Peace - Advent, Week 4 Reading 3

"When He came to the village of Nazareth, His boyhood home, He went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon Me,

for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released,

that the blind will see,

that the oppressed will be set free,

and that the time of the LORD's favor has come."

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at Him intently. Then He began to speak to them. "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day!""

Luke 4:16-21, Jesus quoting Isaiah 61:1-3

Can you imagine being in that synagogue that day? You know these Scriptures extremely well. You talked about them often. With your family, with your friends, with God. There was disagreement about what or who these Scriptures refer to. Many Jews believe that it was a picture of deliverance from Babylon when your people were exiled for 70 years over 500 years ago.

But that deliverance didn't last long because here you are under oppression again, this time by the Roman empire.

It seems Israelites have a hard time staying free.

Over time, perhaps because of the political oppression they endured, the Israelites assumed the Messiah would be a rescuer from said political oppression. They had forgotten that their original and greater oppression came from sin, which separated them from God. To be fair, it's not hard to do.

Our current hardships also have a way of blinding us to our greater need; peace with God.

Yes, our greatest needs aren't material or physical at all, they are spiritual. "For what do we profit if we gain the whole world yet lose our soul?" Jesus asks in Matthew 16:26

How do we convince ourselves of this? Because Jesus came for the spiritual, even more than the physical.

Good News to the poor ... was Jesus meaning physical poverty or spiritual poverty? What would be Good News if you are spiritually poor? For me, it means that HE fills me with spiritual riches - intimacy with Him, wisdom, understanding, strength, confidence, and a robe of His righteousness; things I do.not.have on my own.

Captives will be released ... was Jesus talking about physical captivity or spiritual captivity? Captives are those who are held against their will. How are we being held against our will and how can we be released from spiritual captivity? For me, I feel captive mostly to my insecurities that keep me feeling down and from doing what He has called me to do. He releases me by proclaiming great worth and delight in me; His Presence and His voice make me feel valued and treasured.

The blind will see ... was Jesus talking about physical blindness or spiritual blindness? What would spiritual sight gain us? For me I feel blind to a lot of the meaning in the Bible and the things God is doing in my life and as I alow down and lean in, He helps me to see.

The oppressed will be set free ... was Jesus talking about physical oppression or spiritual oppression? Oppression comes from a heavy weight pushing you down or unjust or cruel abuses of power from an enemy. Who is our enemy and who can set us free his abuses of power? For me this is similar to captivity but maybe I feel oppressed by pressure...to do more and be better. But Jesus made me free. He lived a perfect life for me. It is finished. And I can just enjoy and be - His.

How about you?