Luke 4:18-19

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

As I read this passage of scripture yesterday I was flooded with thoughts about what this meant to the people of Jesus’ day and for us today.

Jesus not only blessed those who were physically poor, but those who were poor in spirit.

Jesus healed many who were physically blind and opened the spiritual eyes of those who followed him that they might see God’s divine purpose.

Jesus freed people from demonic oppression. And in his death and resurrection Jesus set the world free from captivity to the power of sin.

We have all been prisoners to our pain, fears, appetites, and past, Jesus has come to set us free.

There is no greater bondage than living a life devoted to oneself. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13) The word Christ means anointed one. From this passage it’s clear that Jesus was anointed to give himself away, hold nothing back, and live to the glory of God. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, “little Christs” let’s proclaim this good news of freedom from oppression and the glory of living in the Lord’s favor.