If you're a Christian, you know how every so often you have a "duh!" moment where you suddenly see a Bible verse in a way that you'd never seen it before? One of those moments where it's almost like someone [The Holy Spirit!] switches the light on? I had one of those moments today. . .
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Context: Jesus has just returned after being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. This is the beginning of Christ's public ministry.
Luke 4:14-20, NLT
16 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. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
18 “The Spirit of the 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,
19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
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Now this is what I had never fully realised, never really taken to heart about these verses:
As Christians, as followers of Christ, THIS is our calling! This is how we're supposed to live our lives - as described in verses 18-19. Let's declare this over our lives, and make this a lifestyle - bringing the Good News to the poor, releasing the blind and the captive, and fighting passionately for the oppressed!
3 comments:
hmmmm, it's a prophecy about Jesus primarily. However we're called to follow and imitate Jesus, so that's great - doesn't necessarily mean we'll be able to do all the amazing things Jesus did though of course.
What I mean is - gotta be careful about putting your name in where it says "me", because that's not the actual meaning of the passage. But on the other hand, it's still a wonderful thing to pursue.
Andy - true, but because we're told to do these things elsewhere in Scriptures as well - preaching the good news, etc., I think it's okay to apply this to our own lives as well.
Thanks for the great thought! I've never thought of that verse quite that way before either, but it's always exciting to see a Bible truth in a different light - Jesus was fulfilling a prophecy, but we are commanded to be like Christ!
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