Sunday 27 January 2013

Background

This famous passage in Luke's Gospel includes what might becalled Jesus' manifesto, and gives us a sense of his calling andpriorities. It follows the stories of Jesus' Baptism (Luke3:21-22) and temptation (Luke4:1-12), and acts as a kind of overture to the whole of hisministry.

The summary text (verse 14) that begins this reading showsJesus returning to Galilee to teach in the synagogues, empowered bythe Spirit. At this point, Jesus' message is warmly received, andhe is 'praised by everyone' (verse 15).

Visiting the synagogue in Nazareth, and presumablysurrounded by family and friends, Jesus reads from Isaiah 61. Thepassage evokes the year of the Lord's Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12) - a time when debts werereleased, land was returned, and the enslaved were freed. InIsaiah, the passage becomes a word of hope for the exiles who havereturned to Jerusalem. Here in Luke's Gospel, it captures themeaning of Jesus' mission.

Jesus is the one on whom the Spirit of the Lord rests (Luke3:21-22), the one who brings healing and restoration to thosehe meets. His ministry involves proclamation as well as action,announcing the kingdom but also inaugurating it through hishealings and exorcisms. The gospel (good news of Jesus) isholistic, and Jesus' transforming presence is good for bodies aswell as souls.

We should also not miss the messianic connotations of thispassage. It is, after all, as the 'anointed one' that Jesus willexercise his ministry. The passage is followed by the crowd's warmacceptance of Jesus - echoing his earlier reception (verse 15) -but this turns quickly to hostility as Jesus' announces that hismessage was also to those on the margins. The message of thekingdom leads to the way of the cross.

To Ponder

• To what extent does the 'manifesto' of Jesus reflect yourchurch's mission?  

• What do you think should be the balance between proclaiming thegood news and demonstrating it?