Isaiah 61:1-4 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1
At times there seems to be confusion about the mission of the Church and what it is that followers of Jesus are called to be about in our world. We tend to overthink our doctrinal positions and obsess about rituals and liturgies, and, in the process, forget our core values. And this passage from Isaiah calls us back to basics. When Jesus had been anointed in baptism and filled with the Holy Spirit and then went into the wilderness to reflect on his mission, he adopted these words as his mission statement. He believed that he had been sent “to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.” If we’re the least bit interested in walking in the Way of Jesus we need look no further to find our marching orders. We have been gifted with a message of deep and profound grace, a healing proclamation from God designed to lift burdens of guilt and bring hope to the broken-hearted. The freedom that is implicit in the good news shatters every kind of bondage and opens the way to rich and fruitful living. And it’s our calling to share that message! Praise God for our incredible privilege!
Thought for the Day: How will I share the good news today?
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