Jesus in the House

  Jesus is in the house!  As we saw in yesterday's post, in Luke's Gospel, Jesus' standing up and reading from Isaiah in the synagogue is the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.  He then goes out to start fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy, as he said he would do.  He teaches with authority (Luke 4:31-32, 36); he frees a man possessed by a demon (4:33-35); he heals many people (4:38-41); he preaches the good news to all who would listen (4:42-44).
  Jesus does not ask us to do anything for which he did not give us an example.  And just as he did not do things in his own strength, he does not want us to do things on our own strength.  He had the authority of the Father and the power of the Spirit to preach, to free, to heal.  He prayed before he began his ministry, he prayed all during his ministry, he continues to intercede for us before the Father (Romans 8:34).
  For Reflection:  If Jesus needed to pray, how much more so do I need to pray?
  Let us pray.  Jesus, you set the example.  You laid out the mission.  You showed us how to accomplish it - through our prayer, with the authority of the Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit and your own intercession.  It is in partnership with you that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  You are the source, the holy one.

---