A Period is Stronger Than an Exclamation Point

by David Lins  |  01/27/2019  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

Many people in the pews mistakenly see Jesus as meek and mild. They hear His beautiful message of love and forgiveness, and they can’t conceive of this message being compatible with strength and power. Yet, when we read the words of Luke’s fourth chapter, there it is.

When you read these words, keep in mind the old writer’s axiom that at the end of a sentence, a period is stronger than an exclamation point. This means the person who has to be boisterous or aggressive is never as powerful as the individual who is calm and quietly confident.

In this passage, Jesus’ knowledge of who He is and what His mission is can be clearly discerned.

“He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." - Luke 4:14-21

Questions? Comments? Email David at dlins@oloj.org.