The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor”
Marc Chagall (1887–1985), one of the great luminaries of modern art, was a painter, poet, and dreamer who wove his Jewish heritage and deep spirituality into works of breathtaking imagination. The Prophecy of Isaiah exemplifies his unique style, blending vibrant colors, surreal forms, and a profound sense of divine mystery.
In this work, Chagall interprets Isaiah’s vision, which Jesus invokes in the synagogue at Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor” (Isa 61:1). Figures float in a dreamlike landscape, their expressions reflecting both longing and joy. The rich reds and radiant yellows seem to pulse with divine energy, suggesting that God’s promise of redemption and restoration is already breaking into the world.
The themes in Chagall’s painting echo the joy and renewal found in this week’s readings. Nehemiah recounts the people of Israel weeping as they hear the law read, only to be reminded: “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep... Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready” (Neh8:9–10). Chagall captures the tension between grief and gladness, despair and hope. Jesus’s proclamation in Luke 4 fulfills Isaiah’s words, and we are invited to share in that fulfillment of light, and carry it into the world.
"Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
– Luke 4:21
Third Sunday of Epiphany
Texts for this Week
Prayer
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Scriptures
Nehemiah 8:1–12
Psalm 113
I Corinthians 12:12–27
Luke 4:14–21
Noam Oxman: Calligraphy in Sound
This week’s musical meditation comes from Noam Oxman, whose haunting piece Intense Gaze of an Endangered Realm transforms visual calligraphy into an auditory experience. Oxman, an Israeli composer and calligrapher, links visual and musical art in a way that challenges the boundaries of perception. This solo piano work is marked by dissonant, unresolved chords that evoke both beauty and fragility.
As the psalmist declares: “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7), Oxman’s music captures this juxtaposition of sorrow and exaltation. The dissonance invites us to confront the brokenness of the world, while the fleeting moments of melody remind us of God’s enduring promise to restore all things.
Much like Paul’s image of the church as a body in 1 Corinthians 12—“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together”—Oxman’s piece relies on the interplay of tension and harmony, each note contributing to a greater whole. The music mirrors the interconnectedness of God’s people, a web of lives bound together by the Spirit.
Oxman’s work draws us into the moment Jesus stands in the synagogue, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor. It is both a call to action and a challenge to live in the tension between what is and what is to come. Like Oxman’s music, this moment is unsettling, transformative, and profoundly beautiful.
