Thursday, January 17, 2019
Luke 4:17-18 Jesus was handed the roll of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the scroll, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed . . ."
CALLED BY THE CHRIST TO SPEAK THE WORD OF LIFE
To many, coming to church is seen as no great need. The fact is we need to come to church because we need Jesus the Christ to come to us. We have the same deep needs as the people of Nazareth did. Does that mean we are poor, brokenhearted, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed? Exactly! For this is Isaiah's picture of human beings as we are by nature-- that is, needy sinners. These pictures are drawn from some of the horrific results of sin in this world. They show that outward change is not the answer. Sin needs to be torn up at the roots-- its power over the human heart destroyed, its eternal consequences nullified.
When Jesus told the Pharisees that they are truly free whom the Son sets free, they responded that they were not slaves to anyone. But as Jesus told them, this only proved how deeply they were enslaved, for sin blinds people to their true condition. Human beings have gotten used to the chains of pride and lust and hatred.
Jesus' call is not to the self-satisfied and the self-righteous, but to those who know by grace that without God's gracious intervention and aid, sin makes them beggars, captives, blind, and oppressed. To such Jesus speaks deliverance. He did so in Nazareth. He still does the same today. And His invitation still creates saving faith in His redeeming work.
Jesus' continuing call comes by the power of His Word on the lips of His people. Christ empowers His disciples today with the same words He spoke to His first believing followers. "As the Father sent me even so send I you" (John 20:21). The great task of each believer and of Christians in congregation is to speak the good news of God's love in Christ:
To give the poor in heart the riches of God's mercy, the gift of Christ’s own righteousness;
To give captives of Satan freedom from sin’s condemnation and from its frightening grip;
To give sight to the spiritually blind-- the ability to see evil for what it is and then, to recognize the glory of God's grace;
To give the oppressed relief-- and the strength to live not to self but to Christ our Lord.
As you have received freely, give freely (Matthew 10:8).
