Good day everyone-
I'm taking a class on the Book of Ruth. One of the really interesting things that's standing out to me about that story is how Boaz (a well-to-do man) reaches out to, takes care of, and eventually marry a poor widow from a foreign country, Ruth. And this was in a culture where being a foreigner created a huge relational gap. Over and over again in the book the author makes sure to note that Ruth was a Moabite (even when it's awkward from a story-telling perspective); in other words, not only was Ruth a foreigner, she was a foreigner from a country Israel didn't get along with. Boaz provided for and loved a poor outcast. But, he was just the hero from a story who we're supposed to hold in awe right? I don't think so, I think Jesus calls us to be like Boaz.
I was listening to a sermon last week where the preacher talked about Jesus announcing His ministry in Luke. To do this, He chooses Isaiah 61 to read from. Luke 4:16-20 reads:
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.
What strikes me, as a follower of Christ, is that Jesus' way of starting his ministry is to announce He's there to bring good news to the poor and set the oppressed free. Christian literally means one who follows Christ. In following Him I find I want to do these things, I want to be like Boaz (without marrying a foreigner though ... Carla wouldn't like that much :).
What do you think?
Grace and peace,
Lang
Excellent! I love the book of Ruth. My question is, "What if in bring the good news to others, they see it as bringing them bad news?" Judgment, accountability and asking them to go against what society sees as "normal" or okay?
ReplyDeleteGood question. I'd say good news is always good news, but sometimes it isn't easy news. I think it usually works within a culture, but eventually the recipients may be called (by God) to leave some ofvtheir culture behind ... Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteThat said. I think in most situations the good news integrates into the culture it's going to.
ReplyDeleteDon't overlook verse 21: "And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." This is huge. Jesus is saying - I am here to fulfill Scripture. Jesus was announcing liberation from sin. "the acceptable year of the Lord" was a signal or code if you will that told Israel the Messiah was coming to set them free. It references Isaiah's oracle (Isaiah 61:1-2 with an excerpt from Is 58:6). Isaiah was predicting a jubilee year/celebration (referring to Leviticus 25) in the future when God will come and release Israel from its slavery and debt (guilt). Jesus follows the spirit of Isaiah and announces His mission to save the world from sin and death.
ReplyDeleteMuch like when John the Baptist was making straight the path of the Lord, these references to Isaiah's prophecy announced the coming of the Messiah.
Isaiah's words announce the restoration of Israel and the world (Is 40:3-5)
[3] The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God. [4] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways plain. [5] And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see, that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken.
Luke tells us in Chapter 3 of John the Baptist:
[3] And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins; [4] As it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet: A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. [5] Every valley shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough ways plain;
[6] And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
So by announcing this fulfillment of Scripture, Jesus is boldly proclaiming His identity as the Messiah. By citing this central section of Isaiah (Chaps. 40-55), Luke is cueing an entire symphony of biblical promises that will be fulfilled by the Lord.
Jesus goes on to say (Luke 4:24 "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country." Which makes me think of Charlita's excellent question. They will not like the good news you have to bring. And they will persecute you for it, but we are not created for this world, we are created for the next - we will be rewarded in eternity with our Lord. His kingdom is not of this world. If we are His followers, then we are not meant to "fit in" and follow this world's values/culture either...