Today’s scripture involves a fair amount of detail, so much so that you can almost picture it. Jesus rises to stand. He unrolls the scroll and confidently begins to read the words of the prophet Isaiah. The scroll is rolled back up. Jesus sits. The crowd is silent and wide-eyed as they wait for Jesus to teach. Jesus simply says that the scripture has been fulfilled in their hearing. That’s it. After what is likely an awkward silence, some members of the crowd begin to ask questions of Jesus and his credentials.

I can’t help but think of those who remained silent— those in the crowd who, upon hearing Jesus read Isaiah, understood his message. Luke focuses the rest of the story on the noisy folks at the synagogue who want to drive Jesus away, but I choose to focus on those who quietly nod. These people internalize this experience on the synagogue steps with Jesus and commit to following him. These people bring about the fulfillment of this prophecy with their readiness for the gospel.

MOVING FORWARD: Imagine you’re among the crowd in the synagogue. Would you be silently nodding or asking Jesus more questions?