He was 30-something - a bit full of himself, and a tad rough around the edges. Stories about him were going around and some had preceded his arrival back in the small town where he had been brought up so obviously full of promise, like many in our own Dupont Circle neighborhood. His career path wasn't on a fast track - he'd refused to take up his father's business, or assume his cousin's clientele, and when offered all sorts of power to control his own world - and that of his family and friends - he turned down the offer. He intrigued people, yet they didn't yet know what to make of him, and couldn't guess what he planned or hoped to make of himself.

In the story that has been passed down to us for today, on one particular Saturday Jesus went as usual to worship - a devout family had raised him. Already he was known for his teaching, and the talk about him was full of praise - which of course meant that some were inspired, some intimidated, and some a little jealous of the attention he was getting. On this particular Sabbath day he stood to read from one of the books of the Jewish prophets, and Isaiah's writings were handed to him. He turned to the center of the book, and read the Servant Song: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

His audience, also faithful Jews were used to hearing the Bible read to them in weekly services. They knew that this text from Isaiah had been written hundreds of years ago in the day of their ancestors who were facing the downfall of their nation, the collapse of their church, the prospect of total ruin. And they knew that Isaiah's words about the poor and the blind and the oppressed and captives were all well and good, but that in Isaiah's own day eight centuries before the defeat had come, their country had been invaded, historic landmarks razed, and no divine intervention had taken place to protect them from the consequences of their failures.

So we are right to wonder what went through their heads, not to mention their hearts, when this young working class man -bright and full of charisma but with no visible means of financial support, no residence, and only those poorer than himself for followers - sat down to interpret for them the words of Isaiah and boldly pronounced: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

After all, the poor were still poor, the captives were still imprisoned, the blind still couldn't see, and Palestine continued to live under the oppression of the Roman army. It was one thing to proclaim "the year of the Lord's favor" - but where was the evidence for any of it, and who was he - Jesus the carpenter's son from their little town of Nazareth - to presume that just because he said so, everything they had been waiting on since the time of Isaiah was coming true today?