During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Alexandria DeCuire.
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “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.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:14-21
Do you know someone who enlisted into the Military, went off to boot camp, and came home a completely changed person? They may have sounded different, looked physically different, and even smelled different than before they left, but it’s still the same person. It may have taken a few seconds for you to adjust, but eventually you realized that the soldier standing in front of you has changed for the best.
I can only imagine how it felt for the people of Nazareth to see Jesus for the first time after such a transformation. They saw Jesus grow up right before their eyes and now he is Jesus Christ, the one who came to heal, deliver, and set the captives free. This is good news!
We may have been one way beforehand, but when we accepted Christ into our hearts, we transformed like Paul said “…by the renewing of our mind.” (Roman 12:2). Much like the act of a baptism, there should also be an outward reflection of an inward change in how we carry ourselves as we see from Jesus, through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
So as Christians, those around us should indeed see a change as we reflect Christ’s love for us every day.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, I thank you for transforming me today by the renewing of my mind. Continue to show me how to be a reflection of your Son and allow my change to bless those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Devotions 
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