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Jesus went to His hometown synagogue and read from Isaiah 61:1-2:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn."
Verse 3 adds, "to grant to those who mourn in Zion — to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes."
Jesus said to Nazareth and to us, "This is what I've come to give you."
I entered the ministry in June 2003 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in South St. Louis — and for 19 years I watched Jesus keep His promises.
The congregation was older when I arrived, and funerals became a regular part of my ministry. I was entrusted "to bring good news to the poor ... to bind up the brokenhearted." These were sad moments, but not without hope. Jesus came "to grant to those who mourn ... a beautiful headdress instead of ashes."
As the years went by, I was no longer burying "just" church members but cherished friends. The services had become a heartbreaking honor. At the graveside, I stood next to my deceased friends and said, "We now commit the body of our brother to the ground, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ." I was comforted again that Jesus was keeping His promise "to grant to those who mourn in Zion — to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes." Even to me.
But with Jesus, there is always more. Once I got to know the congregation, they entrusted me with their hurts. In this life, we all hurt, even pastors. I began to see Jesus heal years of hurt, years of fear, and years of tears. As Jesus bound up our broken hearts through His Word and Sacraments, we began to comfort each other with kindness, affection, forgiveness, and encouragement. And Jesus' hand was in it all.
So this Mindful Monday is an invitation to come to Jesus with your hurts, fears, and tears. Come to Him in the Divine Service. Come to Him in the Word, the Sacraments, the hymns, and the comfort of your brothers and sisters. Jesus keeps His promises — "He has sent Me to bind up your brokenhearted" and "to give you a beautiful headdress instead of ashes."
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