Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
In today's gospel Jesus claims the words of the prophet Isaiah as his own mission statement:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
His is a message of joy, of liberation, of freedom ..to the poor, to captives, to those who are oppressed. Awesome! Amazing! We reflect on his power, his mission.
How often do we realize that, as his disciples, it is our mission !
We, too, are called to be agents of joy, of liberation… And people are oppressed, held captive by so many things!
People are oppressed by poverty. Are we called to work toward a fairer income and tax structure? Accessible healthcare? Available housing?
People can be held captive by illiteracy. Are we called to tutor a child, contribute to effective public education?
People can be limited by the racist, misogynist or xenophobic attitudes of others. Are we called to speak up in our private conversations and speak out in the public forum?
When greed for money or power allows some few to bully others, is it our mission to advocate for the victims?
I suggest the answers are always, YES! If we are truly his followers then we are obligated to carry on his work.
And the good news is that in Jesus the kingdom of God has broken into our world. In this gospel Jesus says, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Today. Not someday in the future. But in and through Jesus the reign of God has begun.
Sometimes we may look at the enormity of the world’s grief and be tempted to lose hope. It helps me to remember the words of a friend who has worked for peace and justice for a long time..
“On a long enough timeline… We win! Guaranteed!”
by: Pat Schnee
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