Jesus’ Mission Statement
Posted on Jan 18, 2022 by Shari Van Baale
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
“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 favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
— Luke 4:16-21
This Sunday’s Gospel is the start of Jesus’ public ministry. He is pretty straightforward in his purpose. He says who he is (the one prophesized about in Isaiah), why he is there (to help the oppressed and heal the sick), and his mission. This scripture is often called “Jesus’ Mission Statement” in many Bible commentaries.
This scripture is a real cliffhanger for me. I am left wondering what happens next. To me, it ends on an arrogant note. I am not sure if it is meant to be that way, but it sounds very conceited for Jesus to read from the Torah and tell everyone that he is the one mentioned in Isaiah.
According to the website Working Preacher, “When he finished reading, Jesus sat down … and the congregation fixed their eyes on him to hear his teaching. Jesus begins explaining the Scripture by telling them that today when they heard the Scripture read it was fulfilled in their presence. Jesus himself will be the location for the fulfillment of this prophesy. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the one who has been chosen (anointed) to preach and proclaim the good news of God. In the chapters ahead, Jesus will travel from town to town and wherever he goes he will teach and heal living out the good news so that people can see the salvation that God offers.” https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-after-epiphany-3/commentary-on-luke-414-21-3
Next Sunday’s Gospel picks up where this leaves off, thankfully, with those in the synagogue questioning how Joseph’s son can fulfill the prophesy. They got angry and pretty much forced him out of town. So stay tuned for next week’s installment of … The Book of Luke.
Shari Van Baale
Communications Coordinator