For those who know me, it should come as no surprise that Luke 4:18-19 has become "the" lens in which I engage all of Scripture.
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.
When I open the Bible, I read under the umbrella of Luke 4:18-19. This is the thesis of the entire gospel of Luke, and not only Luke, but also of Acts. Here, at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, he reads from Isaiah 61--a text that people had been waiting to come to fulfillment through the coming Messiah. Jesus enters as the one who embodies the essence of Isaiah 61.
Story after story Jesus is speaking words to the poor.
He is all about the message of "release."
He gave sight to those who were unable to see.
He freed the oppressed and he indicted oppressors
He proclaimed "the year" of the Lord's favor. (A clear referral to the year of Jubilee)
Luke 4:18-19 becomes the table of contents to Jesus' life and ministry. It is the ministry that he handed to the apostles and they handed it to the church. We are recipients of this good news.
I want to live as a Luke 4:18-19 kind of person. These aren't just words that described Jesus' life here on earth, but they are words that continue to describe His power that is at work in the world around us.
Ultimately, this becomes our script as we live out the Jesus-story in our own contexts.
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3 comments:
As I look forward to our trip to Israel, one of the things I look most forward to is visiting the remains of the 1st century synagogue in Nazareth. To think that I will be standing in the same place where Jesus spoke those words!
I find myself thinking about those words more and more. Thanks for sharing your passion.
Funny thing is, some who appear to be the richest can really be the poorest.
One of the many reasons you're one of my best friends and favorite people on Earth. Thanks for sharing this today.
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