“These words have been fulfilled”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Quiet Time – Friday, October 18, 2024
Luke 4: 14-21 (Forward, p. 81) CEV p. 1060
One of the generally acknowledged scholarly understandings about the gospels, an understanding that we must never forget or overlook, is that, even before pen was put to paper in the gospels in their present form, there was a wealth of material going right back to Jesus Himself. Thus, it was that the gospel writers were free to edit the material and place it where it best suited their purpose. Thus, Matthew and Mark tell today’s story about Jesus’ decisive encounter with the people of Nazareth somewhat later in their accounts—that is, after describing a fair bit of Jesus’ ministry. Luke, however, after just the briefest mention of this ministry (see verses 14, 23), heads right into Jesus’ reading of the passage from Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2). Luke wants his readers—and us—to know explicitly the reasons why Jesus has come into the world and wants us to know this almost at the very start of His ministry.
And so, Jesus spells out just what His ministry would entail:
Good news to the poor: certainly, in a land burdened heavily with
taxation, local and foreign, and where many had lost their homes
and livelihoods, poverty was widespread. And more than simple
material poverty, there was the inner poverty, the poverty of the
spirit, spiritual poverty, and here His good news was welcome
indeed.
Freedom to prisoners and to sufferers: imprisonment for debt was
common, and so too was suffering in its various shapes & sizes.
Indeed, healing and deliverance would form a sizeable segment of
Jesus’ ministry.
Sight to the blind, both outwardly and inwardly. Jesus certainly was
interested in both.
This is the year of the Lord’s favour. Incredibly, here and now is
when God plans to work, rather than in some distant, undefined
time or place.
Now, here we come into a most important question. Jesus explicitly states that this prophecy has now been fulfilled in their hearing, but was this prophecy seen as specifically messianic? Certainly, it is quite similar to the Servant Songs of Isaiah 42-53, which were seen as messianic, and has some similar themes. Be that what it may, it would certainly appear that the local townspeople saw it as messianic, which was perhaps why they were so upset upon hearing, from the lips of a hometown boy, that it had now been fulfilled. Fulfilled, yes, in their very hearing. And, not only fulfilled, but coming to pass. Coming to pass, if they only had the eyes and ears to perceive it.
Now, can this now also be said of our Lord, right here, right now? Are these not still His tasks, His divinely appointed mandate and job description? And does He not intend to carry them out now, in our very midst? I think so. But we need the eyes and ears to see it—and the faith that will enable it (which sadly, the people of Nazareth lacked, so that very few miracles took place in their city (see Mark 6:5-6).
Forward notes: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor” (verse 18a).
“If you belong to a church, what is the mission statement of your church? Ours at Mosaic Episcopal Church is ‘to know Jesus and to make Jesus known.’ Everything we do as a church is filtered through our mission statement. When people want to add a ministry or try something new, we ask, ‘How does this help people know Jesus? How does this make Jesus known to people?’ If we can’t provide a clear answer, then we know the proposal is not something to spend energy, time, and resources on. Mission statements help clarify who we are and why we exist.
“Jesus laid out his mission statement in Luke 4 before his hometown. One of my favorite pastors, the Rev. Mike Slaughter, once declared: ‘If it’s not good news to the poor, it’s not the gospel.’
“Jesus surely lived up to his mission statement. Are we living up to it, too?”
Moving Forward: “Why does your church exist? How does your church live out its mission statement?”
