What does good news to the poor, release of the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and letting the oppressed go free mean for our elderly who have been locked in for the last two years, for those who cannot get a doctor appointment and for those reliant on food banks?

What does it mean for the starving in Afghanistan and Yemen or Christians facing insufferable persecution?

It is not God’s will that his people should suffer poverty, imprisonment, blindness, injustice and oppression. His desire is that we enjoy the life and joy of his Kingdom now, yet most of us feel overwhelmed and unable to make significant difference in our time.

Jesus filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee to minister and live out his ministry amongst the poor, despised and rejected of his day. He anoints us with his Holy Spirit to continue his Father’s work in our day.

Jesus had spent 40 days and forty nights fasting and praying in the wilderness, resisting temptation, focusing on his relationship with his heavenly Father, and what he had been sent to do. His ministry would be costly and need all his spiritual resources.

News of the Spirit falling upon Jesus at his baptism had spread throughout Galilee and he was Mr Popular, praised by all. His teaching ministry had begun in local synagogues and was powerful. The oppressed were going free and the sick being healed.

Synagogues were the centre of religious life in Palestine. Wherever there were ten Jewish families there was a Synagogue to offer worship and receive teaching. Unlike the Church of England there was no professional ministry, nor any one person who gave the address. The president would invite any distinguished males present to speak and discussion would follow.

Ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus’ home town, was not so easy. The congregation would have watched Jesus grow up, they knew his parents, brothers and sisters and that he was a carpenter’s son. They knew he was conceived before marriage and that Mary and Joseph were not wealthy enough to offer the prescribed animals when Jesus was born but had to offer pigeons instead. As Jesus walked in he would have felt their prejudice; all eyes were upon him.

Jesus was handed the scroll of Isaiah 61, the prescribed reading for the day. He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” He then rolled the scroll up, handed it to the attendant and sat down to teach. He added, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” implying that he was the servant Isaiah spoke about.

The congregation was amazed at the local boy made good, yet by the end of his teaching, the congregation seized Jesus. In an explosion of anger, they pushed him out of town to the top of the hill on which the town was built and attempted to hurl him off. What incensed them so much that they attempted to kill someone who knew them so well?

The Galileans were being healed and set free but we know from the other gospels that Jesus was unable to perform many signs in Nazareth.

Jesus got into trouble because he exposed prejudices towards himself. He was a poor person teaching the well educated, well off leaders of the synagogue. He told them what was in their heart. He said, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!” Jesus recognized that the people in the synagogue were not good news to the poor or him. They looked down on him, expecting him to conform to their image and expectations.

Their authority meant they decided who should receive good news. Because Jesus didn’t conform to their Jewish vision of blessedness, he was considered sick and in their opinion needed to put his own house in order

Jesus exposed their reason for inviting him. They wanted him to perform miracles. They requested he did the things they had heard he did at Capernaum.

Jesus couldn’t be good news to them because they were self –righteous, believed they had no need of a Saviour and didn’t want change.

Jesus also got exposed failures in the way scripture was interpreted in the synagogue. Liturgy, scriptures and traditions were used to confine and control God and exclude those considered unworthy.

Jesus is good news for everyone, including Gentiles, Moslems, Hindus, women, those considered untouchable and the poor. Jesus pointed out that Elijah was sent to minister to a poor woman who lived in Sidon, outside of Israel and that Naaman, the Syrian Leper was healed during the time of Elisha when many Hebrew lepers were not.

This was inflammatory; like saying Jesus was anointed to be good news to Moslem terrorists.

We are called to be good news wherever we find need, to those within our church community and those without. Jesus is still good news to the poor. He still performs miracles and lets the oppressed go free. He does it because he favours and loves us, not because we deserve anything from him. He doesn’t fit into our expectations. He moves amongst us as we respond to his Holy Spirit.

We are also called to allow the poor to minister to us without prejudice. We are all equally God’s children, called to minister to each other.

There will be those like the people in Nazareth who reject the sovereignty of Jesus. Prejudice, pride and religious traditions prevent needy people from receiving Jesus today. The Taliban in Afghanistan, for example, would rather see their people die of starvation than receive Western help.

Like Jesus lets pray for the Holy Spirits anointing so that we can share his love with power amongst those ready to receive so that the blind see, the lame walk and the imprisoned go free. There may be explosions of anger from opposition, including the church but today is the day of salvation through Jesus. God’s Spirit is moving. “This is the day of the Lord’s favour.”