Summary: Jesus wants the oppressed to go free, and for our eyes to be opened to his will for our lives. His mission is challenging and dangerous work, then and now.
George C. Wallace became governor of Alabama in January of 1963. In his inaugural speech, he defiantly proclaimed "segregation now ... segregation tomorrow ... segregation forever!"1 Then, in August of the same year, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The liberating work of the Civil Rights Movement surged forward.
Segregation did not last forever, and for that we can be thankful. The captives of that time are free and our eyes have been opened to the fact that we are all God's children, regardless of the color of our skin. In every generation, we need to reflect on what it means to follow the example of Jesus, who proclaimed "release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind."
What, in particular, are the challenges of liberation today? Education for children in developing countries? Freedom from addictions? The treatment of mental illness? Political polarization? Jesus wants the oppressed to go free in every time and place, and for our eyes to be opened to his will for our lives.
This is challenging work, which Jesus discovered as he started his ministry. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is tempted by the devil and survives 40 days in the wilderness, then returns to his home region of Galilee, "in the power of the Spirit." The people of that region know him, since he grew up in the town of Nazareth, but he is not just a kid anymore. A report about him spreads through the countryside, and he begins to teach in their synagogues and is "praised by everyone."
Jesus is in a tough spot, returning to his hometown. Ed Stetzer, the executive director of the Billy Graham Center, says that there are challenges in a pastor returning to a home church. "If people remember him as 'little Joey' his leadership will be in trouble," says Stetzer; there will be "a perception problem." People will "still see Joey as a kid, someone who is young and immature, which will hinder his ability to effectively lead the church." If people have a difficult time seeing Joey in a position of authority, it may be best for him not to make a homecoming.2
Substitute "Jesus" for "Joey," and you can see the challenge. Arriving in the town of Nazareth, Jesus goes to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. As a grown man and an observant Jew, he is ready to participate in the synagogue worship service, including the public reading of scripture. Reading scripture is a common courtesy extended to visiting rabbis, and since Jesus is a local boy with a growing reputation, you can be sure that the people of the synagogue are eager to hear him speak.
Jesus stands and reads from the scroll of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah. Luke doesn't tell us whether Jesus chose this text on his own, or if he was following a synagogue schedule. What he reads is a paraphrase of Isaiah 61 with the insertion of a line from Isaiah 58 - Jesus feels free to combine different Scriptural texts, as preachers continue to do today.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me," says Jesus, reading from Isaiah 61, "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." Then he inserts the line from Isaiah 58:6, "to set free those who are oppressed," before returning to Isaiah 61 for the words, "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Then Jesus rolls up the scroll, gives it back to the synagogue attendant, and sits down. The eyes of all in the synagogue are fixed on him, because they know he is going to speak. Notice that Jesus is sitting down to do his teaching. That's the way it was in those days: Teachers would sit, and students would stand. It's the opposite of what we do today, with teachers standing and students sitting.
"Today," says Jesus, "this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Wow, that's a bold statement! Jesus identifies himself as the one anointed by the Spirit of the Lord. You can just imagine the gasps of the people who thought of him as "little Jesus."
Reading the words of Isaiah, Jesus talks about the direction his anointed ministry will take - proclaiming good news to the poor, release to captives, healing to the infirm, freedom to all who are oppressed, along with "the year of the Lord's favor." He makes it clear that his ministry will be all about release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.
While such talk is initially pleasing to the residents of Nazareth, Jesus quickly gets on their bad side by speaking about how God has done great things for the outsiders known as the Gentiles. Since the residents of Nazareth believe in "segregation forever," they don't want to mix with such people. They certainly don't want to hear stories about God giving blessings to the Gentiles. Their antagonism toward people who are different is as bad as the divide we have today between Red American and Blue America.
Jesus talks about how God chose to help a widow at Zarephath in Sidon and heal a Syrian named Naaman. When the people of the synagogue hear this, they are filled with rage and try to throw Jesus off a cliff.3 The challenge of a happy homecoming quickly turns into a dangerous situation.
Through it all, Jesus remains committed to his ministry and mission. He begins by proclaiming "release to the captives," release to anyone who is trapped by race, religion or economic class. Jesus wants people to be free - free from outer constraints such as segregation, discrimination and poverty, as well as from inner constraints such as mental illness or addiction. Jesus also wants "recovery of sight to the blind"; he wants everyone blinded by prejudice to see the people around them as equally precious children of God.
So, what are the challenges of liberation for us today? Are we willing to proclaim release to the captives, even if it gets us in trouble with our neighbors?
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Public school is available to children, but with a catch - every child must have a uniform in order to go to school. Many families in Honduras are too poor to afford a school uniform. Fortunately, the sewing group of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Virginia has proclaimed release to the captives by assembling uniforms for these children. Dozens of children are able to attend school for the first time each year and receive an education that will enable them to lift their families out of poverty. The gift of a uniform is a simple act, but it is one that is in line with the mission of Jesus to bring "good news to the poor."
How about the captivity of addiction or mental illness? Across the country, churches host 12-step groups that are designed to help people overcome addiction to alcohol, narcotics and uncontrollable sexual behavior. The men and women of these groups share their experience, strength and hope with each other, with the goal of solving their problems and helping others to recover. Every week, "release to the captives" occurs in churches throughout our nation.
The challenge of mental illness is much larger and more difficult for us to get our hands around. We see the terrible captivity of such illness whenever we help the homeless on cold winter nights, or when we read about the violence committed by deeply disturbed people such as school shooters. Christians can become supporters of mental health services in their communities and regions. While replacing a hip or a knee is always much simpler than treating a schizophrenic, we should not put greater focus on physical illness than on mental illness. Without good mental health, people cannot experience the fullness of life that God intends for them.
Finally, we need to reach across the lines that divide us in the United States today, and "set free those who are oppressed" by prejudice. One successful approach is being offered by the organization Braver Angels, which offers Red-Blue workshops. These workshops bring together a small, evenly divided group of conservatives and liberals to talk, clarify disagreements, move beyond stereotypes and discover common values.
Such conversations are needed, because political polarization is growing in America today, and the problem may be worse than the tribalism of the Jews and Gentiles in the time of Jesus. "It's not just that people only trust or associate with their own side," says Cynthia Wang, a professor at the Kellogg School. "It's that they're contemptuous of the other side, whom they see as 'other' and less moral."4 We should always encourage face-to-face conversations in the life of the church, especially among people who have different views of the world.
In every time and place, Jesus wants the captives to be released. He wants us to be liberated from anything that prevents us from understanding his will and doing his work.