Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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In the Old Testament Book of Nehemiah, the Israelite people had just returned from a very, very long exile. While in exile they were not able to worship the Lord, as was prescribed by the Old Testament law, the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). They had not read from their Sacred Scriptures for many years. Some of them may never have heard the Word of the Lord proclaimed to them before.
And Ezra the priest assembled the newly returned men, women and children, and he began to read from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They started to weep. Perhaps they were crying because they realized how far they had been living from God’s Law. Perhaps they were weeping because they realized how much time they had lost in exile. Perhaps they were weeping just because the Word of God has a unique way of moving hearts.
In any case, Ezra tells them: “Do not weep. . . for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”
God’s Word is living, we are told. It is effective. It moves the heart. It also convicts us who are sinners, and urges us to change our lives. But, in the end, we know that the Word of God is perfect, reviving the soul. It is a source of life for us.
And just like Ezra in the Old Testament, Jesus came before the people in today’s Gospel reading and opened the scroll of God’s Word for them. He began to proclaim to them, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” And he ended with, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus proclaimed a New Testament that would be covenant written in his blood for all people who would believe in him. He is our Lord, and we are his people. The New Testament preserves the memory of the Lord for us and makes his life present again to us.
And that is why Luke, and the other three Gospel writers put down what they heard and saw in the writings of the New Testament. We read about the beginnings of the Gospel-writing process in today’s Gospel where Luke wrote to Theophilus that he had decided to write down the “narrative of events that have been fulfilled among us.” Luke wrote his Gospel so that all of us who read from it would realize the certainty of the teachings we have received. His Gospel, like all the books and letters of the New Testament, leads us to greater faith in Jesus.
As I mentioned in my recently issued pastoral letter, “A Flourishing Apostolic Church,” when I was a first-year biology student in college, I picked up the New Testament and read it to myself for the first time. Yes, I had heard the stories of the Gospels many times before at Mass, but this was something different. I read it in the silence of my own room, and I began to realize that God was speaking to me. The stories of the bible opened my heart in a new way. Jesus became more than a character in a Gospel story. He became real to me, alive for me. I believe that this was the Holy Spirit working in me to move me to become a better disciple of Jesus.
I understand why the returning Israelites cried when they heard the writings of the Old Testament for the first time in a long time. I understand why Jesus opened the scroll for the people gathered in his synagogue and announced that he was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law. I am grateful that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were inspired by the Holy Spirit to preserve the memory of Jesus, the Word made flesh, in the New Testament.
And I am convinced that when we need to be renewed, the re-reading of Scripture, particularly the Gospels, is an important part of drawing closer to the Lord.
Perhaps you can take some time to read one of the Gospels again over the next few weeks in the privacy of your home, when it is quiet, and invite the Lord to touch your heart in a powerful way. Take the time to allow the Lord to speak to you for our Sacred Scripture is God’s Word. He uses the Bible to speak to us heart to heart. God wants to transform us and guide us using these inspired words. The Bible is filled with Truth. It is a glimpse into God’s will for us. The Bible is, as one friend of mine often said, “God’s love letter to us.”
Have a blessed week everyone.