The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Jesus. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
...And he began to say to them,
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:17-21
The above passage is listed under the sub-heading of “Jesus Begins His Ministry.” Essentially, this scene describes His launch party... without the hors d'oeuvres. Can you just see Jesus at the front of the synagogue in Nazareth, boldly reading Isaiah’s prophecy, his voice reaching every person gathered there? And the powerful moment when Jesus proclaims, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”? Mic. Drop.
This specific prophesy is the mission statement for Jesus’ ministry on earth. But what does that look like for us, His disciples living in 2020? I’ve been thinking about this especially given the unprecedented environment we are in these days.
As I reflected on this, I thought about the Lord’s Prayer. When I think about these verses and this scene from Luke’s Gospel, I see Jesus setting things right – just like He taught us to pray “…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
Jesus came to usher God’s Kingdom here on earth – He came to right wrongs, both, spiritually and physically.
His Gospel of Salvation is the remedy for our sinful nature, it sets us free, opens our eyes to see the world through His eyes, and gives us cause to shout His praises!
As His disciples, we have the incredible opportunity to promote and live out His Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven. We do this by giving of ourselves just like Jesus did to serve the "least of these", to speak up for the oppressed, to welcome the stranger, to care for the orphan and the widow, and above all, to love others like He loves them. It all begins - and ends - with Jesus.
God bless you!
Shireen
