The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners…” vs. 1
Isaiah 61:1-4
After Jesus was baptized by John, and when he had come out of the river, the spirit of the Lord God came upon him, and he realized that in his baptism with water he had been anointed, and more than that, he had been sent with good news for the oppressed and the brokenhearted, just like the prophets of old. In our time billions of people have been dipped, sprinkled, or dunked just like Jesus, and millions even have baptismal certificates to prove it. Unfortunately, most of the baptized regard their baptisms as more of an insurance policy than a call to ministry–it’s their ticket to get through the pearly gates. But sometimes people echo the words of the prophet, they’ve felt the spirit of the Lord upon them–it’s a real thing and happens in the here and now. These are the ones who take up the cross of Jesus and march through time proclaiming good news to the hurting and the helpless. We see them in our congregations and in the streets, their joy is palpable and their smiles heal broken hearts. They are the oaks of righteousness among us, the planting of the Lord, and in them the kingdom comes.
Thought for the Day: What is an oak of righteousness?
0 Comments