Armodoxy for Today: Mission Today

The words of Christ are always relevant. The words he speaks in the Gospel are timeless.

Today’s message is a meditation of sorts, by listening to the words of Christ and understanding the timelessness of the words. The Gospel passage which was read in the Armenian Church this Sunday comes from the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 4, where Jesus, following his baptism and the 40-day period of fasting in the wilderness, now comes back to his home town, Nazareth. He returns, “In the power of the Spirit,” says the narrator. There he enters the synagogue and opens the scriptures and proceeds to read a passage from the Prophet Isaiah. Upon completing the reading, he closes the book and proclaims, “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Thus, Jesus is proclaiming that this is his mission, the reason he has come to be with us. As a Church, the Body of Christ, entrusted with carrying on the mission of Christ, this passage then becomes our mission.

This then, is the passage which he read. I invite you to listen to the words he reads. He is proclaiming his mission. Think of our world today, the tragedies that confront us and the healing that is necessary. Pray for our world and you’ll come to understand that Jesus’ message is timeless and always relevant.

He opened the book and read,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

(Luke 4:14-21)

Cover: Etchmiadzin i Horeh: “Descent of the Only Begotten from the Father” carving outside the Holy Angels Sanctuary at Etchmiadzin