ACC ~ Luke 4 v16 - 21
THE CHOICE OF ISAIAH
ORIGEN: It was no accident that he opens the scroll and finds the chapter of the reading that prophesies about him. This too was an act of God’s providence. … Precisely the book of Isaiah was found, and the reading was no other but this one, which spoke about the mystery of Christ. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 32.4. [1]
[1] FC 94:132*.
BY READING ISAIAH, JESUS SHOWS HE IS GOD AND MAN
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Now it was necessary that he should manifest himself to the Israelites and that the mystery of his incarnation should now shine forth to those who did not know him. Now that God the Father had anointed him to save the world, he very wisely orders this also [that his fame should now spread widely]. This favor he grants first to the people of Nazareth, because, humanly speaking, he had grown up among them. Having entered the synagogue, therefore, he takes the book to read. Having opened it, he selects a passage in the Prophets which declares the mystery concerning him. By these words he himself tells us very clearly by the voice of the prophet that he would both be made man and come to save the world. For we affirm that the Son was anointed in no other way than by having become like us according to the flesh and taking our nature. Being at once God and man, he both gives the Spirit to the creation in his divine nature and receives it from God the Father in his human nature. It is he who sanctifies the whole creation, both by shining forth from the Holy Father and by bestowing the Spirit. He himself pours forth his own Spirit on the powers above and on those who recognized his appearing. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 12. [1]
[1] CGSL 91-92**.
JESUS ANOINTED BY THE SPIRIT FOR US
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Jesus plainly shows by these words that he took upon himself both the very name of Christ and its reality for our sakes. He humbled himself and submitted to the emptying of his glory for our sakes. “For the Spirit,” he says, “which by nature is in me by the sameness of our substance and deity, also descended upon me from outside of me. In the Jordan it came upon me in the form of a dove, not because it was not in me but in order to anoint me.” Why did he choose to be anointed? Because an ancient denunciation made us destitute of the Spirit. It said, “My Spirit shall not remain in these men, because they are flesh.” [1] COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 12. [2]
[1] Gen 6:3.
[2] CGSL 92**.
JESUS BEGINS HIS MINISTRY WITH A REFERENCE TO THE TRINITY
AMBROSE: Scripture speaks of Jesus himself as God and man, perfect in both natures. It speaks of the Father and the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is shown as Christ’s partner when he descends in bodily shape as a dove on Christ, when the Son of God was baptized in the river, and when the Father spoke from heaven. [1] So what greater testimony to us who are weak than that Christ signified with his own voice that he himself spoke by the prophets? [2] EXPOSITION ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 4.44-45. [3]
[1] Lk 3:22.
[2] 2 Pet 1:21.
[3] EHG 131**; CSEL 32 4:161.
GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR
EUSEBIUS: Our Savior, after reading this prophecy through in the synagogue one day to a multitude of Jews, shut the book and said, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.” He began his own teaching from that point. He began to preach the gospel to the poor, putting in the forefront of his blessings: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [1] Yes, he proclaimed forgiveness to those who were hampered by evil spirits and bound for a long time like slaves by demons. He invited all to be free and to escape from the bonds of sin, when he said, “Come to me, all you that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.” [2]
To the blind he gave sight, giving the power of seeing to those whose bodily vision was destroyed. He showered those in ancient times who were blind in their minds to the truth with the vision of the light of true religion. The prophecy before us shows it to be essential that Christ himself should be the originator and leader of the gospel activity. The same prophet foretells that after him his own disciples should be ministers of the same system: “How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good tidings of good things, and of those that bring good tidings of peace.” [3]
Here he says very particularly that it is the feet of those who publish the good news of Christ that are beautiful. For how could they not be beautiful, which in so small, so short a time have run over the whole earth and filled every place with the holy teaching about the Savior of the world? PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 3.1.88C-89A. [4]
[1] Mt 5:3.
[2] Mt 11:28.
[3] Is 52:7; Rom 10:15.
[4] POG 1:102**.
FREEDOM FOR THE CAPTIVES IN THE YEAR OF JUBILEE
ORIGEN: He says, “He sent me to preach the gospel to the poor.” The “poor” stand for the Gentiles, for they are indeed poor. They possess nothing at all: neither God, nor the law, nor the prophets, nor justice and the rest of the virtues. For what reason did God send him to preach to the poor? “To preach release to captives.” We were the captives. For many years Satan had bound us and held us captive and subject to himself. Jesus has come “to proclaim release to captives and sight to the blind.” By his word and the proclamation of his teaching the blind see. Therefore his “proclamation” should be understood not only of the “captives” but also of the “blind.”
“To send broken men forth into freedom …” What being was so broken and crushed as man, whom Jesus healed and sent away? “To preach an acceptable year to the Lord.” … But all of this has been proclaimed so that we may come to “the acceptable year of the Lord,” when we see after blindness, when we are free from our chains, and when we have been healed of our wounds. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 32.4-5. [1]
[1] FC 94:131-32**.
ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD EMBRACES JESUS’ MIRACLES AND DEATH
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: What does preaching the acceptable year of the Lord mean? It signifies the joyful tidings of his own advent, that the time of the Lord—yes, the Son—had arrived. For that was the acceptable year in which Christ was crucified on our behalf, because we then were made acceptable to God the Father as the fruit borne by him. That is why the Lord said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.” [1] Truly he returned to life the third day, having trampled on the power of death. After that resurrection he said to his disciples, “All power has been given to me.” [2] That too is in every respect an acceptable year. In it we were received into his family and were admitted to him, having washed away sin by holy baptism, and been made partakers of his divine nature by the communion of the Holy Spirit. That too is an acceptable year, in which he manifested his glory by inexpressible miracles. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 12. [3]
[1] Jn 12:32.
[2] Mt 28:18.
[3] CGSL 93**.
LET EVERY CONGREGATION FIX ITS EYES ON JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD
ORIGEN: When Jesus had read this passage, he rolled up “the scroll, gave it to the servant, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.” Now too, if you want it, your eyes can be fixed on the Savior in this synagogue, here in this assembly. When you direct the principal power of seeing in your heart to wisdom and truth and to contemplating God’s Only-Begotten, your eyes gaze on Jesus. Blessed is that congregation of which Scripture testifies that “the eyes of all were fixed on him!” How much would I wish that this assembly gave such testimony. I wish that the eyes of all (of catechumens and faithful, of women, men and children)—not the eyes of the body, but the eyes of the soul—would gaze upon Jesus. When you look to him, your faces will be shining from the light of his gaze. You will be able to say, “The light of your face, Lord, has made its mark upon us.” [1] HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 32.6. [2]
[1] Ps 4:6.
[2] FC 94:132-33**.
THE WORD OF ISAIAH FULFILLED IN NAZARETH’S EARS
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: These words having been read to the assembled people, all eyes focused on Jesus, wondering perhaps how he could read without having been taught. The Israelites used to say that the prophecies concerning Christ were fulfilled, either in the persons of some of their more glorious kings or at least in the holy prophets. They did not correctly understand what was written about him, so they missed the true direction and traveled down another path. He carefully guards against error by saying, “This day is this prophecy fulfilled in your ears,” that they might not again misinterpret the present prophecy. He expressly set himself before them in these words, as the person spoken of in the prophecy. It was he who preached the kingdom of heaven to the heathen. They were poor, having nothing—not God, not law, not prophets. Rather, he preached it to all who were without spiritual riches. He set the captives free; having overthrown the apostate tyrant Satan, he shed the divine and spiritual light on those whose heart was darkened. This is why he said, “I come as a light in this world.” [1] It was he who took the chains of sin off of those whose heart was crushed by them. He clearly showed that there is a life to come, and sinners denounced in just judgment. Finally, it was he who preached the acceptable year of the Lord, the year in which the Savior’s proclamation was made. By the acceptable year I think is meant his first coming, and by the day of restitution the day of judgment. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 12. [2]
[1] Jn 12:46.
[2] CGSL 94-95**; PG 72:542.
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