The Power of the Spirit: Camellia Jiles
The following was shared as a homily at our Sunday Evening Eucharist service on 1/23/2022:
“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding region. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4:14-21 (NASB)
“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” This phrase- the power of the Spirit-is something that has always caught my attention. Although I have come to have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit over the past few years, I still tend to think of him as an almost subtle, abiding presence that we can call on when we need help or gives us a little nudge in the right direction when we need guidance. What this passage tells us is that the Spirit is anything but subtle or quiet or obscure, but powerful and conspicuous. And this powerful, self same Spirit is in each of us that has been saved.
Personally, it’s difficult to wrap my head around the fact that the Spirit that moved through Jesus as he performed his miracles and spoke in the synagogue dwells within me. It’s hard to imagine that something that powerful dwells within me when sometimes I feel so weak. But this passage provides a different definition of power than I'm accustomed to. While these scriptures speak of Jesus’ successful start to ministry, I think it’s important to note that before this Jesus was tormented by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days, met with “every temptation”. Yet, he returns from this ordeal “in the power of the Spirit,” victorious over the devil. Then in the synagogue he reads: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” This is what it means to live in the power of the Spirit.
No matter how long any of you have suffered mental, physical, or emotional torment at the hands of Satan, don’t believe the lie that you are powerless. We've been given great power, and not just for ourselves but for those around us. We’ve been anointed to share good news with the poor, to declare the release of captives, the restoration of sight to the blind, and the freedom of the oppressed. Which is great news, but what does this look like for us right now? I know that midterm season is here for some or fast approaching. Many of us may have financial struggles, anxiety, depression, crippling self-doubt, are plagued by fear, or are just really tired. But to live in the power of the Spirit means to live in the knowledge that we’ve been set free from our burdens. For me, it means that I'm not helpless against the exhausting volley of thoughts I often struggle with, my painful or embarrassing memories, or my insecurities. Above all, it means that God loves us so that he is deeply concerned about the state of our lives. My prayer for this week is that we would live like people with the power of the Spirit inside of us, not like those oppressed by Satan, and that we would be surrounded by people to remind us of that fact. As we confess our sins in a few moments, believe that you have truly been set free from them. As we receive Jesus’ body and blood, know that you have been anointed with the same Spirit that lives in Him. Amen.
Camellia is a 2020 graduate of Louisiana Tech with a degree in Studio Art and is currently serving her second year as a ministry intern at the Wesley. She is a joy to be around and a great blessing to the Wesley community. Camellia loves art, thrift shopping, laughing loudly, learning new gardening skills, and spending quality time with others.