When Jesus wanted to provide a template for His ministry, He turned to Isaiah 61.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
To provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
In Luke 4, we see Jesus using this passage in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-22).
People who are familiar with Jesus’ story know that when He was baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him (Luke 3:21-22). He was anointed by the Spirit and received the Father’s proclamation for His appointed ministry.
There are four themes that describe Jesus’ ministry, as outlined by Isaiah.
(1) Good News to the Oppressed
After Jesus left Nazareth, He healed a man with an unclean spirit. Using similar language for deliverance from evil spirits, Luke tells of how Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:31-41). It is worth noting that deliverance from demons and healing from disease are both seen as God’s kingdom defeating the influence of the evil one.
The news of God’s available kingship was a great message for everyone, but it was especially noticeable when the poor (the socially oppressed) received the blessings of God’s rule.
(2) Bind up the Brokenhearted
Other examples of healing involve cleansing a man with leprosy (Luke 5:12-16) and forgiving and healing a paralytic (Luke 5:17-26).
In Jesus’ day, there were two aspects to illness. First, the sick person endured the suffering of the illness or the malady itself. Second, sick people were often ostracized from their family and society.
When Jesus healed the man with leprosy and the paralytic, He returned them to their families and friends. They were reunited with society.
(3) Proclaim Liberty to the Captives and Release to the Prisoners
Levi and his tax collector friends were captive to their lust for possessions and power. Jesus called Levi to be one of His disciples. When Levi discovered acceptance, love, and freedom from Jesus, he invited other tax collectors to dinner at his house.
Jesus equated table fellowship with sinners to the actions of a doctor caring for the sick:
“Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32)
(4) Proclaim the Year of the Lord’s Favor
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross explains that during the year of the Lord’s favor, everything you had lost would be restored.
Reading Luke
I am currently reading the Gospel of Luke. One way to understand Luke’s Gospel is to read the accounts of Jesus’ activity in light of His quotation of Isaiah 61 found in Luke 4.
Another key to understanding Luke is the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-19). This parable reveals different responses to God’s purpose through Jesus:
- Satan will oppose Jesus’ work by stealing the word from the minds and hearts of individuals.
- Jesus’ followers will be opposed by persecution and run the risk of failing under pressure.
- The riches, cares, and pleasures of life that reside in humans will oppose God’s activity in and through them.
- Some will hear and obey what Jesus taught and will partner with God’s purpose.
In the face of competing forces that vie to rule our lives, let’s choose our loving Lord, who embodied the blessings of Isaiah 61.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 