Recovery of Sight for the Blind
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“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.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This passage from Luke 4 is no throwaway text. It is crucial for understanding the entire message of Luke-Acts. The gospel writer has taken this story and given it extra emphasis by moving it to the forefront of Jesus' ministry. Verse 23 references happenings in Capernaum, but the text doesn't move to Capernaum until the next section. Plus, Matthew and Mark place this story much later in Jesus' ministry.
Luke also fleshes out this story more than in Matthew or Mark. Something about this story defines Jesus and the early church. The prophets had long hoped for a reversal of fortunes, but Jesus declares that the long-awaited day has now come.
What does it look like to live out this message from Luke 4? What would a church look like if it was truly shaped by Luke's gospel? What might people do if they were following in the footsteps of Jesus as described by Luke?
Interestingly, churches and believers occasionally have moments when they experience the reversal of fortunes spoken of in this passage. We most often see this on a small scale where an individual's life finds new meaning and direction. Rarely do we see a massive reversal of fortunes for a group of unfortunate individuals.
Sometimes, folks outside the church are the ones who do the work of God's people. When this happens, we shouldn't feel angry or jealous. We should praise God that people are finding freedom from sickness, oppression, sin, systemic poverty, dysfunctional families and whatever else weighs them down and prevents them from experiencing the love of God. If possible, we should join them in these good works.
One such example is an organization providing the skills to carry out corneal transplants in the developing world. This actually allows a growing number of blind individuals to see again! Isn't that amazing?! The story is of a former Starbucks executive who took his entrepreneurial know-how into an aid organization called SightLife. Click here for the story as reported by NPR's Wendy Kaufman on today's program "Morning Edition." At the top of the story, you can press an audio link to hear the story.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“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.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This passage from Luke 4 is no throwaway text. It is crucial for understanding the entire message of Luke-Acts. The gospel writer has taken this story and given it extra emphasis by moving it to the forefront of Jesus' ministry. Verse 23 references happenings in Capernaum, but the text doesn't move to Capernaum until the next section. Plus, Matthew and Mark place this story much later in Jesus' ministry.
Luke also fleshes out this story more than in Matthew or Mark. Something about this story defines Jesus and the early church. The prophets had long hoped for a reversal of fortunes, but Jesus declares that the long-awaited day has now come.
What does it look like to live out this message from Luke 4? What would a church look like if it was truly shaped by Luke's gospel? What might people do if they were following in the footsteps of Jesus as described by Luke?
Interestingly, churches and believers occasionally have moments when they experience the reversal of fortunes spoken of in this passage. We most often see this on a small scale where an individual's life finds new meaning and direction. Rarely do we see a massive reversal of fortunes for a group of unfortunate individuals.
Sometimes, folks outside the church are the ones who do the work of God's people. When this happens, we shouldn't feel angry or jealous. We should praise God that people are finding freedom from sickness, oppression, sin, systemic poverty, dysfunctional families and whatever else weighs them down and prevents them from experiencing the love of God. If possible, we should join them in these good works.
One such example is an organization providing the skills to carry out corneal transplants in the developing world. This actually allows a growing number of blind individuals to see again! Isn't that amazing?! The story is of a former Starbucks executive who took his entrepreneurial know-how into an aid organization called SightLife. Click here for the story as reported by NPR's Wendy Kaufman on today's program "Morning Edition." At the top of the story, you can press an audio link to hear the story.
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