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One of the most spine-tingling moments in the Gospels is toward the beginning of Luke, when after his baptism and temptation he appears in the Nazareth synagogue and reads from Isaiah 61. God has ‘chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people’ (Luke 4.18–19).
This is Jesus’ manifesto, in which he sets out exactly what he has come to do. It impresses the people of Nazareth, among whom he’s grown up. It’s only when Jesus declares that this message of salvation is for the Gentile outsiders as well as for them that they turn on him.
They are profoundly challenging words for us today, though. Disciples follow in their master’s footsteps. We are supposed to be like Christ, doing what he did. His mission is our mission. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel he tells his apostles to ‘go to all peoples everywhere’, to baptise them and ‘teach them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (28.19–20). That ‘everything’ includes proclaiming good news to the poor, liberty for the captives, sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed. It’s a vision of a world where people are decently fed, healed and cared for, and are free from injustice. Salvation is about more than just going to heaven.
This reflection was written by Mark Woods, Head of Communications at Bible Society.
If you have two minutes: Listen to the audio reflection and ponder how it might be relevant in your life.
If you have up to ten minutes: Read the Bible passage and listen to the audio reflection; you might want to keep a small journal, or note on your phone, to jot down words and phrases that jump out at you. Finish with a brief prayer to put what you have read and heard into practice.
What if I miss a day(s)?: Don’t worry, life happens! Just pick up the devotional again on the current day, and, if you wish, you can use the space for reflection on Sundays to listen to those reflections you may have missed.
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