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The Gospel according to Luke is part of a two-volume work, with the second book being the Acts of the Apostles. Luke mentions women more than the other Gospel-writers, and has special concern for people on the margins of society, including the sick and the poor. His Gospel frames “good news” in a very specific way in the inauguration of the ministry of Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” said Jesus, quoting the prophet Isaiah, “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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). For Luke, the ministry of Jesus was one that reversed expectations by directing attention to those who were usually overlooked: Women, the poor, captives, the blind, and the oppressed.
Jesus focused attention on vulnerable people with the precision of the tech company Facebook, which has launched a feature called “Disaster Maps.” According to Fast Company magazine, this feature gives disaster responders a better sense of what is called “situational awareness” — real-time data that shows where the most vulnerable people are located. As a calamity is unfolding, these maps can provide aid groups with data on where people are and what they doing, helping first-responders know where to place resources and how to evacuate people. Already, Facebook has used Disaster Maps in more than 100 crises, including hurricanes, wildfires, and a volcano eruption in Bali.
In Luke, Jesus was “filled with the power of the Spirit” and returned to the region called Galilee, where he grew up. He was being tracked not by Facebook, but by the people of that area, and a report about him spread through the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was “praised by everyone” (Luke 4:14-15). When he came to Nazareth, his hometown, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, which was fitting since Jesus went on to quote Isaiah eight times during his ministry, more than any other prophet. From Isaiah 61 he read the passage which began, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Then he rolled up the scroll, sat down, and the eyes of all were fixed on him. He said to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:20-21). Jesus was saying that he was there to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. His mission was to free the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Jesus came to Nazareth to create a Disaster Map, one that focused on the areas of greatest need. He wanted to make an effective response and do whatever he could to help vulnerable people. First, he brought “good news to the poor … release to the captives” (Luke 4:18). For several decades after Fidel Castro’s revolution, Cuba was officially an atheist state. But the Christian faith of the people could not be destroyed, and in a period of economic distress the Presbyterian Church began to grow. “We are helping give the message of hope, peace and reconciliation,” said the Cuban church leaders. “The people are coming to the churches to find in the Bible, and particularly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, an answer to their deep spiritual and existential needs.” People who are poor and captive can always be found by Jesus.
Jesus also offers “recovery of sight to the blind” and helps the “oppressed go free” (Luke 4:18). We know from Luke that Jesus was a great healer. He went directly from the synagogue in Nazareth to the town of Capernaum, where he cleansed a man with an unclean spirit, healed the mother-in-law of Simon Peter, cleansed a leper, and healed a paralytic (Luke 4:31 – 5:26). Jesus wanted to eliminate any physical or spiritual condition that prevented people from enjoying fullness of life, so he always kept them at the center of his Disaster Map. Christ’s work continues today whenever Christians practice medicine or provide counseling, and when people who struggle with addiction find recovery in 12-step groups, whether they are addicted to alcohol, narcotics, or sex.
Finally, Jesus proclaimed “the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:19). This meant that all of his talk about good news, release, recovery, and freedom was coming true in that moment! He was not talking about good things in heaven, but was saying that God was showing his favor at that particular time. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled” — not tomorrow (Luke 4:21). The year of the Lord’s favor continues when Christians support drop-in centers for the homeless with gifts of time and donations, and the Scripture is fulfilled when people of faith take a stand to free the oppressed by building affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity. In Nazareth, Jesus made a dynamic response to human need, showing deep concern for the most vulnerable people. This passage is one of the Bible’s greatest hits because it shows that Jesus wants to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, healing to the sick, and freedom to the oppressed. Whenever this is done, the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled and the present time becomes “the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:19).
Questions:
1. What overlooked groups do you think Jesus would focus on today?
2. As a Christian, what actions do you take to bring freedom to the oppressed?
3. How is Scripture fulfilled now, and how is this the year of the Lord’s favor?
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