Last week we thought about the voice of the Good Shepherd. We know that it is good to follow the voice of Jesus. In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear what his voice can do.
when the Sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught
The Sabbath is the day of the week that is holy for the Jewish people. It is the day they stop working and focus on God. They go to the synagogue. It is a meeting place to listen to the Word of God, to ask questions about what it means, and to pray. A synagogue sounds a bit like a church, doesn't it?
Jesus teaches in the synagogue in the town where he and the disciples are staying. The people in the synagogue will hear his voice! What will they think?
They were astounded at his teaching
Astounded! That means so surprised. It means absolutely amazed! Jesus' voice fills them with wonder. His voice fills them with awe.
Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit
Oh dear, this does not sound good. The man has an unclean spirit in him. What can this mean? We do not really understand, but we can guess that the man does not feel well. What does Jesus do?
Jesus says,
“come out of him!”
And the unclean spirit...came out of him.
The unclean spirit hears Jesus' voice and comes out of the man. The man must feel so much better. He is no longer full of an unclean spirit. I wonder what will fill him now...
What will the other people think about this?
They were all amazed
Again they are amazed! Again Jesus has astounded them. Again his voice has filled them with wonder and awe.
Wonder and awe is a gift of the Holy Spirit. This is what God does--astounds us! Amazes us! Fills us with wonder and awe.
We are so full of wonder and awe at what our God says, at what our God does.
We wonder, what will God do next?!