One of the marks of Jesus’ life was his strong sense of purpose. Christian scholars debate how much Jesus, in his humanity, understood his divine nature, the high cost he would pay to accomplish his mission, or the resurrection that awaited him after his death. But they all agree that Jesus knew he had been called by God to fulfil an important purpose.
The center of Jesus’ message was the proclamation that the Reign of God was near and accessible to all. This week in the readings, this mission of Christ to proclaim and establish God’s Reign is the focus. The Gospel reading from Luke 4 describes Jesus reading from Isaiah’s scroll about the servant of God who comes to bring justice and peace. When he finished reading Jesus proclaimed that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in him. This means that this passage gives us a clear idea of how Jesus understood his purpose.
As we explore the other readings for today, one of which is Paul’s teaching about the body of Christ, we realize that the purpose of Christ is also to be our purpose. We are called, as individuals and as a community, to embody the message and mission of God’s Reign as Jesus did. As we share our lives and work together to bring grace, love, peace and justice into our world, we become a manifestation of God’s Reign. This week we will explore what this means for us.
Reading: Luke 4:14-21
Reflection: It’s common to hear people say and sing that, “Jesus died to save me from my sins”. In this view sin leads to eternal death in hell, and so salvation means being rescued from this punishment and given a place in heaven – or God’s Kingdom – after death. While there is definitely truth in this view, it is a very limited understanding of Jesus’ mission. It is also not the primary way that Jesus defined his own ministry.
In today’s reading Jesus chooses to read a passage from Isaiah – actually as it is quoted in Luke, it is a combination of two passages, one from 61:1-2a and one from 58:6. The emphasis in this passage is on liberation. Although the words for liberation used here can refer to the forgiveness of sins, in this passage the meaning is more physical and practical – the liberation is from poverty, oppression, injustice, and physical afflictions.
When Jesus spoke of God’s Reign – and when he used Isaiah’s prophecy to describe his ministry – Jesus was referring to something that happens in this life, this side of the grave. He was speaking about a new way of being in the world that helps to bring justice, peace, grace, and love to others. But Jesus did not fulfil this ministry alone. He called disciples to follow him and work with him.
Today, we are Jesus’ disciples called to participate in this liberating work. This means that everything we think, say and do can be a contribution to the Kingdom. It means that the values of God’s Reign should be the focal point of our lives influencing how we treat others, how we use our resources, and how we work, play and rest. How does your life contribute to God’s liberating agenda?
Practice for Today: The call of Jesus is to become participants in God’s work of liberating the universe. This means that we need to be captured by a vision of God’s Reign, and of what the world would be like if God’s Reign was fully manifested in it. Today, allow the practice of praise to renew your vision of God’s Reign and to allow this vision to penetrate the deepest part of you.
Prayer for Today: For your Reign of peace, love, justice and grace, O God, I praise you.