Who was this man? Introduced to us in the early verses as a well-respected preacher, Jesus returned home to where he grew up and proclaim a new understanding of what his mission was to be.
18 “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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
It is thought that this took place in a Jubilee year. A Jubilee year in Jewish culture happened once every fifty years. It was a time of forgiveness of debts, fields were rested, and slaves were set free.
As God’s people we too are asked to follow Christ’s example and share the freedom of our faith. From a Liberationist point of view, we should be using our faith to free those who are oppressed, not just those who are spiritually captive, but also those who are physically captive to poverty, lack of education, violence, disease and slavery.
From a missional perspective, this is a measure offered by the Lord himself.
How do we as a Christian community rate in following Christ’s example?
What challenges can we improve in?
Remembering always, that we do not do this alone, but in communion with God and as the people of God.