From the moment he began speaking, Jesus laid out an agenda that was political – especially in Luke’s gospel. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” he read from Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, “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 favor” (Luke 4:18-19).
Jesus’ list is full of politically dangerous assignments. To bring good news to the poor meant preaching outside of the religious establishment. To proclaim release to the prisoners meant speaking and acting against the Roman Empire and the religious leaders who had allied with it. To let the oppressed go free and proclaim the year of jubilee or the Lord’s favor would mean undermining the empire’s economy.
The work of Jesus has always been about more than otherworldly salvation. It is about creating a just world here and now. It’s about level playing fields. It is about breaking people out of oppression and allowing them to claim the power of God at work – within and through them.
This message is excerpted from “Jesus’ political agenda” by Collette Broady Grund in the October 2015 Café online magazine.
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