Jesus is given this portion of Scripture to read at His home Synagogue in Nazareth.
It seems to me that this is vital to Luke. His is the only Gospel to contain this incident.
It happened after Jesus had had 40 days in the Wilderness to prepare Himself for the Ministry ahead.
This is Jesus' Mission Statement.
Luke's account of Jesus' ministry is set out from the beginning
focused on these words from Isaiah 61.
Luke's Gospel then tells us about marginalised lepers, Samaritan foreigners doing the right thing, sinful sons coming back home asking forgiveness, tax-collectors coming good (Zacchaeus), Jesus, the One who valued women (Martha, Mary and Mary Magdalen), and whose own Mother lived in her own life the values of The Magnificat.. .......Luke's Gospel, the story of One who had a mission to reach out to those on the margins, "Isaiah 61" sort of people.
Nowhere in this most-important Mission-Statement of Jesus
does He say “I have come that you may have a one-way ticket to heaven”
Nowhere in this proclamation does He say
“I have come that you may have more-bums-on-pews.”
What He DOES say is that the Kingdom of God
is all about peace, dignity, freedom and fairness.
This is the good news of Jesus.
Good news achieved through you and me FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.
This is why Jesus came two thousand years ago;
This is the challenge He has for you and me two thousand years later,
for Christians today.
And what about me and you?
What would be good news to you?
What would liberation mean to you?
What does oppression and / or captivity mean to you?
From what would you like release, liberation? Pray for it
What would be the best of good news for you? Pray for it.
If we live as people who listen to what Jesus has to say at Nazareth Synagogue,
we will disturb the same sectors of society that Jesus did.
If we listen to Jesus of Nazareth, it will move us to make a difference.
