Last week, I came home and told Amaka, “I had the best afternoon—doing what I love and doing it well.” You’ve likely had days like that too—when everything just clicks. You feel aligned with your purpose and energized by your values. When have you felt that way? What did it reveal about you?
But then, there are days when nothing flows. We feel drained, misaligned, and question everything. I shared one of those moments last Sunday. Have you had days like that? What did they show you?
And then there are those puzzling moments when we ask, “Why did I say or do that? Is that really me?” Often, it’s old fears or patterns at work. When has that happened to you?
All these moments point to the same deeper questions: Who am I? What is my life about? That’s what I believe Jesus is addressing in today’s gospel (Luke 4:14–21)—questions he too wrestled with, from his baptism to Gethsemane.
These aren’t questions to answer once, but to live into. Your answer today may not be what it was ten, or even two, years ago.
Jesus was baptized and affirmed as beloved. He was then tested in the wilderness. These two moments—love and suffering—are life’s greatest teachers. They shape us, make us more aware, and call us to deeper purpose.
When Jesus returns to his hometown and reads from Isaiah, he declares, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” But is he the only one anointed for this work? What about us?
Jesus doesn’t quote Isaiah verbatim—he curates the text to reflect his mission. His reading is a statement of identity and purpose, rooted in his experiences of love and suffering. He’s declaring: “This is who I am and what I’m about.”
What if that’s our call too? How are love and suffering shaping your purpose? What is the life trying to emerge through you?
Jesus focuses on today—not the past or future. Fulfillment happens now. If not today, when?
So—what scripture are you anointed to fulfill today?
