Write His Answer

“He has sent me to proclaim freedom.”
LUKE 4:18 NIV

It was the first Independence Day. Rising to his feet in his hometown synagogue, Jesus was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  He began to read,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him” (Luke 4:18-19).

I can imagine how every eye was riveted on him as he added, “These Scriptures came true today!” (Luke 4:21).

There were no fireworks or hurrahs. Instead, people began to whisper among themselves.

“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” someone must have asked.

“But he’s so eloquent and wise.”

“I heard he’s been working miracles in Capernaum.”

“How can that be? We’ve known him all his life.”

“Yes, who does he think he is?”

“I solemnly declare to you,” Jesus said, “that no prophet is accepted in his own home town! For example, remember how Elijah the prophet used a miracle to help the widow of Zarephath—a foreigner from the land of Sidon. There were many Jewish widows needing help in those days of famine. . . . Or think of the prophet Elisha, who healed Naaman, a Syrian, rather than the many Jewish lepers needing help” (Luke 4:24-27).

His remarks infuriated them. As William Barclay says in his commentary The Gospel of Luke, “The Jews were so sure that they were God’s people that they utterly despised all others. . . . And here was this young Jesus, whom they all knew, preaching as if the gentiles were specially favoured by God” (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, p. 48). They mobbed him and took him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built. They were ready to push him over the cliff, but Jesus freely “walked away through the crowd and left them” (Luke 4:30).

Mark’s account says Jesus “could hardly accept the fact that they wouldn’t believe in him” (6:6). I can feel his disappointment, but I also feel disappointed for the people of Nazareth. There is no record in the Gospels of Jesus ever returning to Nazareth. What a loss for those people! Because of their unbelief, only a few heard the Good News and experienced the healing, freeing, restoring of sight, lifting of burdens, and blessings that Jesus came to bring.

Just as people had a choice 2,000 years ago, they have a choice today. Christians who write also have a choice. We can accept or reject Jesus’ words. We can proclaim the message of freedom that cost Jesus his life, or we can water down the power of the Gospel and the Resurrection.

Water down the Gospel? That would never be our intent! Yet unless we are experiencing firsthand the implications of Jesus’ Independence Day proclamation, we will not be as effective as we could be in sharing it with our readers.

We need to ask ourselves if we really understand what Jesus meant by preaching “Good News to the poor.” Do we understand the significance of the word poor? Do we recognize that without him we are nothing? Do we daily admit our need for him and humbly put our complete trust in him? And do we take time to sit at his feet and learn more about the Good News he wants us to impart?

God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others” (2 Cor. 5:19).

Jesus said he came to “heal the brokenhearted.” If we are struggling with deep, unresolved hurts or if an unforgiving spirit has caused resentment and bitterness to get a foothold in our lives, then we need to allow God to heal our hearts. He never intended for us to go through life sapped of our energy and joy by experiences—perhaps some as far back as our childhoods—that we could not control and certainly cannot change. He wants to make us whole!

Jesus also said he came to “announce that captives shall be released.” Webster’s New Dictionary defines captive as “a person caught and held prisoner.” If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit we’re frequently prisoners to negative thinking patterns,doubts, fears, and feelings of discouragement. Or we may be prisoners to bad habits. Are we asking him to set us free?

With his touch, Jesus healed many who were blind. I suspect that some of them knew more than just the joy of seeing the earth and sky, trees, and people. Undoubtedly, many eyes were opened to spiritual truths they had never seen before. What about us? Are we seeing things clearly, or is our vision blurred? Do we need him to touch us and heal us so we can see life from his perspective?

The first-century Israelites were people downtrodden by their oppressors. The Romans imposed heavy taxes and quickly quenched any flames—or even sparks—of political unrest. Today people are still oppressed by cruel governments and merciless economic systems. On a more personal level, many of us know the oppression of being weighed down by heavy emotional or financial burdens or being persecuted for the stand we take as Christians. Others may experience, in very real ways, the oppression of the Evil One. Are we trusting Jesus to give us victory?

Finally, Jesus proclaimed that God was “ready to give blessings to all who come to him.” Again we have to ask ourselves whether we wait long enough in his presence to receive all he has for us. Do we give him prime time each day, or do we squeeze him in only when it is convenient or when our needs are desperate?

Jesus’ first Independence Day proclamation is filled with promises for us today. As we claim and act on them, we will find our lives filled with new power. Then when we take up our pens to write, God’s truth—the truth that truly does set men free—will resound throughout the land.

RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL TO WRITE

Prayerfully reflect on Luke 4:18-19, and ask the Lord to show you ways you can more fully experience and write about the following truths.
Good News for the poor
Healing for the brokenhearted
Freedom for the captives
Recovery of sight for the blind
Victory for the downtrodden
God’s blessings

From Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull. (c) 2014 Marlene Bagnull.