
“You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”
Luke 4:20-21